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[kbr80]

Cops caught issuing tickets as contest
The Associated Press

(Published February 27‚ 2004)

PORTERDALE, Ga. (AP) - A contest between two police officers in a small Georgia town to see which one could issue the most traffic tickets was stopped by a judge who overheard the apparent winner talking about it, the mayor said.

Part-time Porterdale police officers Erin Cox and Frank Jackson wrote about 150 tickets in January, which was significantly higher than in previous months, Mayor Paul Oeland said.

Some tickets were for minor offenses including not reporting an address change to the state or having defective equipment on a vehicle, it was first reported in The Covington News.

The contest was revealed when City Court Judge C. David Strickland overheard the officers talking about it recently. Oeland said "Jackson indicated he had won the contest."

"I think it was sort of bragging rights," said Oeland, a lawyer. "They would make a traffic stop for a legitimate reason and then try to find anything else they could possibly write a ticket for."

The mayor added: "It is not anything that we as a city support."

Both officers were asked to resign by Friday by City Manager Tom Fox, Oeland said. They have been with the department less than a year, he said.

Neither could be reached Friday. There was no answer at the police department.

Copyright © 2004 The Herald, South Carolina

 

[Pilgrim]

Kids with badges and ticket books.

Pilgrim

 

[Jeff White]

I wonder if those two lived near where they work? It seems like a clear case of defacating in ones own nest if they are as I suspect from a small town.

Although their little contest did succeed in pointing out that there were a lot of useless laws on the books. From what I've heard, there is no suggestion they made up any violations, just wrote all they could uncover. Seems to me that someone needs to go to the Georgia legislature and have some of those laws removed from the vehicle code.

Before anyone takes this the wrong way, I think what those two clowns did was stupid and unprofessional. I'm just pointing out that if you don't want a law enforced, perhaps you shouldn't pass it. There are too many laws on the books everywhere and if they all were enforced (like apparently happened here) there would be a loud public outcry. Once again like apparently happened here. A good case to remove laws from the books.

Jeff

 

[J Jones]

Didn't someone famous say the surest way to get bad laws changed is to enforce them stringently?

At least the town didn't cover for these clowns and showed them the door. I wonder if this story would be sufficient to challenge the citations, since it may appear that these officers were "cooking up" the violations.

 

[Pendragon]

It would be interesting to see what would happen if every law enforcement agency enforced every law they saw broken for 6 months - no exceptions, no matter how minor.

Personally, I don't think that could happen for 6 months without some major consequences.

Who cares if they had a contest? If the charges were legal and sustainable, it shoudl just be considered vigorous enforcement. Oh, we want those laws, we just only want to use them when they are convenient - ?

 

[Morgan]

Did all who were issued tickets break the law?

If so, I see no problem here.

 

[WonderNine]

Kids with badges and ticket books.

What was it that Winston Churchill said about 10,000 laws....

Anyways, the more laws, the less respect for the law.

Did all who were issued tickets break the law?

If so, I see no problem here.

What, are you writing the screenplay for The Passion of Hitler or what's your deal?

I don't know how to respond to that without busting a vein in my forehead and getting banned for breaking the rules of this site.

 

[spartacus2002]

There is a big difference between "laws" and "commands." Just because something got passed by a legislature doesn't make it holy and sacred. If it's a bull&#$% statute, it is a command, not a law.

Laws are the mutually recognized norms of societal conduct. Don't murder, rape, rob, thieve, burgle, etc., or do anything that negatively affects another's rights to life, liberty, or property.

Remember, most things Hitler did were under color of statutes passed by the legislature. Read The Gulag Archipelago to see how most of the KGB's excesses in the SOviet Union were authorized by statutes.

Remember that next time you hear about private conduct that makes you unCAHMfortable and shout "There oughtta be a law...." Like flash suppressors....

 

[JPM63US]

Georgia . . . a few years ago

While on a business trip I flew into Atlanta rented a car w/ 3 co-workers and was driving to Tipton (3 hours South) around 10:00 PM.

We were in the middle of nowhere and I was doing about 70, when the limit was still 55. I saw the local sheriff right as I passed, slowed down and moved over, but it was too late. He pulled me over and I was polite - not much to do.

Sheriff (In a good drawww): I had you at 70 in a 55 zone. Son, Georgia state law requires me to calibrate my radar gun for you if you request it . . . son, do you want me to calibrate my radar gun?

Me (trying to talk him down a bit to lessen the fine): Gee, I though I was only going 60 or so.

Sheriff (In a more agitated draw): Son, do you want me to have to calibrate my radar gun or not??!

Me: No Sir!

Sheriff: Son, you are from Michigan and will have to come with me to the station to pay the fine.

Me: I don't know if I have the cash - do you take Visa?

Sheriff: No problem, we have a ready-teller at the station.

So, I follow him to the station. This county has jurisdiction between two exits, with a station convienently located right between them. He sat me in a room while he did the paperwork - there was a white board where they were tracking tickets issued, by week, month and year and the prizes!! He showed me to the ready-teller (ATM) and I was on my way.

I was $70 poorer, but with a fun story to tell - especially after a couple of beers and when I get the draw right.

JPM

 

[Steve in PA]

A contest is 100% wrong.

Were the tickets "good", then so what.

There is talk about petty laws, minor vehicle infractions, failure to update their address and defective equipment.

Well there is a reason for them. While I've never personally written anyone for not updating their DL or vehicle registration, it is a pet peave of mine. And I will "professionally" let them know it.

Actually, the only people who don't do this are the ones who seemingly always get tickets or pulled over, and you find their DL is suspended. Suspended because they moved, a citation was sent to the old address, no response came......and the judge suspended their license.

Then you have the people who scream don't chase vehicles that flee....just get the registration and meet the person at his/her door. Yeah, unless they never updated their address (several times).......have moved (several times)....of course they never updated their DL............

I don't know about other states, but every year when you register your vehicle, there in black and white it says you have (15) days to notify PENN DOT of an address change. Ditto on your DL.

Defective equipment......fix it. I'll give you a written warning to have it fixed in (x) amount of days......but don't respond to it......and I'll write you for it. Some LEOS (none that I know) will issue you the citation right there, telling you that if you fix it and appear in front of the judge, he'll probably let you off. I personally don't like this because I don't believe the taxpayers of my town should be paying me OT to show up in court, only to have the judge say, "well since they fixed the headlight, I'll find them not guilty".

 

[Werewolf]

If the tickets written were for violation of existing vehicle codes in the town then what's the problem? All the LEO's were doing was enforcing existing law.

If the town doesn't want the laws enforced then WHY THE HELL ARE THE LAWS ON THE BOOKS?

Take the laws off the books if you don't want your police officers enforcing them. Or is this just a case of we want all those laws so that if we ever do need a reason to bring you in we can probably find one?

Mealy mouthed politicians - they want their cake and to eat it too - geeeez!!!

 

[Jonesy9]

sounds like that episode of Reno 911 where they have the scavenger hunt of people they pull over, 50 points for a gueer! LOL!

 

[Pendragon]

What, are you writing the screenplay for The Passion of Hitler or what's your deal?

I don't know how to respond to that without busting a vein in my forehead and getting banned for breaking the rules of this site.

Interesting that you think that just because I find no fault with the officers, that somehow I support every mala prohibitum law on the book.

First, I will say that I am not in full compliance with the vehicle codes in my area. I drive very carefully to avoid getting pinched, but I realize that if it happens, it is not due to some great injustice, but my failure to comply fully with the law (complicated car registration problem).


My whole point is that what I find interesting is - nobody seems to object to any of the laws that these guys enforced. Nobody is accusing them of writing fraudulent tickets or planting evidence, etc.

What they seem to be in trouble for is enforcing the law too well. Honestly, how is this possible? If the laws are unjust, is that not fot the legislature or at least a judge to decide (or, hopefully, a fully informed jury)?

It seems to me that the reason for a lot of these laws is just so they have something to use on you when they want to. If every vehicle stop resulted in vigorous enforcement of every violation no matter how small, what do you think would happen?

Most people seem to realize this and have no problem - get pulled over, play nice and they will ignore the burned out licence plate light.

Get pulled over and be a jerk - or maybe you got stopped for DWB/DWH and it does not matter how nice you are - they pull out the microscope.

The higher ups are just worried because they realize that the current system will crumble under vigorous enforcement and much of the leverage they have with selective enforcement will evaporate.

I think the incident raises a lot of equal protection questions. Now if you excuse me, I need to go goose step over to the park for the SS reunion...

 

[Art Eatman]

Seems to me this is one of those roundy-round deals where both sides have merit. Don't lose sight of the fact that in rural areas and small towns, folks are more casual about administrative matters. Hunting for ways to rigidly enforce the law aggravates the "community mood". Not good for any cooperative spirit toward the law in general.

In general, cities have a higher percentage of problem-people than in more rural areas. Ergo, more laws and regulations actually are needed for control of that percentage. A law-enforcement attitude toward "keeping the peace" just plain works better in small towns...

LEOs are people. Some get bored and have their own brand of "fun". Sometimes it backfires...

, Art