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The Annoyed Man wrote:

SlickTX wrote:Back in the day (1982 or so) I was clocked by a LEO in well-known Central Texas speed trap town doing 75 mph through town in my beat up Bronco II. I knew about the town and the speed trap and will swear on a stack of bibles that I wasn't doing over 40mph. As a matter of fact, to get that beater to do 75mph I'd have to drive it off a cliff. I asked the officer if he didn't take the setting off of "stationary" to "moving" so that he actually got our closing speed. He replied that he didn't have to show me his radar gun.

This got my really pi... mad, so I asked for a jury trial. Long story short, I got a letter about 30 days prior to the trial date saying that the charges were dropped because the officer no longer worked for that dept. and they had no witness on their side.

I find that part curious. In California, no matter who stops you, if you got picked up by radar, you have the right to see the radar gun with your speed displayed on it, and I'm pretty sure they have to offer to show it to you. Does Texas not have such a requirement?

I don't know what the law says, that's what the officer told me. Of course, it looks like he had a very flexible view of the law anyway.

pcgizzmo wrote:I think I'm going to ask for a trial after reading the responses here I know it's easier to pay the ticket and in every ticket I have gotten that's exactly what I did but this one bugs me. I know I wasn't going the speed he said I was going. The more I think about it I'm sure he had a radar issue. I'm going to ask for a jury trial and ask for radar calibration records. I'm also going to inquire on whether he did whatever he needed to go from setting still to a moving radar. Someone mentioned they have to change the mode or something. If I lose I'll pay but at least I'll have the satisfaction of knowing I didn't take it lying down.

The switching of modes (I think) was required back in the day. I don't know if the newer radars adapt automatically or not.

On top of the calibration records I'd ask about the officer's training history on that radar unit. How often he actually trained vs. the recommended training intervals. Has he ever had a false reading. How could he be sure that this time its wasn't false. Did he track other traffic at the same time. What did the radar say about those. You get the idea.

Back in the day (1982 or so) I was clocked by a LEO in well-known Central Texas speed trap town doing 75 mph through town in my beat up Bronco II. I knew about the town and the speed trap and will swear on a stack of bibles that I wasn't doing over 40mph. As a matter of fact, to get that beater to do 75mph I'd have to drive it off a cliff. I asked the officer if he didn't take the setting off of "stationary" to "moving" so that he actually got our closing speed. He replied that he didn't have to show me his radar gun.

This got my really pi... mad, so I asked for a jury trial. Long story short, I got a letter about 30 days prior to the trial date saying that the charges were dropped because the officer no longer worked for that dept. and they had no witness on their side.