txinvestigator wrote:
WHat is a speed trap, how do the police lure people in to commit the crime?
My best friend's grandfather got a ticket in something that is probably a little more than a speed trap, but fits the bill. I believe it was in Arizona out in the middle of nowhere, and he was pulled over for speeding. The sheriff cited him with a speed limit change that he did not observe. The grandfather saw no such speed limit change, and had the sheriff take him back to show him the sign. When they got there, the officer took his jacket sleeve and wiped off a thick layer of mud from the sign. Naturally, the grandfather took this to court, but got no sympathy from the judge and was ordered to pay the fine.
As it turns out, the judge and sheriff had an arrangement of sorts, and the entire thing was a setup that had been going on for a long time to generate ticket revenue. Once it came out what was happening, the judge and sheriff were deposed from their positions and those ticketed were exonerated.
I wish I knew more specifics, but the grandfather has since passed on, and this predated the popular use of the internet, so I can't find any of the details online.