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DJ112404 · May 28, 2008, 08:45 AM

Hello,

I live in WI, and just recently my friend and I were on our way home. She was going 65 in a 55. There was a cop pulled over on the side of the highway with absolutely no lights on. I have heard that this is illegal for them to do due to the danger of the situation it poses and also because they must have some indication that they are sitting there. The cop pulled her over and lied about how fast he said he caught her at. Is it OK for cops to not have any lights on in their car while they're sitting on the side of a highway using RADAR?

Thanks,
Danielle

ScottGem · May 28, 2008, 08:49 AM

I don't see any reason why a patrol car would have to advertise their presence.

sammismom1991 · May 28, 2008, 08:50 AM

Yep... absolutely legal for them to do...

ChihuahuaMomma · May 28, 2008, 08:51 AM

If he was using radar then why would he have to lie about how fast she was going? Ten miles over the speed limit is speeding. Which is good cause for a speeding ticket. I don't see that the cop was in the wrong here.

twinkiedooter · May 28, 2008, 04:23 PM

I see the troopers sit and play fish for fish in a barrel all the time and they don't have any lights on. They're too busy to turn on their lights and let you know they are there. You should not speed in the first place - so why do they have to play fair? They don't have to. You're too busy speeding to notice them anyway even if they did have their lights on.

Fr_Chuck · May 28, 2008, 05:00 PM

Most know I was a former police officer, there are 100's if not 1000's of rules about radar, but the lights is not one of them.
Did the officer do a tunning fork test of the system before the shift started. Is there a log on the system, is the officers POST record current, is their license to operate the radar current.

Officers have no need to lie about the speed, most people hit the bakes first, then look at speed. If you saw 65 it most likelywas 70.

twinkiedooter · May 28, 2008, 06:24 PM

There used to be a Motion that a lot of criminal attorneys in Fort Lauderdale area would file back in the late 1990's about speeding and radar guns. It was something basically that the police could not argue with. It would get the speeders off the hook every time. It had to do with the calibration etc, like you stated above Chuck. I think the police fixed that cute loophole down there.

Fr_Chuck · May 28, 2008, 06:33 PM

At least in the states I work, all radar have to be tested at the start of a shift, ( or at least the officer has to write down in the log book that he did) So if the officer did not keep the log book up to date.
One trick I have know was to request a shopping list from the police dept
Copies of the officers post records, copy of all of the testing of the radar, also if there was any major transmission work to the vechile, some states will require a recertification of the radar unit. Also every so many years, the unit has to be tested by the radar testing company.

Also you would be surprised how mnay officers are behind on the radar traiing, at least in my states, the officer has to be recertified every two years, many forget, or departments don't send them, or they just forget.

Many departments won't spend the money or waste the time to provide tons of evidence for a speeding ticket. Now on the other hand, if they do, normally expect the max fine possible, since the judge does not often see the humor in it.

But the easiest way off, show up in court and plead not guilty, over 1/2 of the officers don't show up for court, for many it is their working shift and can't get off to go to court, for others, they work the night shift and have to come to court on their time off ( most don't get paid extra to be there)

johnnycupcakes · Jun 16, 2008, 01:10 AM

It is completely legal. A patrol car does not have to let anyone know they are there. That is why they have unmarked cars, the reason they turn all there lights out when they are responding to a call so the suspect does not run. Also remember some radar detectors read the car at different speeds. Your car speedometer could be off or something. In the county I live in, in Florida my speedometer reads two mph's higher then the Police Radars. The county below me reads my speed at a different speed then the one I live in.