“I want to see the radar reading!” This was always a signal to me that the traffic stop was going to be a difficult one. The demand for a print out of the radar reading was a similar request. Depending on the tone of voice, it was often simpler to refuse outright and explain later on in traffic court, letting the justice be the referee.

Traffic stop is going to be a difficult one?! Too bad cars do not come equipped with a tea pot and a baking oven, so we can offer you some tea and freshly baked cookies. You have just ruined someones day and in theory made real criminals job easier by wasting everyone’s time.

All seasoned cop rhetorics aside, it is highly disturbing that our law does not require the police to at least show the reading of the laser gun. Letting the court to be the referee is a bad plan because there is a assumption of police integrity. I do not share this assumption ever since I have  heard a Toronto cop tell a story of how he gets the afternoon off, if he writes a certain amount of tickets in the morning… Besides why would a policeman lie, steal, take bribe, sexual favors, be involved with organized crime, drug trafficking, abuse of power and all the other violations police constables have been charged with in the last year alone?  This of course not to say that all cops are bad but simply to state the obvious. Cops are human in all the good and bad ways. So why would we than believe them in court? Why cant we charge people based on cops word, without hard evidence for real crimes? Because traffic court system is a mockery of legal system, cash grab, handout job for failed(and bored) judges, prosecutors, court staff and ex cops that work as legal representation. They go so far in Toronto to set up a table outside of the courtroom were a prosecutor tries to make you plead guilty even if the crown has no evidence against you. Icing on the cake is that they now include a orange slip with your court invitation, that recommends that you come a half hour early to speak with the prosecutor outside of the courtroom. This is done so that you do not have chance to see if the constable that pulled you over is in attendance. If you plead guilty they will reduce your speed so that you pay a smaller fine but the conviction may  lead to your insurance premium going up(like it could be any more expensive)…In Canada, insurance companies make you sign a waiver that allows them to access your driving record. If you refuse, they will not insure you. This violation of privacy is legal and immoral and so is the whole business of speeding.

So what can you do to fight back?

Contest every ticket. Never plead guilty. If the Constable does not show up, the charges will be dropped. If he does, question him on the stand, and even if  they find you guilty, appeal their decision. If we all do that the court will have no time to see all the cases, and most of us will go free because the court date was not set in a resonable amount of time. Even better the police departments will have to reduce the number of trivial charges, and go after only truly reckless speeders, finally making our roads safer.

In response to an article on

DrivesmartBC

and

Beyond.ca

More on Speed traps here.

Last They need to hire me or DR Phil so that when they come out with a car that is stupid one of us can ask them: are you out of your mind?(with Dr Phill accent).

More on speeding and our government’s honest attempts to keep us safe.

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