I was passing state patrol on the highway trying to catch up to my friends. We were driving to Seattle so I had to keep up as I don't know the entire way there.

I passed a state patrol on the highway and he pulled me over without radar. He said I was going 75+ in a 60. I actually only passed him a little then slowed down and my speed was at 70 max the whole time during speeding up, we were on a three lane highway btw. He was pretty lame about it. Then he said, "I'm giving you a break this time but next time I won't". Also he wrote my vehcile down as a toyota 2 door, no model written down.

So I've seen the Trial by Declaration info. Does that only apply to california? Are the laws in Washington different?

 

so he was pacing you then??
i haven't seen these tickets hold in court....

1st offense/ticket??

 

I got a ticket about two years ago I believed which I had differed. Payed the fine plus 25 bucks and it was off my record.

I've been driving for 3 1/2 years and this is only my second time being ticketed. I have radar and I know he didn't know how fast I was going. He didn't even ask. All he said was 75+ on the ticket.

Then he hauled off and I didn't see him forever until he had a civic pulled over about 10 miles down the road that we passed.

 

So you admit to speeding, is your issue that you were only going 70 in a 60 or is it that the officer guaged your speed to be in excess of 75? My guess is that you were probably going in excess of 80 and that he did give you a break. You don't need a radar gun to tell when a car is moving way too fast. Pay your fine and pay closer attention to the road instead of just the radar detector.

 

if u were going 70 in 60, and the cop is tryin to dick you..id fight it
but if u were going what the cop says you were, i wouldn't try it..

 

fight it. Its subjective. Depending on a persons mood something may seem fast on one day when it wasn't considered fast on the day before. Thats why they have radar guns. To be objective.

 

umm...i dont think it matters wut mood ur in to figure out that if u r going the speed limit, if someone passes u they r speeding.

the better question would be....y did u pass a highway patrol period.

 

yep, trial by declaration..........worked for me.

 

thats true to. Why did you pass the trooper to begin with? I pass local PD a lot going 60 in a 55 and no one ever stop me. I doubt that they have radar though.

 

The speed limit is 60 so I think it's easy to assume your friends were doing the average speed of about 70. Since you were trying to catch up to them, you'd have to be going at least 75. Sounds fair to me. You could try to fight it but remember he's a trooper who probably spends three days a week writing tickets and the other two at traffic court. He knows what he's doing and you probably shouldn't expect to win on a technicality.

 

and in the end u still did pass the speed limit, it just sucks u got caught.

 

Question: If u get pulled over by a cop can u actually say to him and/or the judge that you knew for a fact that he does not know ur speed because ur radar detector did not pick up a radargun? I know it it legal to have a radar detector (in most states) but can u actuallly use that as ur excuse without gettin in trouble for that? Cuz i mean it seems so easy just to do 90 and just say, hey, u dont know what speed i was goin, show me ur proof. Someone with experience/knowledge answer me back, no opinions thanks.

 

there are new radar guns that they use that detectors cannot pick up on since the radar signal emitted from these guns is so quick that the detector never picks them up.. and then your detector NEVER hears it..

here's the problem.. since the radar burst is so quick it has lots of errors.. even the makers of these radar guns admit to law enforcement to "only use as an indication of speed" to then hit the target (car) with a full burst of radar (which your detector will hear).. fact is, if your detector never heard anything (and it's known to be a good detector) and he said he had a speed on you, it can be challenged in court.. since the officer is supposed to verify the quick burst speed..

do a little research online into radar gun makers and the DSP guns they have now.. plus a little digging into public records for the state will reveal what make/model the gun he was using (issued to the dept). With that information you can discredit him, plus no matter how much experience he has, he should've known better to estimate your speed!

So yes fight this, sounds like he's pulling over any kind of sport-compact car, thinking that the young driver will never question authority.. I say you fight this in court, and don't be misled by another trick of the courts.. Putting you in court with a person called a "magistrate".. don't be fooled into thinking this person is a judge because they wear a black robe.. it's nothing more than a clerk! If you have a magistrate say politely "I want this held over for a judge, for trial".. he cannot tell you no.. you can request that.. it's a trick they pull on young drivers! Only a judge can remove the ticket! so don't even waste your time talking to a magistrate..

hope that helps..

 

Pacing has a long and solid history in Washington state. The air and ground officers even use ground markers to accurately 'measure' one's speed by how long it takes you to get from one to the next.

Very simply, though, an officer with a whole lot of experience on the highway in estimating vehicle speeds (and then often checking himself with radar or timing) develops a very good sense for it.

WSP officers are known for 'trolling' for speeders by cruising down the highway at just OVER the limit and waiting for a violator to pass them. They get QUITE good at judging the relative speeds, and at the VERY least you were speeding just by passing them.

Unless the trooper is very obviously going under the limit or totally involved in something else, I generally do NOT pass them on the highway...

At least you didn't get stopped by one that looked like this. :D

 

You passed a cop!? Was it one lane each way? I wouldn't pass a cop if he was going 5 mph. I'd rather turn around.

 

i dont think u needed to post this since he gave u a break. just b thankful.