So i had my second court date in Atlanta on tuesday and lost, I didn't even know I was going to argue my case that day and wasn't nearly prepared enough. Got the ticket on 8-29-03, first court date on 9-15-03, not even 30 days, drove all the way to atlanta from FL and got handed a business card that said next date 11-18-03, thats all no explanation of anything. So I went in researching the laser gun he used and all the different errors etc. Well my ticket was for 88 in a 55, I was in the HOV carpool lane on the left, he was on the right shoulder of a 8 lane highway, said he estimated me going over 80 visually then lasered me, well i was tagged at 915 ft. if im going 88mph I am traveling at over 120 ft/sec. so if he was to visually estimate me i would be even further away. It was 10:50 in the morning in heavy traffic at a extreme distance while he was sitting in his car, how in the hell can you target someone through 8 other lanes of traffic and be accurate. The DA was a real bitch when I was crossexamining him I was asking the officer the effective range of the laser gun and he said 6000 ft.(Bull ****) thats over a mile. I tried to make reference to the the laser handbook and the DA said it wasn't required to have in court and I tried to make factual points about the accuracy of the gun and all i heard was
"objection hearsay" I was so pissed. Has anyone lost and made an appeal to a higher court? I know I can prove my case if I am prepared and can submit the handbook as evidence, but im not sure if its even worth it. And for even more of a kick in the ***** since im under 21 its Georgia state law to revoke my driving priveleges and I dont even live there. Georgia is a fucked up state. Should I get a lawyer and appeal? or is it not even worth it? I only paid 315 in fines but am worried about my insurance. And the thought of losing my license in FL too.

 

Ah.. man... that sucks.....

 

Yeah, I lived their in Georgia myself in my last half of high school, and man the troopers out there blew ***, when I lived there. They used to harrass the hell out of any teenager. I never had any problems and hardly speeded any way in my Ford Pinto, but still got pulled over 4 times in 2 years for speeding when I was not.

I feel for you!

I don't know how they can object the facts of a manufacters claim on a radar gun as "hearsay", but then I wasn't there and don't know how it played out. Here in Vegas, you better have a good lawyer to get out of a ticket. I have heard the worst horror stories out here, and I guess the courts just don't give an *** on what you want to say!

 

I cited references from the handbook and every time I did she objected, and the officer wasn't required to have the manual in court, how that is legal? I dont know cause the trooper was some dumbass redneck that didn't know **** about how the thing worked or how to use it properly. I even tried to get a continuance so I could gather the required evidence I needed and was denied because the offeicer was already in court. Very sad legal system. The worst I have ever seen by far. Im going to try to appeal the decision.

 

to them ur just some young, wreckless, smartmouth kid trying to sneak ur way out of a speeding ticket. u never wouldve gotten out of it, shouldnt of even tryed. ur word vs the cops word, u can never win.

 

I guess what they want you to do if you fight the ticket is to get the layer. They are all part of the same you scratch my back I'll scratch your system. Either way the dorks will get the money which is all they are really worried about. This is how they justify their existence, not by fighting real crime, because real crime does not bring in enough money for their overtime and doughnut cash. To catch a rapist or murderer there is much more time devoted by many more cops, with a ticket it is a slam dunk, wham bam thank you mamm situation for them, not much time invested. You can put the dumbest cop on the side of a road all day and walk away with thousands of dollars you did not earn. To me they are not much better than crack dealers!
I'm getting two of these mounted on my truck to deter cops in the future!!

 

Maybe at the worst you'll only lose your liscence (driving privliges) to drive in GA. Not your home state. Anyone?
I'm not from there but have lived in quite a few different states. I knew someone who got a dui out of state and lost their liscence for 90 days but their homestate never pulled their liscence they just couldn't cross the "state line" anymore.
Like I say, yours could be different. Good luck.