re: How can I go about exposing a speed trap and racket in Jeanerette/Patterson, LA?

quote:

---

It doesn't happen because small towns such as Woodworth were writing tickets for as little as 3 miles over the speed limit to boost their revenue. So, as it stands now, if a local department writes a speeding citation for less than 10 miles over the speed limit the money goes to the state. Im not sure about all Sheriif's Departments but my local one only gets less than 10% revenue from citations. The majority goes to the court and district attorney's office therefore most of these problems are found in smaller municipal departments that are mostly self funded.

---

Is that a fact? If so, it clearly defines a motive for a city like Jeanerette to fudge the numbers.

quote:

---

Keep in mind you're talking about ending dollars that go toward people's salaries and livelihoods.

---

Money that they are effectively stealing from passers by? frick those people.

Great place for loose roofing nails

quote:

---

I got a ticket, the cop told me if I brought cash it wouldn't go on my record after I asked if there was some way to have it reduced, that was his answer...how about when I put the cash in his hand ,he pocketed that money....period

---

I had a very similar thing happen, it was back around '96. I was home from school for the Summer and was taking a cpl classes at a local JuCo, which required me to drive through a "town" that has been known as a terrible speed trap ever since I was old enough to remember.

I was running late for class one day (unfortunately one of the classes was in the AM, during the Summer). So I'm running around 90-95 up the highway and not really thinking about it much and less than a mile after crossing into that "town" one of their cops busts my arse....reckless driving, 92 in a 65 I believe it was. Anyway, I took the ticket and went on about my business.

One Friday night I was home and all of a sudden it hits me, I forgot to go to my court date (wanted to go to driving school). I grabbed the phone book, before the Internet was in the palm of your hand 24/7 and called the PD and obviously only the dispatcher is there to talk with and I ask if there is a warrant out, yes, I ask if I would be OK to pay it Monday AM and he was like "I don't know, you don't want to get pulled over again with a warrant out", I ask who I would need to pay and he said something like the mayor's secretary or city clerk or some shite, *or I could pay him if it was over the weekend*. So I ask how much and he says "$250". I thought shite, I will just pay it Monday when I'm going to or from class.

So Monday morning rolls around and I go in there to pay it and she looks it up and says that will be "$148" or some uneven number around $150. I paid it and left.

So that crooked fricker and his buddies who were working that night were either going to delete my ticket from the computer and keep my money, or pay off the ticket and make $100 on the side.

Ever since that day, I haven't trusted the police at all. And other run-ins with the police have done nothing to change that feeling, other than reinforce it.

Way Tfl;Dr

Cops are crooked (water is wet) and tried to frick me out of at least $100 on a ticket.

Ain't no one gonna read all that, hell I wouldn't.

I don't know about down there, but here if cops would bust these frickers cruising in the left lane when they aren't passing, then less people would probably speed because they wouldn't have these frickers blocking the way.

Believe what you want. It does not matter to me. I simply told my story. I have been retired for over 20 years. I could not care less. I still say most do not lie. If one does, it is on him.

I've heard snapchat has a feature that lets you see your speed on a picture, you should just hold that up every time you pass through.


If you want to report it, your only options are the AG or IG (don't recall which one has what jurisdiction), but they probably won't do much about it.

If you are pulled over, you can demand to see the radar gun showing the speed, and make sure to write all the certificates down. My understanding is if challenged, they are suppose to show it. They also know if you are checking certificates that you are more than likely going to lawyer up and have the calibration reports pulled.

This is how small towns across the country balance the budget.

Happens everywhere

quote:

---

I wonder if you can do the same for speeding but with the radar

---

You can, and it has to be officially calibrated like once every 6 months at a lab and daily unofficial calibrations. Supposedly it can't have an alarm or an auto-speed setting (like some type of locking mode once it finds a speed over X MPH).

That is well and good for getting out of a legit speeding ticket, but I'm more concerned with the bullshite, made up stuff they try to pull. I wonder if a FOIA request would get me information on how many tickets are written per year?