Waldo Florida Spped Trap
Waldo, Florida on US 301 is back in the news again because of their speed trap. They have been told that they must write so many speeding tickets in a 12 hours shift. They are being investigated agai...
Forum Discussion
Recently paid the fines for two tickets to the local JP and Constable Precinct. While I was upset about being ticketed for something that I was doing for the previous 12 years. But what really made me mad was the simple fact that going by the time on the citations I was in the backyard cutting back some bushes. (No contact by the Deputy Constable)
The garage door and gates were open. Yard implements in the driveway. Obvious that someone was doing yard work. I found the citations two hours later when I went to move the vehicles back into the drive. This should indicate that someone was outside and about.
At first I questioned how my vehicles could be cited for "Parking in an intersection when: 1. I live on a dead end street and there is a cul de sac a house down and across the street. Again, I have lived here and parked there for 12 years. (I looked up the State Transportation code and definitions of "an intersection"
To add salt to the wound there is a Lt. from the same precinct that parks his "Command Vehicle" behind the stop sign in front of his house. (This is against the Transportation Code). I took photo's and videos for record on three occasions in a four week period. (I was out of town on of those weeks)
Anyways, I did all the google map/satellite stuff for my house. Got all my info together to see the JP as required by the citation. (No mailing or e-pay allowed according to the JP site for my citations) I took off of work to appear as required.
I was going to plead "No Contest" and submit the definitions of an intersection and the video and photo's of the Command Vehicle.
There is no traffic control signs in my yard or near the entrance of the cul de sac. Only a stop sign if leaving the cul de sac. Measurements with a laser and survey equipment showed my curb in front of the house to be outside the control distances for the traffic control signage and the residential roadway does not meet the definitions of a highway or thoroughfare according to the Transportation Code. The Transportation Code states that intersections are at roadways or alleys intersecting Highways and Thoroughfares.
Anyway, The bailiff came out and stated that if one was there for traffic court to go to the next room over and pay your fine if you were pleading guilty or no contest. Then he stated if you are pleading "Not Guilty" to also go next door and they would schedule you for a court appearance that would be at least 60 days from today.
I was a bit miffed since I had planned to plead no contest and had expected to be admonished by the JP and pay my fines accordingly. If I had known I would not have to "appear" I would have just paid my fines on line and not missed a day of work.
To back track a little. While I believed I was in compliance with the Transportation code after doing my due diligence I started looking at the street, were my vehicles were sitting, and what my neighbors on the cul de sac would need to do to get to their house.
The approach is clear, one has a good visual of the cul de sac entry and for quite a good distance. Since my street is a dead end and only four houses long we do not have any speeding and the only traffic is the cul de sac coming and going. Even with all of that being good I could see that at a minimum I was Not being a good neighbor.
BTW, I turned over the videos, photo's, address, dates, and name of the Lt. to the Watch Captain while I was there at the court house. As I explained to the gentleman, "It may be an obscure or little known transportation law/code and that some awareness training may be needed." The code does not allow parking within 30 ft of traffic sign or control device and the roadway running beside his house is classified as a thoroughfare so the area in front of his house does encompass an intersection. Besides he has a driveway that is sufficiently wide enough to allow three vehicle to park in front of his 3-car garage and as could be seen in the videos and photos the garage doors were open and there was no vehicles inside and only one vehicle in the driveway.
In other words, I was willing to let it go. I was at least not being a good neighbor. I will not vote for the JP come Nov. because he runs his court this way, it was not a fluke day I found out. Now for the Constable, he is up for election next year. Depending on how his office handles the awareness training may or may not get my vote.
LOL
The garage door and gates were open. Yard implements in the driveway. Obvious that someone was doing yard work. I found the citations two hours later when I went to move the vehicles back into the drive. This should indicate that someone was outside and about.
At first I questioned how my vehicles could be cited for "Parking in an intersection when: 1. I live on a dead end street and there is a cul de sac a house down and across the street. Again, I have lived here and parked there for 12 years. (I looked up the State Transportation code and definitions of "an intersection"
To add salt to the wound there is a Lt. from the same precinct that parks his "Command Vehicle" behind the stop sign in front of his house. (This is against the Transportation Code). I took photo's and videos for record on three occasions in a four week period. (I was out of town on of those weeks)
Anyways, I did all the google map/satellite stuff for my house. Got all my info together to see the JP as required by the citation. (No mailing or e-pay allowed according to the JP site for my citations) I took off of work to appear as required.
I was going to plead "No Contest" and submit the definitions of an intersection and the video and photo's of the Command Vehicle.
There is no traffic control signs in my yard or near the entrance of the cul de sac. Only a stop sign if leaving the cul de sac. Measurements with a laser and survey equipment showed my curb in front of the house to be outside the control distances for the traffic control signage and the residential roadway does not meet the definitions of a highway or thoroughfare according to the Transportation Code. The Transportation Code states that intersections are at roadways or alleys intersecting Highways and Thoroughfares.
Anyway, The bailiff came out and stated that if one was there for traffic court to go to the next room over and pay your fine if you were pleading guilty or no contest. Then he stated if you are pleading "Not Guilty" to also go next door and they would schedule you for a court appearance that would be at least 60 days from today.
I was a bit miffed since I had planned to plead no contest and had expected to be admonished by the JP and pay my fines accordingly. If I had known I would not have to "appear" I would have just paid my fines on line and not missed a day of work.
To back track a little. While I believed I was in compliance with the Transportation code after doing my due diligence I started looking at the street, were my vehicles were sitting, and what my neighbors on the cul de sac would need to do to get to their house.
The approach is clear, one has a good visual of the cul de sac entry and for quite a good distance. Since my street is a dead end and only four houses long we do not have any speeding and the only traffic is the cul de sac coming and going. Even with all of that being good I could see that at a minimum I was Not being a good neighbor.
BTW, I turned over the videos, photo's, address, dates, and name of the Lt. to the Watch Captain while I was there at the court house. As I explained to the gentleman, "It may be an obscure or little known transportation law/code and that some awareness training may be needed." The code does not allow parking within 30 ft of traffic sign or control device and the roadway running beside his house is classified as a thoroughfare so the area in front of his house does encompass an intersection. Besides he has a driveway that is sufficiently wide enough to allow three vehicle to park in front of his 3-car garage and as could be seen in the videos and photos the garage doors were open and there was no vehicles inside and only one vehicle in the driveway.
In other words, I was willing to let it go. I was at least not being a good neighbor. I will not vote for the JP come Nov. because he runs his court this way, it was not a fluke day I found out. Now for the Constable, he is up for election next year. Depending on how his office handles the awareness training may or may not get my vote.
LOL
