Waldo Florida Spped Trap

[koda55]

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 again.

[down_home]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I didn't type it up very well, and it was a long time ago. They may have been given the right to post bail when they went to court on Monday but, of course, not before then. They were still given the choice to plead guilty or go back to jail until they found a bails bond's men and in the small towns around here that ain't easy. Basically you have to get your family to bail you out. They did not get smart with the judge but, they did laugh at the cop because they thought they were safe with there designated driver and they obviously should not have done that. (Which they know now but, it was a expensive lesson to learn.) They felt they were not guilty because the cop never saw them in the bar only in their friends car and they didn't think this was "Public." So what you guys are telling me is anytime you are drinking at any place the cop can write you up for Public Intox? So, If I have 3 beers tonight and I'm over .08 and the cop knocks on my door he can just haul me away? Doesn't sound fair to me. Sounds just like away to make money; if that is the way it actually is; and I don't know. Or, is the inside of a vehicle different? If it is does this mean we can't drink in our campers?

I've seen Judges behave as dictators, and make things tough for some in traffic court etc. Charges should have been thrown out. They know most people will opt out of the situation as easily as possible, been though it gives them a record. Had they shown up in court, dressed smartly and with an attorney the charges would have been tossed.

[The_Texan]

I would imagine the officer observed their actions as they walked from the bar to their car. That is all he needed to make a very VALID arrest. The rest of your rant is not believable, because they were arrested on a misdemeanor and bail would have been very low, probably what they had on them. There is a whole lot more to their story than what you have said.

[CavemanCharlie]

I didn't type it up very well, and it was a long time ago. They may have been given the right to post bail when they went to court on Monday but, of course, not before then. They were still given the choice to plead guilty or go back to jail until they found a bails bond's men and in the small towns around here that ain't easy. Basically you have to get your family to bail you out. They did not get smart with the judge but, they did laugh at the cop because they thought they were safe with there designated driver and they obviously should not have done that. (Which they know now but, it was a expensive lesson to learn.) They felt they were not guilty because the cop never saw them in the bar only in their friends car and they didn't think this was "Public." So what you guys are telling me is anytime you are drinking at any place the cop can write you up for Public Intox? So, If I have 3 beers tonight and I'm over .08 and the cop knocks on my door he can just haul me away? Doesn't sound fair to me. Sounds just like away to make money; if that is the way it actually is; and I don't know. Or, is the inside of a vehicle different? If it is does this mean we can't drink in our campers?

[ol_Bombero-JC]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
It's all just about the money, nothing else matters.

Some years ago I had some friends that were women. They decided to go to a bar one Saturday night to watch men dance in there underwear. They had a designated driver. On the way home they got pulled over by the police that were setting just down the street from the bar. They pointed out that they had a designated driver and they could not be arrested. The cop says "Oh yes you can", and arrested everyone in the car for public intoxication. He then let the driver of the car go home. After setting Saturday night, Sunday, and Sunday night in jail they got to go to court Monday morning. They told the judge they wanted to plead not guilty. The judge says "fine you can do that, I'll put you back in jail get you a court appointed lawyer and you can go through court in a few days". "Or," he continued, "you can plead guilty right now I'll let you leave today and we can set up a payment plan for your fine." Guess which option they took?

"Some years ago I had some friends that were women."

In Waldo?

How about now - any friends that are women?

Then it sounds like a Flip Wilson skit.....
"Now here come da Judge, here come da judge".

In the post just previous to yours, Poster "2012Coleman" said,
"Talk about thread creep - Good grief!"

Hope you didn't take his observation personal!..:B



~

[DSDP_Don]

I read this post when it first came out, but never saw an article about it. Today, MSN had an article Waldo

[The_Texan]

DutchmenSport wrote:

CavemanCharlie wrote:
It's all just about the money, nothing else matters.

Some years ago I had some friends that were women. They decided to go to a bar one Saturday night to watch men dance in there underwear. They had a designated driver. On the way home they got pulled over by the police that were setting just down the street from the bar. They pointed out that they had a designated driver and they could not be arrested. The cop says "Oh yes you can", and arrested everyone in the car for public intoxication. He then let the driver of the car go home. After setting Saturday night, Sunday, and Sunday night in jail they got to go to court Monday morning. They told the judge they wanted to plead not guilty. The judge says "fine you can do that, I'll put you back in jail get you a court appointed lawyer and you can go through court in a few days". "Or," he continued, "you can plead guilty right now I'll let you leave today and we can set up a payment plan for your fine." Guess which option they took?

Sorry to say, the police officer was well within his boundaries to arrest the women for public intoxication. (I lived with an alcoholic father, I know how this works and how the law operates). Now the judge cannot appoint an attorney, unless you declare you cannot afford one or are indigent. You might not be getting the entire story on this, because almost everywhere, if arrested, unless for some serious heinous crimes, you can post bail too. I think you are not getting the full story. I've been around too many courts with too many drunks for my own good.

Based on your own story, it sounds like the women had an attitude toward the judge too. Personally, they probably got what they deserved. Attitude goes a LONG way!

Amen Dutch ......
After working in the system for 28½ years, you are dead on.

[DutchmenSport]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
It's all just about the money, nothing else matters.

Some years ago I had some friends that were women. They decided to go to a bar one Saturday night to watch men dance in there underwear. They had a designated driver. On the way home they got pulled over by the police that were setting just down the street from the bar. They pointed out that they had a designated driver and they could not be arrested. The cop says "Oh yes you can", and arrested everyone in the car for public intoxication. He then let the driver of the car go home. After setting Saturday night, Sunday, and Sunday night in jail they got to go to court Monday morning. They told the judge they wanted to plead not guilty. The judge says "fine you can do that, I'll put you back in jail get you a court appointed lawyer and you can go through court in a few days". "Or," he continued, "you can plead guilty right now I'll let you leave today and we can set up a payment plan for your fine." Guess which option they took?

Sorry to say, the police officer was well within his boundaries to arrest the women for public intoxication. (I lived with an alcoholic father, I know how this works and how the law operates). Now the judge cannot appoint an attorney, unless you declare you cannot afford one or are indigent. You might not be getting the entire story on this, because almost everywhere, if arrested, unless for some serious heinous crimes, you can post bail too. I think you are not getting the full story. I've been around too many courts with too many drunks for my own good.

Based on your own story, it sounds like the women had an attitude toward the judge too. Personally, they probably got what they deserved. Attitude goes a LONG way!

[JJBIRISH]

Fact or fiction… :B:B:B

Which one did they take???

[CavemanCharlie]

It's all just about the money, nothing else matters.

Some years ago I had some friends that were women. They decided to go to a bar one Saturday night to watch men dance in there underwear. They had a designated driver. On the way home they got pulled over by the police that were setting just down the street from the bar. They pointed out that they had a designated driver and they could not be arrested. The cop says "Oh yes you can", and arrested everyone in the car for public intoxication. He then let the driver of the car go home. After setting Saturday night, Sunday, and Sunday night in jail they got to go to court Monday morning. They told the judge they wanted to plead not guilty. The judge says "fine you can do that, I'll put you back in jail get you a court appointed lawyer and you can go through court in a few days". "Or," he continued, "you can plead guilty right now I'll let you leave today and we can set up a payment plan for your fine." Guess which option they took?

[2012Coleman]

Ramble On wrote:
Recently paid the fines for two tickets to the local JP and Constable Precinct. While I was upset.........blah blah blah blah

Talk about thread creep - Good greif

[Dutch_12078]

I'm not sure I understand your beef with the JP. Having the guilty/no contest pleas go to a clerk where they can pay their fines is a fairly common setup for larger traffic courts, rather than time wasting individual appearances before the judge. Both pleas are essentially the same for the purposes of this violation. If you wanted to present any potentially mitigating evidence, then you should have plead not guilty and waited for your court date.

[spoon059]

... what...?

[abom2]

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

[ol_Bombero-JC]

happybooker1 wrote:


Actually, I'm a bright & cheerful person -- always making my friends laugh. I lead a pretty stress less life, sleep well at night, don't worry about much of anything.

Alfred E. Newman: Actually,.....that's hard to believe.

However, you *did* get some laughs here - unfortunately they were *at* you rather than *with* you.

Yes, you *do* have an enemy - just look in the mirror!..:S

~