|
A: it doesn't really matter what your records shows, at the beginning of a stop, It's more about the cop's perceived attitude of the person they have just stopped. A person can have a spotless record, but can still be a criminal, a drug user, or just an jerk. At this point they just don't know.
B: when they first pull someone over, odds are they haven't had a chance yet to run your record.
Were you within your rights to do what you did? probably.
is there a chance that if you fight it and go to court you can get the ticket dismissed or reduced, sure.
Sooner or later you will have to decide when something like this happens again, whether sticking to your rights/principles is worth it or not. That's always a tough call.
In my much younger days, we all used to cruise a local street and hang out in a big parking lot. The cops would come and chase us out, so we'd just drive a mile down the road across the city line and park in another shopping center. The cops would come, etc, etc.
One night, as we were in one of the parking lots, the cops came, chasing everyone out, and handing out loitering tickets.
At the time, loitering tickets was a $25 fine, and we all had to show up in court for the offense. Most of us just pled guilty, paid the $25 and went on our way. Others decided, no, they were going to plead not guilty and fight the ticket. At that point , they were given another court date for them to come back and plead their case.
Were they in their right to fight the ticket? sure they were.
But it also meant that so far, they've had to take one day off work to go to court to begin with, and pleading not guilty meant a return trip to court and having to take a second day off work. Maybe they would still be found guilty and have to pay the fine, maybe not, but it would cost them that second day off work.
how much money would they lose by having to take that second day off work, vs, just paying the $25.
Like I said, it can be a tough call.
|