Tint ticket, hypocritical prosecutor

[vyfxdotcom]

NJ - What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New Jersey

I received a tint ticket last week for having tints on my front two driver/passenger windows, on which no tint whatsoever is allowed in NJ. The ticket was for about $50, no points. But get a load of this.. as part of my work I travel to a lot of offices in the state, and last week one of our clients was the county prosecutor's office. I noticed the prosecutor's own vehicle, which had regular civilian (not municipal) plates, ALSO had tints.. the tints were probably 5% ("blacked out"), much darker than my 35% tints. This vehicle was in the reserved spot for "County Prosecutor".

Would it make any sense to take a picture of this vehicle and fight the ticket? I'd never normally fight a $50 tint ticket but this changes everything for me and I want to fight it on terms of principle. If the county prosecutor is going to have blacked out tints on his own personal Dodge, how can he make me pay a tint ticket for having tints on my personal Civic?

Anybody know if prosecutors or law enforcement are exempt on their personal vehicles? I don't want to look like an idiot in front of the judge. Thanks!

 

[Zigner]

NJ - What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New Jersey

I received a tint ticket last week for having tints on my front two driver/passenger windows, on which no tint whatsoever is allowed in NJ. The ticket was for about $50, no points. But get a load of this.. as part of my work I travel to a lot of offices in the state, and last week one of our clients was the county prosecutor's office. I noticed the prosecutor's own vehicle, which had regular civilian (not municipal) plates, ALSO had tints.. the tints were probably 5% ("blacked out"), much darker than my 35% tints. This vehicle was in the reserved spot for "County Prosecutor".

Would it make any sense to take a picture of this vehicle and fight the ticket? I'd never normally fight a $50 tint ticket but this changes everything for me and I want to fight it on terms of principle. If the county prosecutor is going to have blacked out tints on his own personal Dodge, how can he make me pay a tint ticket for having tints on my personal Civic?

Anybody know if prosecutors or law enforcement are exempt on their personal vehicles? I don't want to look like an idiot in front of the judge. Thanks!

It changes nothing. YOU had illegal tint and got caught.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

He as a prosecutor has a bona fide reason to have his windows blacked out even if it is not a gov't vehicle.

 

[vyfxdotcom]

He as a prosecutor has a bona fide reason to have his windows blacked out even if it is not a gov't vehicle.

But why? Unless he has a certificate from his doctor for medical reasons, shouldn't he follow the same laws as every other citizen? Just being a prosecutor makes no difference. There's no exception in the tint law for NJ that mentions anything about exemptions for personal vehicles owned by law enforcement. Tints are allowed on police vehicles, but this was his personal car. To me this logic is like saying the prosecutor has a right to speed on the highway to make a court appearance.

 

[Zigner]

But why? Unless he has a certificate from his doctor for medical reasons, shouldn't he follow the same laws as every other citizen? Just being a prosecutor makes no difference. There's no exception in the tint law for NJ that mentions anything about exemptions for personal vehicles owned by law enforcement. Tints are allowed on police vehicles, but this was his personal car. To me this logic is like saying the prosecutor has a right to speed on the highway to make a court appearance.

Ok, pretend that he DOESN'T have the "right" to have the tint...it doesn't change the fact the YOU got caught.

 

[HighwayMan]

He as a prosecutor has a bona fide reason to have his windows blacked out even if it is not a gov't vehicle.

That's no reason for the windows being in the condition they're in unless there is a specific exemption that he falls under.

 

[HighwayMan]

Anybody know if prosecutors or law enforcement are exempt on their personal vehicles? I don't want to look like an idiot in front of the judge. Thanks!

You WILL look like an idiot in front of the judge and WILL be wasting your time.

No judge cares about any vehicles which are not directly related to your case - it is irrelevant and a waste of the court's time to even bring that up. It is certainly not a defense or justification for you - it just isn't.

The "other people do it too and get away with it" defense is very often used and never gets a defendant anything except a guilty verdict.

Pay the damned ticket and take your tints off.

 

[LdiJ]

But why? Unless he has a certificate from his doctor for medical reasons, shouldn't he follow the same laws as every other citizen? Just being a prosecutor makes no difference. There's no exception in the tint law for NJ that mentions anything about exemptions for personal vehicles owned by law enforcement. Tints are allowed on police vehicles, but this was his personal car. To me this logic is like saying the prosecutor has a right to speed on the highway to make a court appearance.

You are missing the obvious. He is the prosecutor. Criminals hate his guts. I could easily see the law allowing for tinted windows on the personal vehicle of a prosecutor for safety reasons...so that the angry criminals cannot see who is driving the car...so that he is not an obvious target.