ticket issued by off duty copy the next day

undefinedWhat is the name of your state? Massachusetts

This morning I had an officer, who didn't identify himself, come to my door at 6:45am to issue me a ticket for "running a red light yesterday morning" while he was off duty, sitting in another car with his wife. He was waiting at the light on a side street and when his wife "screamed" he saw me go by. He said "you were probably going 40", "you looked like you didn't notice the light", "you would have killed us if I had been in the intersection". Huh? I don't have any experience with this as I've never gotten a ticket in my life. Can an off duty cop give a ticket the next day instead of reporting it to someone on duty? Can he just show up on his way to work or on his way home?

schoolmomtoo said:

undefinedWhat is the name of your state? Massachusetts

This morning I had an officer, who didn't identify himself, come to my door at 6:45am to issue me a ticket for "running a red light yesterday morning" while he was off duty, sitting in another car with his wife. He was waiting at the light on a side street and when his wife "screamed" he saw me go by. He said "you were probably going 40", "you looked like you didn't notice the light", "you would have killed us if I had been in the intersection". Huh? I don't have any experience with this as I've never gotten a ticket in my life. Can an off duty cop give a ticket the next day instead of reporting it to someone on duty? Can he just show up on his way to work or on his way home?

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**A: a cop is basically on duty 24/7.

schoolmomtoo said:

undefinedWhat is the name of your state? Massachusetts

This morning I had an officer, who didn't identify himself, come to my door at 6:45am to issue me a ticket for "running a red light yesterday morning" while he was off duty, sitting in another car with his wife. He was waiting at the light on a side street and when his wife "screamed" he saw me go by. He said "you were probably going 40", "you looked like you didn't notice the light", "you would have killed us if I had been in the intersection". Huh? I don't have any experience with this as I've never gotten a ticket in my life. Can an off duty cop give a ticket the next day instead of reporting it to someone on duty? Can he just show up on his way to work or on his way home?

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-Most Police Officers can give tickets whether on duty or off. Your only recourse is to go to court and prove him wrong.

You never stated that you did not run the red light.

Tyris

Unless they changed the law, police officers in Massachusetts can only give a ticket at the time of the infraction. There are exceptions having to do with situations in which it is not possible to give the ticket at the time of the infraction, but those would not seem to apply.

A few years ago the Boston PD was sending tickets via the mail. Everyone who paid the ticket was stuck (including with the points on the insurance) and everyone who contested it had the ticket dismissed. There was an uproar over it and they stopped the practice.

Check that the law hasn't changed and if it hasn't, contest the ticket.

haha

Thats funny. I hope you didnt run the red light. But anyways, how does he know you ran it? Did he pull you over at the time and see you face to face? Can he point you out and say with 100% certainty it was you? Could someone have driven the car you had? Check to see if officers must be uniformed in order to give a citation (speed trap laws) in you state. Or simply check to see if offduty/non-uniformed officer is permitted to write a ticket. Is the evidence he have based on his wifes testimony? Is she a expert in or ceritified in giving citations? Was he going down on her while she was watch the road? Who knows. IF he didnt pull you over at the time he does not know its you. THink photo red lights, they are not at the scene but they have photographic evidence, whatd oes he have, a license plate? pff.