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CT Unlawful Ticketing

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maverickx

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Connecticut

Recently I was charged a $206 dollar ticket for "following too closely" and "passing in a no-pass zone". The best part was that it was based on someones "sworn statement". It was around 9 pm and I was driving home. I noticed a car was stopped at a stop sign a couple seconds up the road. When I saw that the car wasn't going, I figured they were going to let me go first before they pulled out. Instead, they pulled out right in front of me and instead of accellerating, they started tapping their brakes... eventually coming to a complete stop. I didn't know what that car was doing so I waited for 2 seconds or so and proceeded to go around the stopped vehicle.

At that moment, the other car started accellerating, flipped on it's high-beams, and laid on the horn... tail-gaiting me to the bottom of my street where I stopped, thinking the person was going to pass me. Instead the person in the other car pulled up behind me, got out of the car, and approached my driver's side window. She made me roll down the window and said the following "I am State Trooper, Officer "X"'s wife, and you are GOING to get a ticket!" (She stated her husband's REAL name)

Words were exchanged and I drove away angry. I got home upset and scared that the police might be able to do something about what happened.

Around 11 pm an officer showed up at my door and demanded to speak to the person who drives "the red car". When I told him it was me that drove the car, he asked to see my license. I asked him why he needed my license and he said, "To give you a ticket."

The police officer, refusing to listen to my side of the story, then proceeded to write out a ticket for the case saying that the woman submitted a sworn statement and that I couldn't submit one because I would be doing it in retaliation and that it wouldn't count.

I sent the ticket in not guilty, I was wondering if I did the right thing and if I can actually win this case. I feel as though a great injustice was done to me.

The ticket was $206 with 9 points attatched to it.
 
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AlanShore

Member
I hire a lawyer.

Atleast in NY, a cop has to actually witness you committing a traffic violation to give you a ticket. Not sure how it works in CT. But I would imagine it is the same. Hire a lawyer.

-ALAN
 

maverickx

Junior Member
Funny you should mention that because the officer said that the women stated that I was speeding in her statement. But I wasn't ticketed for speeding because the officer couldn't prove that I was.
 
You should fight it. You have an excellent chance to win. It is surprising a officer would even entertain this but perhaps it was just to pacify an insane person. The officer cannot testify to anything. The lady will not be very reliable as a witness. She may not even bother to show up.

I do not believe it is a violation of the passing statute to move around a stopped vehicle. The following too closely is vague at best and since the other driver caused the separation issue by violating 14-220, you should get a dismissal.


Feel free to bring up the Conn. statutes she was violating as well... no stopping and standing in the travelway, impeding, failure to signal when stopping in the travelway, failure to yeild when being passed.


Sec. 14-220. Slow speed. (a) No person shall operate a motor vehicle at a speed lower than forty miles per hour on any limited access divided highway and no person shall operate a motor vehicle on any other highway at such a slow speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic except, in either case, when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in an emergency, or in compliance with the law or the direction of an officer. The provisions of this section shall not apply to (1) maintenance vehicles or equipment of the state or any municipal highway department, or to such vehicles or equipment of a contractor under contract with any such department while engaged in maintenance operations; (2) any motor vehicle with a commercial registration which while traveling on any limited access divided highway is unable to maintain the minimum speed limit of forty miles per hour due to the gradient, or to any such vehicle which while traveling on any other highway is being driven at such a slow speed as to obstruct or endanger following traffic, provided the operator thereof employs flashing lights on such motor vehicle.

Sec. 14-251. Parking vehicles. No vehicle shall be permitted to remain stationary within ten feet of any fire hydrant, or upon the traveled portion of any highway except upon the right-hand side of such highway in the direction in which such vehicle is headed; and, if such highway is curbed, such vehicle shall be so placed that its right-hand wheels, when stationary, shall, when safety will permit, be within a distance of twelve inches from the curb. No vehicle shall be permitted to remain parked within twenty-five feet of an intersection or a marked crosswalk thereat, or within twenty-five feet of a stop sign caused to be erected by the traffic authority in accordance with the provisions of section 14-301. No vehicle shall be permitted to remain stationary upon the traveled portion of any highway at any curve or turn or at the top of any grade where a clear view of such vehicle may not be had from a distance of at least one hundred and fifty feet in either direction. The Commissioner of Transportation may post signs upon any highway at any place where the keeping of a vehicle stationary is dangerous to traffic, and the keeping of any vehicle stationary contrary to the directions of such signs shall be a violation of this section. No vehicle shall be permitted to remain stationary upon the traveled portion of any highway within fifty feet of the point where another vehicle, which had previously stopped, continues to remain stationary on the opposite side of the traveled portion of the same highway. No vehicle shall be permitted to remain stationary within the limits of a public highway in such a manner as to constitute a traffic hazard or obstruct the free movement of traffic thereon, provided a vehicle which has become disabled to such an extent that it is impossible or impracticable to remove it may be permitted to so remain for a reasonable time for the purpose of making repairs thereto or of obtaining sufficient assistance to remove it. Nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to emergency vehicles and to maintenance vehicles displaying flashing lights or to prohibit a vehicle from stopping, or being held stationary by any officer, in an emergency to avoid accident or to give a right-of-way to any vehicle or pedestrian as provided in this chapter, or from stopping on any highway within the limits of an incorporated city, town or borough where the parking of vehicles is regulated by local ordinances. Violation of any provision of this section shall be an infraction.

Sec. 14-242. Turns restricted. Signals to be given before turning or stopping. U-turns. Left turns. Right turns when passing bicyclist. (a) No person shall turn a vehicle at an intersection unless the vehicle is in a proper position on the highway as required by section 14-241, or turn a vehicle to enter a private road or driveway or otherwise turn a vehicle from a direct course or move right or left upon a highway unless such movement can be made with reasonable safety. No person shall so turn any vehicle without giving an appropriate signal in the manner provided in section 14-244.

(b) A signal of intention to turn right or left shall be given continuously during not less than the last one hundred feet traveled by the vehicle before turning.

(c) No person shall stop or suddenly decrease the speed of a vehicle without first giving an appropriate signal in the manner provided in section 14-244 to the driver of any vehicle immediately to the rear when there is opportunity to give such signal.


Sec. 14-232. Passing. Except as provided in sections 14-233 and 14-234, (1) the driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction shall pass to the left thereof at a safe distance and shall not again drive to the right side of the highway until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle; and (2) the driver of an overtaken vehicle shall give way to the right in favor of the overtaking vehicle and shall not increase the speed of his vehicle until completely passed by the overtaking vehicle. No vehicle shall be driven to the left side of the center of the highway in overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction unless the left side is clearly visible and is free of oncoming traffic for a sufficient distance ahead to permit such overtaking and passing to be completely made without interfering with the safe operation of any vehicle approaching from the opposite direction or any vehicle overtaken. Violation of any provision of this section shall be an infraction.
 
You did the right thing. WIth 9 pts at risk and considering it was a Troopers wife, I'd discuss with a lawyer familiar with the court and Judge.

It would be interesting to know if there have been other victims of the "Troopers Wife Vigilante Patrol."
 

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