ticket a left turn on a yellow light

[stonypass]

I am in New York State and received a ticket the other night. I made a left hand turn on a yellow "arrow" /red light, right behind one of my co-worker's car. Two seconds I noticed a police car behind me. My co-worker pulled over and so did I thinking he wanted to pass. Instead he stopped and got out of his car. Approached my car and asked did I know why I was stopped. I said, "No". He said that I had turned on red. I told him the light was yellow he said that his light had been green for sometime when I turned. He went back to his car with my lic. and reg. and came back with a summons. In the meanwhile when my co-worker realized that he was not approaching her car she drove away. ( I found out she was a co-worker when she asked me the next day if I got a ticket.)
I noticed that he had another person in the cruser with him. I assume he was training, since usually there is only one police person to a car. When He returned with the summons I questioned him as to what a driver should do if they appproach a yellow light. He said that I had the right to proceed with caution but because his light was green I had to have turned on a red light.
I told him that was not the case. He then asked how my driver's record was? When I said very good, he said I should plead not quilty and he would ask the judge to dismiss the summons. Should I believe this? I plan to plead not guilty anyway but it is my word against his that the light was yellow. Even though he could not see the light from his vantage point and proceeded only because his light was green. I admit it was close, because the car behind me did not follow me through the turn but the light was yellow and I was taught that you should not slam on your brakes but to proceed if the light is yellow. Let me add that I am a minority and my co-worker and the police officer that stopped me were not.

[Curt581]

Let me add that I am a minority and my co-worker and the police officer that stopped me were not.

Obviously you were the victim of racial profiling.

I'm sorry... what was your question?

[Labtec600]

I believe it's actually illegal to run a yellow light. If it was so close to being red, you had plenty of time to stop.

[Crazed98]

Definate case of racial profiling.

[stonypass]

Crazed98-
In New York turning on a yellow is not considered running a light. There is no need for you to stop at a yellow light unless traffic prevents you from completing your turn and you would have to remain blocking the intersection. If there is traffic behind you, stopping short on a yellow light can cause the car behind you to do quick braking not to rear end your car. How many accidents have been caused by that?. Also if the officer's light was green for the "extended" period of time, he claimed. Then my co-worker should be equally quilty of "runnig a yellow light" and should have gotten a summons. Also my summons did not say I ran a yellow light. It said I turned on a red light which is totally different. I didn't turn on red. Remember, if the officer is telling the truth. He gave me a summons based only on the fact that his light turned green when he saw me turning. He then assumed that my light was red. He could not see my light as I could not see his. But it is still his word against mine. How can I video tape the intersection light sequence to prove I am telling the truth?

[Labtec600]

"It said I turned on a red light which is totally different. I didn't turn on red. Remember, if the officer is telling the truth. He gave me a summons based only on the fact that his light turned green when he saw me turning. He then assumed that my light was red. He could not see my light as I could not see his. But it is still his word against mine. How can I video tape the intersection light sequence to prove I am telling the truth?"

So you're saying that the left turn lane has a green arrow at the sametime that opposing traffic has a green light?

Please.

And knock off this racial profiling bull****. You dont know the race of the person half the time til you actually walk up to the car.

[Crazed98]

Crazed98-
In New York turning on a yellow is not considered running a light. There is no need for you to stop at a yellow light unless traffic prevents you from completing your turn and you would have to remain blocking the intersection. If there is traffic behind you, stopping short on a yellow light can cause the car behind you to do quick braking not to rear end your car. How many accidents have been caused by that?. Also if the officer's light was green for the "extended" period of time, he claimed. Then my co-worker should be equally quilty of "runnig a yellow light" and should have gotten a summons. Also my summons did not say I ran a yellow light. It said I turned on a red light which is totally different. I didn't turn on red. Remember, if the officer is telling the truth. He gave me a summons based only on the fact that his light turned green when he saw me turning. He then assumed that my light was red. He could not see my light as I could not see his. But it is still his word against mine. How can I video tape the intersection light sequence to prove I am telling the truth?

If you are going to argue with what a trained officer of the law stated you will usually lose.

He said his light was green while you were turning. If it was then you turned on red.

Ofcourse you don't slam your brakes on a yellow but you do slow down for a turn and unless the guy was tailgating you you would have more than enough time to safely slow down.

My guess is you were nearing the light saw green, then saw yellow, and then did your best to make the light. Some lights don't say yellow for long.

I know in NJ where I live the light stays yellow for a good 4-5 secs. But when I was in NY in the Watertown area the lights were yellow for about 2 seconds.

It was probobly real close and turned red as you were turning but there isn't much you can do to fight it.