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Can I fight a speeding ticket by showing that the officer is biased (women, sexual orientation, race) or of questionable character? (self.legaladvice)

trafficticketthrow が 投稿

I got a speeding ticket. I found that one of the officer's online profiles has "likes" for content that is "anti-feminist" (women who are drunk can still consent to sex), likes for content that is pro-gun (at one point the speaker says that mass shootings don't happen often and aren't a big deal), anti-government, racist (video defends the U. of Cincinnati police officer who reached into the car and shot a black man), and anti-trans gender.

Is this proof? The profile has his picture and likes right next to each video. I've saved screenshots of it. If it's not proof, what if the officer liked more blatant video (for example, liking a page of a white supremacist group or a terrorist organization). Would the officer be disciplined?

I'm not anti-police, but I also don't think that it's good to have biased and potential loose cannon police officers out there. I have to send my ticket back soon. I was wondering if I could enclose a letter asking to speak with the judge and an external investigation team privately before the hearing, because I am concerned about intimidation. I was wondering if I could request his activity records, records of the tickets (how many women and ethnic minorities have received tickets), and dash camera video. Any advice is helpful. Thank you.

EDIT: Ok. The officer has to prove that I was speeding. Would it not be possible that he is biased? What's to say he didn't get the speed of the car next to me and then gave me a ticket because of bias?

EDIT2: I think last edit. So if I throw out the bias defense (although I may report it), is my best defense questioning if he actually clocked my car and not those around me? I was by other cars. Could I ask how he was sure that it was my car? It was a residential area. He was parked on the shoulder, shooting his radar with the door open and I moved to the left lane to give him space. In doing that, I may or may not have gone over the speed limit. Is there any part of this that is defensible? I was planning on waiting until about two days before the due date to send back the ticket.

EDIT3: The officer was also parked on a curve. I think that this may be my best defense. I will go and try to take a picture of him out there again.

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[–]UsuallySunny 10ポイント11ポイント  (0子コメント)

The only relevant issue in a speeding ticket trial is whether you were speeding. Were you?

You probably cannot get the officer's records beyond this particular ticket. You may be able to get dash cam video if there is any, but it will probably not be conclusive unless you happen to capture the officer saying, "Gee, I think I'll stop that car because it looks like a feminist anti-gun pro-government woman is driving."

[–]down42roads 5ポイント6ポイント  (0子コメント)

Unless you can prove that you weren't speeding, none of this is likely to matter.

Unless you were the target of this bias, its irrelevant to your ticket.

I mean, you could potentially get action against him initiated, but its not going to help you.

[–]ChesterNoMolester 4ポイント5ポイント  (0子コメント)

I like that not once you claim you're actually innocent of what he ticketed you for. You online stalk the guy just so you can get off from a ticket you rightfully earned. Shame on you.

The officer was also parked on a curve. I think that this may be my best defense. I will go and try to take a picture of him out there again.

Uh, what? His parking is irrelevant. It sounds like you have no defense. And even if you took a picture of him on a curve, that doesn't mean he was there yesterday. Christ. Stop grasping and take your licks.

[–]PM-Me-Beer 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

Oh boy... No, this isn't going to help with your speeding ticket. You can file a complaint with his department if his public presence offends you.

[–]TokyoJokeyo 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

What relevance is it that the officer isn't a nice person? What did they use to measure your speed?

[–]anon__sequitur 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

None of that has anything to do with the speeding ticket. If the cop is racist/sexist/whatever, you could try filing a complaint with the department, but that's not going to constitute a defense to speeding. It's not really clear what you're thinking is going to happen here.

[–]Avantine 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

To the quick, then:

I was wondering if I could enclose a letter asking to speak with the judge and an external investigation team privately before the hearing

You can write such a letter, but there is approximately zero chance that anyone will do anything about it.

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[–]jcar128 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

To your edit: you have absolutely no proof of that. If you bring it up in court you will be quickly silenced and shown to the desk where you pay your fine.

[–]thishasgottenold 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

Mother of God. Fucking man up and accept responsibility for something once in your miserable life.

[–]lawnerdcanada 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Ok. The officer has to prove that I was speeding. Would it not be possible that he is biased? What's to say he didn't get the speed of the car next to me and then gave me a ticket because of bias?

Then it still doesn't matter. The fact that he did not properly record your vehicle's speed is your defence; his motive for improperly citing you is irrelevant if he did, in fact, improperly cite you.

But you can't just say "maybe he got it wrong". You might as well say "maybe a wizard did it". There's literally no situation in which "maybe a wizard did it" could not serve as an alternate explanation, but it's meaningless unless you have evidence that a wizard did, in fact, do it.

The burden of proof is beyond a reasonable doubt, but a reasonable doubt has to be that - reasonable. It has to be connected to evidence or a lack of evidence; it cannot arise from unsubstantiated or unreasonable speculation.

[–]anon__sequitur 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Ok. The officer has to prove that I was speeding. Would it not be possible that he is biased? What's to say he didn't get the speed of the car next to me and then gave me a ticket because of bias?

It's possible that he's biased, but the mere possibility of bias isn't going to count much in your defense. I've been in court and watched people try really lame defenses, but nothing nearly as lame as this. Just go to traffic school.

[–]ThisDerpForSale 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

As you have been amply advised, no, this is not a good idea. It's a terrible idea. This information is irrelevant. In fact, unless you have specific evidence that any alleged bias contributed directly to the officer issuing you a ticket, then his biases are completely irrelevant. The information you have isn't even remotely relevant to your ticket.

Completely aside from your ticket, if you feel that this information shoudl be brought to the attention of the officer's superiors, you're welcome to report him. Depending on the nature of the information, it may be problematic for him. Or it may have zero impact.

As an aside, by the way, though most of what you suggested the officer had "liked" does indeed sound terrible, the "pro-gun" speaker probably isn't something you want to complain about. The speaker is right - mass shootings don't happen that often, statistically speaking, and are much less of a problem, than, say, DV murders with firearms. Just a thought.