Visual estimates OK for speeding tickets

[2007ShelbyCobra]

Is this a joke?

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio's highest court has ruled that a person may be convicted of speeding purely if it looked to a police officer that the motorist was going too fast.

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that an officer's visual estimation of speed is enough to support a conviction if the officer is trained, certified by a training academy, and experienced in watching for speeders. The court's 5-1 decision says independent verification of a driver's speed is not necessary.

The court upheld a lower court's ruling against a driver who challenged a speeding conviction that had been based on testimony from police officer in Copley, 25 miles south of Cleveland. The officer said it appeared to him that the man was driving too fast.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/...es-741192.html

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

Just saw this on the news...what a bunch of BS. How do they figure out what your ticket amount is going to be without a mph over the limit? Sounds like yet another way to legally profile people.

[03z06vette]

Cops are trained to judge speed by listening to a tone that is made by the radar. i have been on a ride along and its true. with in 2 mph the radar.

['92Stang]

Cops are trained to judge speed by listening to a tone that is made by the radar. i have been on a ride along and its true. with in 2 mph the radar.

So your sayin, if I'm shooting radar in a 35mph zone. If the driver is doing 45mph in a 35mph zone theres 5 different tones?? ...and this will hold up in court??

[2kSVT]

The tone rises in volume/intensity as the speed increases. Cops are trained to visually estimate speed and them compare estimation to real time data from radar or laser unit.

Rod

[TurboNG]

Re post from another thread but it fits here also....
Our government has become the modern day mafia. I got a speeding ticket 2 years ago for 85 in a 65, i said I'm innocent and the judge magistrate was like agree to 70 in a 65 and a $160.00 fine and no points. DEAL! Same with the wife, they only want the money and don't care about you're safety or the crime other than how much they can steal from you. I have a brother in-law that's a cop and two friends. Both my friends work at the same PD and they have monthly competitions in the PD and sometimes with the neighboring town. Winner gets a paid night off from his supervisor. Winning PD just gets bragin rights.

[plated]

the economy is the reason

[k062693w]

Re post from another thread but it fits here also....
Our government has become the modern day mafia. I got a speeding ticket 2 years ago for 85 in a 65, i said I'm innocent and the judge magistrate was like agree to 70 in a 65 and a $160.00 fine and no points. DEAL! Same with the wife, they only want the money and don't care about you're safety or the crime other than how much they can steal from you. I have a brother in-law that's a cop and two friends. Both my friends work at the same PD and they have monthly competitions in the PD and sometimes with the neighboring town. Winner gets a paid night off from his supervisor. Winning PD just gets bragin rights.

Do you have the link to this thread ???

[Mista Bone]

OHP Cadets must be able to estimate within 2 mph before graduating.

Considering they wait until you're at least 5 mph over the limit, you are speeding and getting a ticket or warning.

[Dirtyd0g]

Bull crap, if they have another vehicle that is going the speed limit they could determine it, but the human eye cannot tell the diference between 55 and 60mpg let alone 55 and 57. I would still fight that crap and chances are with most cops when you let them know they will be going to court they are going to save themselves the trouble and write you a warning. A friend of mine got a ticket from a park hills cop while driving on a latonia road doing 37mph, he had rather loud exhaust and the cop wrote him a ticket for doing 50 in a 35, he was too scared to fight it.
Alan

[MystichromeVert]

Here's the rest of the article:
http://www.wlwt.com/news/23767184/detail.html

The officer said it appeared to him that the man was driving too fast, and his radar confirmed it. But when the officer could not produce evidence of his certification in using radar, the court found the driver guilty anyway because the officer could show he was trained to estimate speeds to an accuracy of 3 to 4 mph.

To me it sounds like they're just closing the "he doesn't know how to operate a radar gun" loophole.

[Pitbull1052]

I can't remember what the guys name is but there's a guy in florida who use to be a police officer who's now an attorney who ran into this same situation in a court room. He dropped a quarter from about shoulder height and asked the cop to judge it's speed... of course he couldnt......

[1_slo_92]

I can't remember what the guys name is but there's a guy in florida who use to be a police officer who's now an attorney who ran into this same situation in a court room. He dropped a quarter from about shoulder height and asked the cop to judge it's speed... of course he couldnt......

If you would drop a pencil a foot into someones hand it should be traveling around 12mph iirc.

[motox159]

IMO, it's just another way to take our money for go fast parts!!!

[redfirepearlgt]

California State Highway Patrol have been estimating speed and writing tickets before 1985. I lived out there for 7 years, and it holds up in court, especially when the challenged officer or trooper is asked how much experience he/she has as a traffic offier or highway trooper. CHP was not allowed to use radar devices when I lived out there though local and county could. Never understood that. Nothing like being lit up by a black/white fox body 5.0 that came out of nowhere and getting ticketed. It sucked. They were good at hiding as well. Would usually allow you 5-10 over or as long as you were flwoing with traffic you were fine.

Does not surprise me that douche bag Stricklin (sp?) is going after every means possible to raise revenue as well as taxes instead of laying off staff or forcing furloughs like soooo many companies have had to do over the past 3 years. never understood why govt. employees think they deserve the pay they make as well as the raises they receive when compared to the petty salary paid an enlisted person putting his/her life on the line inthe military. In the first case the sacrifice does not justify the huge salary and in the military case the salary does not justify the huge, huge, huge ,sacrifice.

[Sloney50]

More freedoms gone evryday! I understand the law has a job to do but what is fair is fair! How many of us would get away with a half ass job like this at our job?! How much more is gonna happen before enough of us stand up and revolt! They always start with the small things and eventually there taking large rights away! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

[k062693w]

It just Cracks me up how people BITCH about the police like this, But who is it you call when you need help ???

The easy way to deal with it is to not break the law !!!

[Dirtyd0g]

It just Cracks me up how people BITCH about the police like this, But who is it you call when you need help ???

The easy way to deal with it is to not break the law !!!

You say that now, when you get a ticket running the speed limit only because the people around you are driving slow you might change your mind. I think this rule should only apply to reckless operation. If someone is flying through a subdivision or something where people could get hurt. I generally drive the speed limit so I am not concerned too much however I think I need to put camera's on my vehicle so that if I get ticketed without radar unjustly I can prove my case. Rules like these only make us guilty until proven inoocent. No I don't trust cops. Like anything there are good ones and union township......A cop without concern for the people he/she is paid to protect is nothign more than a criminal with a badge. Time to start keeping camera's on everything. Without them it is your word against theirs and your word is spit.
Alan

[k062693w]

You say that now, when you get a ticket running the speed limit only because the people around you are driving slow you might change your mind. I think this rule should only apply to reckless operation. If someone is flying through a subdivision or something where people could get hurt. I generally drive the speed limit so I am not concerned too much however I think I need to put camera's on my vehicle so that if I get ticketed without radar unjustly I can prove my case. Rules like these only make us guilty until proven inoocent. No I don't trust cops. Like anything there are good ones and union township......A cop without concern for the people he/she is paid to protect is nothign more than a criminal with a badge. Time to start keeping camera's on everything. Without them it is your word against theirs and your word is spit.
Alan

I will say it today,tomorrow, etc !!! I have been driving for 26 years and never had a ticket ... I've been pulled over, But no tickets ... And I agree there are good cops and bad cops, But it's no different then any other business !!! There are good transmission people and bad ones, Good fast food workers and bad ones, And so on ... So you can't put all police in the same category !!! And like I said you can bitch about the police, But if some is threatening you, burgularizes your business or home, Runs into your car, etc. who are you going to call ???

Simple Fact: Don't break the law, And you don't have much to worry about !!!

[facemelter71]

I will say it today,tomorrow, etc !!! I have been driving for 26 years and never had a ticket ... I've been pulled over, But no tickets ... And I agree there are good cops and bad cops, But it's no different then any other business !!! There are good transmission people and bad ones, Good fast food workers and bad ones, And so on ... So you can't put all police in the same category !!! And like I said you can bitch about the police, But if some is threatening you, burgularizes your business or home, Runs into your car, etc. who are you going to call ???

Simple Fact: Don't break the law, And you don't have much to worry about !!!

They will see the business end of my beretta.

Some one runs into my car,I HAVE to call the police so my insurance will take care of it.Other than that,I dont call them.

And like he said.Wait till you do the speed limit and people around you are going slower (happen's all the time on Cross County) and cop pulls you over for speeding.He Visually clocked you.