$165.00 fine! Goodyear Police Chief answer

[DQDick]

What an idiot. We won't be spending any money in Goodyear in the future.

[Carl n Susan]

Amazingly enough, this LEO isn't the only ignorant one in the country. Here is a recent discussion of the same problem on RV.net. Maybe there is something in the 13 pages there that will help.

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/26548718/srt/pa/pging/1/page/1

[sfish]

quote:Originally posted by sfish

Had a similar experience both times I drove through Goodwell Oklahoma on my way home. Three years ago I was cited for doing 42 in a 40 zone. The next year I decided to skip highway 54 and take interstate 40 to I 35. Good choice even though it a 100 miles longer you get there in a bought the same time because of all the stop and starts on 54. Last week I drove back from Az. With my son the DW flew home so I decided for a change of scenery I would take 54 this time. We were about 10 minutes out of Goodwell and I was telling my son about the ass@&$& cop that pulled me over last time I drove on this road .As we got closer I said watch the gps on the dash for the speed and I will watch the speedo and make sure we are at least 5 mph under the limit.Just as soon as we got into this little he'll hole town we spotted the cop . I was going 5mph under and a semi was speeding past me on the left. I told my son this semi is going to get a ticket . Here comes the cop and as I pulled off to the right shoulder the jerk pulled in right behind me.(I had a rental car this time with Michigan plates) so it wasn't like he remembered me from before. He walked up to the car and started his 20 question interrogation and then told us we were pulled over for speeding and I said no I wasn't and pointed at the gps. He said no boy you were going just a little over the limit and again I said no with a little force in my voice. He sounded like a game show host and said the good news is I am not going to give you a ticket and didn't even ask for my licence. I am a clean cut man in my middle 50s so I am not some freaky looking guy that you would expect to get pulled over. I was so ****** off I called the OKlahoma city news and left a long recorded message and suggested if they wanted a good news story the should set up a sting operation with their own radar gun and they could expose this corrupt cop.I told my father about what happened to me he said the same thing happened to him in that town and he is 83 .He called me the following day and said he was at dinner that night and mentioned what happened to a friend from Minnesota and Guess what? The same exact thing happened to him last month on his way to Az. In the same town. I will never take that route again but I thought The police were suppose to be straight not corrupt.I feel for all the innocent travelers that have been stopped by this corrupt jerk. I would like to see him stopped.

[Ozz]

quote:Originally posted by Alwims

Ozz, I'm surprised the MO DOR didn't give you a copy of that statute to carry with your registration. I get a copy every time I renew. I did get tired of being stopped, 7 times in 4 states, so I downgraded my plate so I could have 2 plates last year. I think I have 12,000 lb plates now. I'm technically not legal, but I've not been stopped since. THERE IS NO WAY IN HE!! I WOULD PAY THAT TICKET. You were perfectly legal. Also, don't put that plate on the back as you will get stopped in Missouri. Ask me how I know that. I did that after a Texas DPS officer demanded and I forgot to change it when we went home for a visit.

Also on the same line, did you know you can get a permanent plate for your 5th wheel in Missouri.

Since this happened, I have learned I can get 2 plates, but Sue said, what about the renewal sticker? Do we get 2? and does it cost more.. We will check on it.
Sue asked about the tag for the Monte, we did get the lifetime, you are correct, not many people know that.

[Ozz]

quote:Originally posted by snfexpress

Ozz,

If you do go to court, ask the officer what his suggestion was. Then he'll look like the fool he is, having instructed you to violate the law!

We can't hang around until court date, but I am going into Goodyear and will hand-deliver my letter about this to the Mayor's office, the officer's boss and I will speak to the Prosecutor and try to get this ticket squashed, but I imagine I will end up having to pay it, wrong or not. He wrote it up as 'Improper display of license plate' That can mean many things in court, (As you know as an ex LEO)
Thanks Michael.

[Ozz]

quote:Originally posted by scductman

Ozz you are lucky I got a ticket leaving Vegas Headed to AZ. I was turning at boulder city to go across hoover dam and a nev state trooper that just left the jersey boys tv show {at least thats what he looked like waxed hair} He gave me the ticket for "Turning At A Intersection" In up costing me $505.00. I promise it said that. I also had my SC license suspended for a week while trying to get everything payed. Yall be careful out there.LOL
Bobby

That is CRAZY! These things can be a nightmare for travelers. $505!!! I think the high fines are designed for travelers to bolster the town's revenue, a tax for visitors...

[old turbo]

They like to pick on folks traveling through because if they pulled this on the locals the people in charge would be out looking for another job. The cost of these tickets are outrages and thy go to pay for the court systems and in the state of MI.five dollars from each ticket goes into the judges little retirement slush fund that no one knows about unless you dig deep into MI. government.

[Flymutt]

quote:Originally posted by Ozz

We can't hang around until court date, but I am going into Goodyear and will hand-deliver my letter about this to the Mayor's office, the officer's boss and I will speak to the Prosecutor and try to get this ticket squashed, but I imagine I will end up having to pay it, wrong or not. He wrote it up as 'Improper display of license plate' That can mean many things in court, (As you know as an ex LEO)
Thanks Michael.

"What we have hea, is a faillya to communikate"!

[grayghost03]

quote:Originally posted by WeBeFulltime

I bet the cop's wife ran away with some guy in an RV so now he hates all of us!

Nope, she ran off on her own, it was an RVer that brought her back.

[grampachet]

Back in 1964 i was driving my early 40 chev north up I-5 towards Olympia. I noticed a State Patrol heading south but looking over at me as we passed. He then made the famous trooper u-turn coming back after me. I knew my stop lights didnt work so when his red lights came on i pulled on the tail light switch and pulled over. The trooper came to my window and told me i didnt have a front license plate. I said yes I do. After a moment of discussion, He walked up to front and there it was hanging where the grill was supposed to be. Because it was hanging on bailing wire the wind blew it back out of sight. He grunted and then wrote me a warning ticket for having a broken tail light. I got off easy.

Another time we did get a ticket because our rear license plate on our well drilling machine was 5 feet above the ground.

Then there was the time we got a ticket for having tires on our flat bed trailer that said M/H only on the sidewall. We were ordered to replace them ASAP.

I always felt they were just doing their job, but did feel kinda picked on.

[RickW]

On licensing and registration if you are legal where you are registered you are legal in all 50 states as long as you are a non-commercial vehicle and you are not operating in commerce. Provide a copy of the MO state codes and a copy of your registration and it should be dropped with out any issues. Example: My truck as it is today is not considered a motorhome by California statures but I am a Texas resident and legally licensed, registered and titled in Texas as a motorhome. They have to accept my registration unless they can prove I am really commercial vehicle. I passed several CHP on my way into California on Sunday. Not a one took a 2nd look at me. Another HDT setup has been stopped here in California for driving a truck on a freeway that does not allow trucks, twice. Both times he talked to the procesocuter and provided his registration that showed he was a RV and not a truck. Both times the ticket was dropped with out having to go to court.

[Ozz]

Thanks Rick,
If the officer would have written up a ticket that referred to the plate as on the front, or one plate or something like that, it would be clearer to the prosecutor but he just wrote up 'Improper display of license plate' so they might want that to go to court, so the officer could clarify what it was.
I'm just paying the ticket, and writing a complaint to the city. Not what I want, but it will be over then.
We will be leaving here soon, so I am short on time. (Or, I would go to court and make him explain how he told me to put the plate on the back of the truck, violating the law.)

[Slufoot733]

Ozz, my heart goes out to you in this situation. As a LEO for 37+ years I have known several cops who 'just didn't get it!'. Our justice system affords the 'accused' to face his accuser. For someone traveling through the area who cannot wait around for a court date, the system completely fails. And there are so many locales that know and exploit this. They pray on folks passing through who cannot stay, so they just pay.

You know your options, stay and fight it or pay and be gone. But I sure would start writing letters to the mayor, city council, the police chief, the local paper, the state representatives, senators, and TV news media. And make a stink about how all RVers and other travelers will avoid this area and NOT spend their tourist dollar there. If this kind of BS is condoned then they're all guilty of corruption. If it's just this one dumb cop, then maybe someone will step up to the plate for you. You never know. I wish you luck on this one buddy.

Mayor: Georgia Lord, georgia.lord@goodyearaz.gov
190 N. Litchfield Road
Goodyear AZ 85338
Phone 623-932-3910 • Toll-Free 1-800-872-1749

Police Chief: Jerry Geier jgeier@goodyearaz.gov
175 N. 145th Ave.
Goodyear, AZ 85338.
Phone: 623-932-1220 24 HOUR NON-EMERGENCY.

[snfexpress]

Slufoot,

Thanks for taking the time to obtain the contact info! Well done.

[Slufoot733]

Maybe we should all write to Goodyear, AZ, and explain why we won't come to their town to spend our time and tourist dollars. But maybe they don't care anyway, who knows.

[steelpony5555]

I do think small towns look for ways to make revenue. Some of the stuff they write up a normal city cop would laugh about. Once my Father in Law came to visit, since he was from Pa. the Texas sun wasted no time in frying him. He was a lobster and I think he actually glowed. When we went thru Mansfield, Tx. he was a passenger and had his shoulder belt pulled away from his body because of it rubbing. A cop pulls us over and proceeds to write him a ticket??? He showed he had the belt buckled and was just pulling the shoulder belt away. Cop said if he was in that much pain to go get a Doctors excuse????? He was a royal $#^&$. We were very nice to him and cooperated, but he still got a $210 fine for improper seat belt use?? They know you won't be back to fight it and will just pay up.

[Ozz]

Thank you Kevin, very nice of you.

[RickW]

Ozz, My friend who fought the tickets in California was able to do via mail. He did not appear in court for either one. Would be worth a try. Hate to see you spend money needlessly.

[Ozz]

Thanks Rick, I really appreciate that, I just fired off a letter to the Mayor and the Police Chief. (Complaint on the officer)
I was about to send one to the prosecutor, I will amend it, and ask for a 'Pass' on the ticket. (I was just going to state the facts and complain.)

[Ozz]

And......


From Joanne Osborne
To 'jozzieosue@yahoo.com'






Dear Mr. Osbern:

Thank you for taking the time to let us know about your experience. We love our visiting citizens and believe strongly in customer service.

I forwarded your letter to our Police Chief and City Manager asking for more information. I believe you should be hearing from our Chief.

I understand your frustration with our city, but I hope you will give us another try. It is a beautiful weekend enjoy!

Sincerely,
Joanne Osborne
Vice Mayor