In PA, Very Few Holiday Crashes Involve Alcohol

Written by Gregory Monte. The Pennsylvania State Police step-up enforcement on the roads during the following holiday seasons: New YearsSpring BreakMemorial DayJuly FourthLabor DayThanksgivingChristmas You can see the breakdown of tickets issued by going to the “Pennsylvania Pressroom” page on the State Police Website. When I sifted through the data from Memorial Day 2016 through Labor … Continue reading In PA, Very Few Holiday Crashes Involve Alcohol →

A “Speed Trap” for the Cops?

Written by Gregory Monte. If a cop gives you a “break” on your speeding ticket, can you use this leniency against him in court? Sounds like a terrible thing to do, right? Maybe, but it might be worth a try if you are pissed off enough about getting that ticket in the first place. The way … Continue reading A “Speed Trap” for the Cops? →

“Testilying” – How Cops Routinely Lie in the Courtroom

Written by Gregory Monte. I first discussed the issue of cops lying in court back in early June – Cops Would Never Lie in Court … Right? I bring it up again, because in the course of recent research I came across a term that I had never heard before. In People v. Campbell, 2019 IL App … Continue reading “Testilying” – How Cops Routinely Lie in the Courtroom →

A $290,000 Speeding Ticket? Be Thankful You Don’t Live in Switzerland.

Written by Gregory Monte. The announcement of this expensive speeding ticket was big news back in 2010, but I don’t ever remember hearing about it. I guess it was back before the time I cared all that much about traffic issues. How times have changed. What is going on here? “In 2002 Swiss voters approved replacing … Continue reading A $290,000 Speeding Ticket? Be Thankful You Don’t Live in Switzerland. →

Traffic Tickets Provide “Revenue” and “Profit” for the Government.

Written by Gregory Monte. “Revenue” Don’t you just love how the government uses the term revenue to refer to money that it takes from people without their consent? Two classic examples: TaxesTraffic Fines Whereas a real business earns revenue/profit by producing a product that consumers voluntarily purchase, government uses force when it conducts its affairs. This … Continue reading Traffic Tickets Provide “Revenue” and “Profit” for the Government. →

Lower Speed Limits Protect Motorists … From Climate Change?

Written by Gregory Monte. Here are two headlines related to speed limits: Higher Speed Limits Led to 36,760 More Deaths, Study Shows Higher Speed Limits May Save Lives Confused? Well, lets add that higher speed limits are also apparently bad for the climate. Dutch government slashes highway speed limit to tackle climate change “The Dutch government … Continue reading Lower Speed Limits Protect Motorists … From Climate Change? →

The Police and Free Speech

Written by Gregory Monte. A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog post about a motorist’s First Amendment right to “disrespect” a cop: Can a Cop Pull You Over for Cursing? My research revealed that the following three actions are protected: Giving the middle finger to a copCursing at a cop directlyCursing in your car in … Continue reading The Police and Free Speech →

A Traffic Ticket for “Inconsiderate” Driving?

Written by Gregory Monte. I don’t usually write about traffic laws in other countries, but when I read that a driver in the UK got a ticket for splashing a pedestrian, I felt compelled to check out the section of the code which he had violated: UK Road Traffic Act, Part 1, Section 3: “If a … Continue reading A Traffic Ticket for “Inconsiderate” Driving? →

Unmarked Police Car? You may not be required to pull over.

Written by Gregory Monte. NOTE: The purpose of this post is to show how technicalities in the law can be used to win a traffic court case. In no way, shape or form am I suggesting that you should try to elude the police. Eluding the Police As you might imagine, eluding/evading a police office is … Continue reading Unmarked Police Car? You may not be required to pull over. →

Very Sneaky: Cops Dressed as Construction Workers.

Written by Gregory Monte. I was alerted to this situation after reading the National Motorist Association website today. An article was posted about New York State Troopers disguising themselves as construction workers in order to catch violations of the motor vehicle code. “During ‘Operation Hardhat,’ troopers dressed as highway workers, while stationed in active work zones, … Continue reading Very Sneaky: Cops Dressed as Construction Workers. →