A friendly word of warning to Georgia drivers

[deadmessengers]

Just a friendly word of warning: Local and county police are running frequent "safety check" scams on the roads this summer. Their MO is to set up a roadblock where they pull over and harrass every driver unfortunate enough to be on the road at that moment. Then, they proceed to go over your vehicle and write tickets for anything they can.

I received a ticket this evening from a SWAT officer in full paramilitary gear for a law (valid insurance, but no insurance card) that, as it turns out, was repealed in 2005. I'm fighting it, and I *WILL* win.

In any case, be aware that Cobb County and the cities within the county are trying to fill this year's budget shortfall on the backs of motorists. And, if you get a ticket, don't just roll over and pay, READ THE LAW - you might just save yourself a whole lot of money.

Oh, and, just in case someone else gets shaken down the way I did tonight, OCGA 40-6-10 paragraph 3 repeals the proof-of-insurance requirement for Georgia drivers. You still have to HAVE insurance (and I do), but that little easily-forged piece of paper doesn't prove anything anymore.

[DemBones DemBones]

1. Thanks for the tip. I wonder if other counties are doing this, too?

Did they search your car?

I've been wondering if we still have the right to refuse searches. Many years ago, our lawyer (who was also a friend) told my husband that no one should ever let the police search their car because there are crooked cops who will plant drugs. He said to roll up the windows and lock the doors and make them bring the drug dogs.

I think SCOTUS may have revoked our right to refuse searches, which is scary, as I'm sure there are still crooked cops. I'd hate to be charged with possession when we don't do drugs, unless you count thyroid and blood pressure drugs, etc.

I'd ask our lawyer, but he's dead now, sadly enough.

[deadmessengers]

2. Nope, no search

I was on my way home from work and was still in my "business casual" clothes, so I didn't fit the profile, I suppose. I have been searched in that manner before, though. I once got pulled over in Douglas County for "suspicion of DUI" while pulling out of a Kroger parking lot at 7pm on a Sunday, with my wife and (then-toddler) daughter in the car. After a blew a .00, the cop decided he wasn't going to make this a total waste of his time and pulled us all out of the car and made us stand on the side of the road while they let the dogs have at it. They didn't find a damn thing.

What drives me nuts about this whole scene, and the reason I'm fighting the ticket I received, is that they had at least 12 cops out there ticketing people. I couldn't have been the only one who got ticketed for not having an insurance card, but I'm willing to bet that 90% of those people will just pay and not bother to look up the law, and of the ones who do look up the law (and discover that they actually don't need an insurance card), I'm willing to bet that half of them will just pay and not fight. It's a shakedown racket, and they're preying on people's fear, timidity, and ignorance. I'm also willing to speculate that was why they had the SWAT team out there with their military-style uniforms - for intimidation.

[DemBones DemBones]

3. Our lawyer said never get out of your car, but

if you're pulled for suspected DUI, I don't know if that applies since they want you to walk a straight line and all that, though they could just as easily hand you the breathalyzer while you're seated in the car. I think they only do the close your eyes and touch your nose tests to have an excuse to ask you to take a breathalyzer test. Breathalyzers aren't accurate anyway, as I understand it, and you should demand a blood test if they claim your breathalyzer test shows you're over the limit.

SWAT type riot gear is also over the top for routine traffic stops, unless police are being shot and killed at such stops, and I've never heard of any incidents like that. I think it's intimidation, too. If they really thought they were in danger, wouldn't they have all been in riot gear?

You're right that most people just pay the ticket and I'm glad you're fighting it.

[RavensChick]

4. I'm hoping my family knows about this

Most of them are in Madison, Covington, Conyers, and Atlanta along I-20, and depending on what county you're in those cops are as crooked as anything! I say to those you guys know who fell into the trap, fight the tickets as hard as possible! Perhaps more national exposure to this situation will shame the state into doing something about it.

[Debau2005]

5. Don't take the road sobriety test

My mother has parkinson's. Her dr told her to NEVER take the road sobriety test, she can't pass it. Make them take you to the police station and do a blood test. It is a lot more trouble, but road sobriety tests can be used against you even if you blow a 00!!

[Papagoose]

6. I just moved to Georgia two weeks ago

Yesterday I received a $70 ticket in the mail from the Rome Police for running a red light on my first day in town. I admit that based on the photographs, it looks bad, but I went back to the "scene of the crime" and timed the light - it is yellow for just over one second before turning red. Does anyone know if there is a minimum time for yellow lights? I am an extremely careful driver - this is my first ticket in 19 years of driving. It seems to me that with only one second of warning/yellow light, it's nearly impossible to avoid running the red light, unless you slam on brakes, risking a rear-end collision.

[RubyDuby in GA]

7. Go back to the intersection and video it for quite a while over several days

then enter that as evidence. Also, look up the traffic ordinances in Rome. It might be that they are just trying to catch college students to make extra revenue.