Is it legal to put your front license plate on the windshield? (authority, vehicle)

[kronenborg]

currently not feeling very warm & fuzzy about NJ cops - my wife just got stopped for "speeding" - she maintains she wasn't - cop says she was doing "about 38" in a 35 zone - but did her the favour of trading down the ticket for obscured plates.

total and utter BS - the local police force can kiss goodbye to my annual charitable donation - it seems they choose to fundraise in their own special way.

[rscalzo]

she maintains she wasn't

it seems they choose to fundraise in their own special way.

I guess you aren't aware that fines from state statutes are forwarded to the state, not the city.

In most cases, the obscured plates are used to avoid EZPass payments and red light cameras.

"about 38" in a 35 zone

Taking that with a grain of salt. In any case, she avoids a point violation for a no point no cost violation.

[kronenborg]

im not particularly bothered where the money goes - her plates werent obscured, and, at best, she may have been doing a mile or two above the speed limit - nothing that would merit a ticket. if this is how one gets treated in one's own town, then the local cops are going to have an uphill struggle getting voluntary donations.

in case it wasnt clear the "about 38" comment was from the cop, not my wife.

[rscalzo]

I understood that. I just have some "reservations" about it. If revenue was the issue, why issue a cheap summons when a much more expensive one was available? In fact your "revenue" comment is without merit.

You never commented on why the plates were considered "Obscured".

[jwolfer]

Originally Posted by rscalzo

I understood that. I just have some "reservations" about it. If revenue was the issue, why issue a cheap summons when a much more expensive one was available? In fact your "revenue" comment is without merit.

You never commented on why the plates were considered "Obscured".

Police officers do have a Quota or expectation of number of tickets to write( my dad is a retired cop, so dont tell me its not true.)

They will write no-points tickets to help you out. He could have given a speeding ticket or something else so count your blessings.

And never mouth off to the cop... stupid to that, just watch "Cops"

[rscalzo]

Police officers do have a Quota or expectation of number of tickets to write

Sorry, but you are clueless in this area. In fact any agency or administrator attempting to enforce or put any sort of a quota into effect is subject to the penalties under 40A:14-181.2 as of Feb. 1, 2001. Several towns have already been sued and lost years ago when they attempted to institute one.

[kronenborg]

I didn't comment on why the plates were considered obscured, and neither did the cop...because they weren't. As for the much more expensive penalty, what is the going rate for doing "about 38" in a 35? Presumably speeding tickets need to be supported by some sort of accurate speed reading from a calibrated radar device, rather than a spurious guesstimate...that would be my guess as to why such a ticket was not issued.

[exhdo1]

It's obvious that your pretty angry. My take is that there is more to the story than your wife being stopped for "AROUND" 38 in a 35. Just so that your clear a Police Officer that is certified to operate RADAR in the State Of New Jersey must successfully pass a number of items when being trained in the use of RADAR. The most important of all is the estimation of speed. Without being properly trained in the estimation of speed, the operation of RADAR is useless. When an officer is properly prepared to present his / her case in court, one of the first things he / she will testify to is the estimation of speed before being confirmed by RADAR.

[captne76]

All in all, consider yourself lucky. Most taxpaying working stiffs get pulled over in whatever town and feel very greatful when they come into court and get offered the "Jim McGreevy No Point Special" which in NJ they offer most anyone, make that anyone. It is called a "no pointer" but they pay $150 court costs, $250 surcharge plus the fine which totals out to about $480. And they only let you do this twice in 5 years, then only once every 5 years after that.

I think 99% of NJ tickets get settled this way, even if you didn't do anything. Your other choice is to go to trial, which means you have to come back again another day or night and well chances are, who is the judge going to believe?

[jwolfer]

Originally Posted by rscalzo

Sorry, but you are clueless in this area. In fact any agency or administrator attempting to enforce or put any sort of a quota into effect is subject to the penalties under 40A:14-181.2 as of Feb. 1, 2001. Several towns have already been sued and lost years ago when they attempted to institute one.

I am not clueless. My dad was a cop and he had Expectations on a number of tickets.. Maybe things have changed since he retired. But with tax revenues down many municipalities and states see tickets as a revenue enhancer.

And what you posted proves my point. There were jurisdictions that had quotas for their officers

Just because it is against the law does not mean its not happening. Thats why my dad had an "expectation" not a a "quota". If it is not an expectation there is probably some sort of incentive or some kind of roundabout way of instituting a quota.