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Old 12-31-2007, 05:25 PM
 
199 posts, read 241,764 times
Reputation: 129

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My sister went out to buy fireworks. The fireworks stand was on Veterans Memorial and she pulled out on Veterans Memorial to head home (which is not in the City Limits) but the cops pulled her over and told her she was at the line. They took her fireworks and gave her a ticket for $400. I told her she should definitely contest that.
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Old 01-01-2008, 06:28 PM
 
Location: 77441
3,160 posts, read 4,366,059 times
Reputation: 2314
it is illegal to possess fireworks in the city limits.

i would like to think if she fights it, she has a good chance of a symphetic judge. or at least a smart jury ;-)

be sure and let us know how it turns out...
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Old 01-02-2008, 12:53 PM
 
Location: San Antonio-Westover Hills
6,884 posts, read 20,404,222 times
Reputation: 5176
Unreal. I would TOTALLY contest that with a single word: entrapment.

That, and a good attorney might help, too.

Then I'd call that fireworks stand and tell them they need to start advising their patrons, or move their business.
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Old 01-02-2008, 12:59 PM
 
Location: Clear Lake, Houston TX
8,376 posts, read 30,697,976 times
Reputation: 4720
Hmm, $400 ticket or a $200-300/hr attorney + risk of losing? I'd personally just pay the ticket and study my key maps better for next time!!! I can't count on one hand how many times I've seen on the news a firework stand just outside the city limit and a pair of police officers sitting on the city limit line, watching for people to drive the wrong way!
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Old 01-02-2008, 01:51 PM
 
Location: San Antonio-Westover Hills
6,884 posts, read 20,404,222 times
Reputation: 5176
Quote:
Originally Posted by tstone View Post
Hmm, $400 ticket or a $200-300/hr attorney + risk of losing? I'd personally just pay the ticket and study my key maps better for next time!!! I can't count on one hand how many times I've seen on the news a firework stand just outside the city limit and a pair of police officers sitting on the city limit line, watching for people to drive the wrong way!
Well, I guess I'm a sucker for an underdog when it is warranted, and to me, this seems worth it. Cops are a&*holes, I know--my brother is one. LOL! Personally, I've never heard of nor seen cops sitting on the limit line waiting for fireworks violators, I guess I just don't pay attention enough--who knows...
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Old 01-02-2008, 02:14 PM
 
Location: A little suburb of Houston
3,702 posts, read 18,212,654 times
Reputation: 2092
Usually, the cops don't write the tickets for fireworks, the Fire Marshal's office does. The FMO are peace officers too so it hardly matters.
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Old 01-02-2008, 02:32 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
15,269 posts, read 35,630,016 times
Reputation: 8617
They did that in Austin a few years back. As far as I know, the tickets were pretty much held up in court (it was a big deal in the papers), but the fireworks stands took it to court...I think the basis was similar to what prevents police from staking out bars. Unless the police can stake out all the fireworks stands, then they can't stake out any. So the end result was that the police did not violate any laws in ticketing the purchasers, but they did violate some rule about uneven application of the law toward the stands (some were staked out, others were not).

Anyway, in Austin it is illegal to possess them in the city limits. I don't know how many fires we had during the last couple of days...dozens, at least, but most were in the county, it seemed.
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Old 01-02-2008, 03:10 PM
 
Location: Austin & Houston, TX
1,461 posts, read 5,596,839 times
Reputation: 425
Quote:
Originally Posted by cajun24 View Post
My sister went out to buy fireworks. The fireworks stand was on Veterans Memorial and she pulled out on Veterans Memorial to head home (which is not in the City Limits) but the cops pulled her over and told her she was at the line. They took her fireworks and gave her a ticket for $400. I told her she should definitely contest that.
Cops could be doing better things with their time then writing tickets for purchasing fireworks.
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Old 01-02-2008, 03:37 PM
 
Location: Clear Lake, Houston TX
8,376 posts, read 30,697,976 times
Reputation: 4720
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beto View Post
Cops could be doing better things with their time then writing tickets for purchasing fireworks.

Yeah, same for minor speeding in light traffic, left lane on, a 6 lane freeway but they do it anyway to make money. Easy targets are what they're after. The cop that pulled me over was smiling/laughing while talking to me. I guess he thought he was funny. Chances are if your job is ''funny'' or ''silly'' like that, it's what I consider a bull**** job. I've had a few jobs in the past that I didn't (couldn't) take too seriously, and my paycheck definitely reflected the fact it was just a BS job. I'm convinced these rookie cops who are out harrassing the public, being ''cute,'' writing these nuisance tickets ... their paychecks are reflecting the fact their job is nothing more than BS as well!
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Old 01-02-2008, 04:29 PM
 
Location: Austin & Houston, TX
1,461 posts, read 5,596,839 times
Reputation: 425
Quote:
Originally Posted by tstone View Post
Yeah, same for minor speeding in light traffic, left lane on, a 6 lane freeway but they do it anyway to make money. Easy targets are what they're after. The cop that pulled me over was smiling/laughing while talking to me. I guess he thought he was funny. Chances are if your job is ''funny'' or ''silly'' like that, it's what I consider a bull**** job. I've had a few jobs in the past that I didn't (couldn't) take too seriously, and my paycheck definitely reflected the fact it was just a BS job. I'm convinced these rookie cops who are out harrassing the public, being ''cute,'' writing these nuisance tickets ... their paychecks are reflecting the fact their job is nothing more than BS as well!
That's cops for you.
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