> >I don't know where you got this info, but according to a cop I
> just >spoke
> >to, it is totally erroneous. Here's what he told me: "if an
> >officer is on
> >duty, then court appearances are part of their "duty" >day. If they are
> >off and have to go to court, then they get >overtime." But certainly not
> >to the tune of $3-400!
>
> Hmmm...actually got that figure off the web site. Guess I'm just
> disseminating disinformation.
> So maybe they're just making $100 or so to appear on an off day?
> I guess it
> depends on how many hours overtime they're given to appear. Cases with cop
> witnesses always go first on the calendar, so it can't be more
> than a couple
> hours actual time.
> Seems like if the appearance is cutting into their normal ticket writing
> time, the state would make way more money if they didn't show. They could
> write 5 or more tickets in the time it takes to defend one.
It appears to me that you are ASSUMING that any tickets written, are written
against guilty people. Doesn't that seems strange to you? Here in the part
of the US, one is considered innocent until proven guilty--at least most of
the time, and that's certainly why you get your day in court--to contest
what the officer said. I recognize that with traffic tickets it is often
hard to prove the recipient not-guilty, but it does happen.
Regards,
Henry S. Winokur
94 GTS1000, AMA, MRF,
Nationally Certified Riding Instructor
West Bethesda, MD USA
