"Let me see your laser certification!!"

[Squeeler92]

Ok, have this girl on another forum saying that her brother gets out of tickets by sending a letter asking the officer that pulled him over for some certification that he has the right to use the radar gun. Supposedly, the cops don't even bother with the paperwork (which is understandable as this seem abso-f*cking-lutely retarded) and the ticket magically disappears. This girl is from California, so maybe the super ultra-liberals have allowed such idiocy to be allowed? Have any of you heard of something like this actually working? I can understand asking when the gun was last calibrated (as I've heard some stories about people getting out this way), but NEVER asking the officer if he has the correct certification to USE the radar gun, WTF? Anyone have any thoughts on this .... be as brutal as you want, I think this girl has a screw lose or something ....

 

[VirtualSVT]

If that was true Nobody would get one...and a how-to would be all over the internet.

 

[Lawfficer]

Ok, have this girl on another forum saying that her brother gets out of tickets by sending a letter asking the officer that pulled him over for some certification that he has the right to use the radar gun.

Have any of you heard of something like this actually working?

Wisconsin, Im sure it's close to the Same all over:

In Wisconsin, you get motion radar certified. In order to give citations where you and the target vehicle are moving you need to be trained because it can produce errors if you don't know what you are doing. Most places teach this as part of the LEO certification. The only other thing is Calibration Checks of the unit itself, which happen all the time.

If you are not moving, you don't need anything. It's point and shoot...

And I have heard of a few tickets getting tossed because the certification on the unit was not current, but it's rare. If this happens on .01% of the tickets, I would be surprised.

 

[Iceman II]

I think she is blowing smoke and probably has a couple of screws loose.
We are certified every two years with an in-class portion and in the field portion. With the moving radar, stationary, same lane, and I will be certified with the LIDAR within the next few months. Even our tuning forks are checked for calibraton.

 

[FordSVTFan]

I will be less politically correct, she is mistaken and her brother is full of crap. That is not the way "discovery" is conducted! That is not the way tickets are dismissed. Yes, L.E.O.s need their radar operator cert and other documents to certify a radar ticket, but that is done in court and not by sending the officer a letter.

 

[jshen]

Although states differ somewhat, I know of NO state that require the officer to provide certification at the scene. We [GA] do provide that if requested the officer do an accuracy check. Anything else is done in court...One final note here..in GA, an experienced officer can cite you for speeding based upon his experience...

 

[Mt Twigbert]

I agree.. I don't have to provide any documentation of my certification.. However, if the defendant wants it in court then it is up to the DA to request it from my department prior to the trial..

On the other hand.. I remember when I was actually given my gun and squad car.. I had about 2 days of training and NO radar/laser certification.. I checked in w/ the Sgt. and was told to get a laser and go write tickets.. Well, I did what I was told and wrote tickets.. I spoke to another officer about not being certified and was told if it went to court just say you wern't trained and the ticket will be dropped..

SOOOOO, I guess its not a bad idea to request it during a trial if your going to fight it.. Although, I don't think this situation happens often at all..

 

[DomesticAbuse]

Enjoy your time away from this site. Apparently you need a vacation to learn to read the rules!

 

[jimljr145]

In NJ, you need to be certified to use the radar, with regular recertifications. Also, besides the periodic calibration checks of the unit and it's assigned tuning forks, we are supposed to complete a daily log, where an internal system diagnostic check is conducted, and calibration checked with the tuning forks. Without going into great detail, the sound generated by the two separate tuning forks matches that of the sound bounced back to the radar by targeted vehicles. They are to simulate two different speeds when used seprately while in stationary mode, and used together in motion mode, measure simulated patrol vehicle and target vehicle speeds. This is supposed to be completed both before and after issuing a traffic summons for speeding when using a radar unit. We are not obligated at all to show any certificates to the person being issued while on the scene of a traffic stop. If the summons is contested in court, then the unit calibration certificate, the officer's radar certification, and the log sheet are submitted for discovery. So long as everything is valid, you are most likely beat.

 

[kwwhite1]

I work in Cali so I can answer the question about your friend. Yes they can do a discovery motion for all of the documentation which would consist of certification for LIDAR or RADAR, the cities FAA permitt, factory calibration for the device, and a currrent speed survey for the area the citation was issued; however, you do not need to go to RADAR school to win the ticket. the courts have ruled that any lay person can estimate speed, time, distance, and intoxication*. *for intoxication law enforcement officers do have to testify to any formal training they have regarding that. I have written LIDAR and RADAR citations and have been to neither school and have won most of my citations. The only chance really to win is crappy officer testimony or a lack of a current speed survey for the area.