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andrave · 03-25-2003, 02:53 PM

I would like to relate to you the story of my roommate. His cousin was driving a prelude and street racing in Maryland. My roommate drove the car home that night, and apparently a female officer had witnessed the car being raced and assumed the same driver was at the wheel. She pulled him over, with his cousin (now driving another guy's integra) and wrote them both street racing tickets. She admitted they were not speeding at the time she pulled them over, but said they had accelerated in a speed contest from a redlight.
My roommate hired a lawyer and waited for the trial. His lawyer requested the police video from the car, which the police declined to give, as they said they reserved the right to only put objects into evidence which supported the officer's side.
The trial went, and he plea bargained to reckless driving. For 2 years, he cannot get another moving violation or he loses his license for 2 years. If he had been convicted of the speed contest, he would have lost his license for 2 years.
Keep in mind this is for a simple stop light drag, under the legal limit, according to the officer.
It turned out that maryland or west virginia made a clerical error and reported that he was convicted of the greater speed contest charge and he did lose his license for a few months until the error was corrected. He also lost his license for a month or so before the trial.
In addition, he had to pay a fine of somewhere around $600 bucks plus his lawyer's fees.
This is in a fairly rural part of maryland, and the laws are fairly lax. All of this, ONLY FOR A SUPPOSED RACE UNDER THE LEGAL LIMIT.

I know in certain cities the penalities are even more severe such as impounding, and they have laws regarding charges like "attempting to instigate a speed contest" (ie, revving engine, etc) and facilitating a speed contest, ie, starting a race.
In some places in california they close down blocks at a time and charge everyone there, the audience and the racers.

I admit I will accelerate against a cavalier or something that revs at me on the highway, but not like I used. I used to race everywhere.

I can't afford the things that happened to him to happen to me, and I doubt you can either.

03-25-2003, 02:53 PM	#18
andrave BANNED Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Burton WV Posts: 2,350 Trader Rating: (0)	I would like to relate to you the story of my roommate. His cousin was driving a prelude and street racing in Maryland. My roommate drove the car home that night, and apparently a female officer had witnessed the car being raced and assumed the same driver was at the wheel. She pulled him over, with his cousin (now driving another guy's integra) and wrote them both street racing tickets. She admitted they were not speeding at the time she pulled them over, but said they had accelerated in a speed contest from a redlight. My roommate hired a lawyer and waited for the trial. His lawyer requested the police video from the car, which the police declined to give, as they said they reserved the right to only put objects into evidence which supported the officer's side. The trial went, and he plea bargained to reckless driving. For 2 years, he cannot get another moving violation or he loses his license for 2 years. If he had been convicted of the speed contest, he would have lost his license for 2 years. Keep in mind this is for a simple stop light drag, under the legal limit, according to the officer. It turned out that maryland or west virginia made a clerical error and reported that he was convicted of the greater speed contest charge and he did lose his license for a few months until the error was corrected. He also lost his license for a month or so before the trial. In addition, he had to pay a fine of somewhere around $600 bucks plus his lawyer's fees. This is in a fairly rural part of maryland, and the laws are fairly lax. All of this, ONLY FOR A SUPPOSED RACE UNDER THE LEGAL LIMIT. I know in certain cities the penalities are even more severe such as impounding, and they have laws regarding charges like "attempting to instigate a speed contest" (ie, revving engine, etc) and facilitating a speed contest, ie, starting a race. In some places in california they close down blocks at a time and charge everyone there, the audience and the racers. I admit I will accelerate against a cavalier or something that revs at me on the highway, but not like I used. I used to race everywhere. I can't afford the things that happened to him to happen to me, and I doubt you can either.