So I have a clean record (have gotten tickets before but either had them dismissed or taken DD) but I had court yesterday on two violations. One for going 49 in a 35 and another for failure to signal. Anyway most times you get pulled over they catch you red handed and you have to take your lumps and either pay the fine or take defensive driving. Well this time I was 100% not guilty and decided to hire a lawyer from the firm Soula and Soula (sp). So I get there at 8 and I get my named called and of course I am sitting there while everything is going on anyway the lawyer comes over and talks to me. He says "ok here are the options" I'm like buddy I know the options and I did not need to hire you to take DD. I tell him everything that happened and he says "thats a great case" "I'll talk to the da" well they will not drop charges and HE recomends that we go to trial. As jury selection hits, I circle 6 folks who look great for me and I strike around 5 that look terrible well the da gets 3 of the 6 off due to "cause" and then strikes two more off so I get stuck with a bunch of middle aged white women and some hard ass black woman and only two men. Anyway things look good during the cops testamony, so many holes and I cant wait to get up there. Well we spot a huge hole in his testamoney he said I was speeding between two streets and one of them does not exsist so it was brought up and the judge (paid by the city to collect money on these things would not stop the case and dismiss it) So I get up and explain how it's impossible to be going 49 MPH at the point the officer clocked me because I was preparring to make a right turn and cross two lanes. IMO, so much reasonable doubt was brought up that there should be now way I would not get off but when you get a jury of your peers in this country where people belive the world is 6000 years old and others can't find the USA on a map you should expect these things. Bottom line I was not speeding, how do I know I take the same way home every day from work I know where the signs are and there is no way I could of gone the speed he was saying. I always put my turn signal on and how the **** can some cop see that from 900 ft away and how the **** can he remember one stop from 9 months ago better than me? In this country you are guilty and must prove otherwise and even when you pretty much do you can still get screwed. I'm out around 750 bucks in court fee's/lawyer fee's/lost wages/parking from yesterday and a few K over the next three years in insurance now that I have 4 points on my driving record. All I had to do was take DD and it would of only cost me like 75 bucks and a few hours but I was not guilty so I tried to do the right thing and fight it. I hate this piece of **** country (I do like Texas but we still have many of the problems the rest of the US has) and as soon as I get money I'll be moving to Greece but for the next ten years or so I will deal with our bull**** system that screws the tax payer while helping the crack heads on the street. F-police F-lawyers F-judges
he was, I just was mentioning what I said when I was on stand. Of course his questions were not very good but still we should of won
Man, if you think the legal system is bad here, you should see Greece. This just had me thinking: if I went to jury duty and they stuck me in the jury box to hear a case about someone speeding, I would be so freaking pissed. I'd know I was there because the speeder decided on a jury over a judge. What a waste of time. I would make sure the speeder paid for choosing a jury trial and wasting my time. ... but I'm sure that's not what happened to you.
that's why I'm moving back to the mother land (btw they don't pretend to have the greatest system ever) because folks like you think a judge will be fair. THEY ARE PAID BY THE CITY OF HOUSTON YOU COULD HAVE VIDEO TAPES SHOWING YOU WERE INOCENT AND STILL THE JUDGE WOULD SAY YOUR GUILTY. It's your duty to serve on a jury, be pissed about some fat redneck cop who gets on the stand and lies.
you are about to take a right, yet you are 2 lanes over? you are one of those people huh? i cant believe you actually went through all of that for a speeding traffic.
sounds like you had a bad lawyer. I've been dealing with a lawyer on another totally different issue, and I'll say this, I've learned to know who you're getting. although i never had a problem with a traffic lawyer, i'm surprised you even got to trial. did your friend want to be a banker Newman (interrogating Kramer]: Mister Kramer, you heard the testimony so far. Would you please tell the court in your own words what happened on the afternoon of September 10th? Kramer: What do you mean 'my own words'? Whose words are they gonna be? Newman: You know what I mean. Kramer (to Judge): I was very upset that day. Newman: And why was that? Kramer (to Newman): Would you let me say it? Let me talk! Newman: All right, all right. Go ahead, go ahead. Kramer: All right. Newman: Okay. Kramer (to Judge): I was very upset that day because I could never become a banker. Newman: And that failure to become a banker was eating at you. Eating-eating-eating at you inside. Kramer (not convincing): Uh, yeah. Newman: It was your family that pushed you into banking , it was their dream for you... Judge: Mister Newman. Newman: Your Honor, I'm only trying to establish Mister Kramer's fragile emotional state, my entire case depends on it. Judge: Uh, continue. Newman: As you were saying, Mister Kramer... Kramer: What was the question? Newman: You're telling how your parents pushed you into banking. Kramer: Uh, well, my father when I was a kid, he took me to the bank and he lifted me up and he pointed to the teller and he said: 'Sonny boy, take a good look at him, that's gonna be you some day.' Newman: But you never became a banker, did you Mister Kramer? Why? Why did you fail? Kramer: I don't know. Newman: It was because you hated your father and you would do anything to displease him. Isn't THAT true? Judge: Uh, could you get to the speeding? Newman: Yuh, yes. I intend to Your Honor. And then, on the afternoon of September 10th, you received a phone call did you not? Kramer (puzzled): Phone call? Newman: Yes, a phone call! Kramer: From who? Newman: From me! Kramer: From you? Newman: Yes, from me!! I called you remember? Kramer: You called me? Newman: Yes, I called you, you idiot! Because you were going to... You were going to... Remember? Kramer: what? Newman: You were going to... [Mimmicks hanging himself, growing hysterical as only Newman can] You were going to do something [Mimmicks stabbing himself in stomach and jerking the knife around] to yourself! You were going to do something to yourself! Remember the banking? The banking, about the banking, about the banking!!! Judge: I'm afraid I'm gonna have to call a--- Newman: Yes, the banker!!! Kramer: What banking? Newman: A banker! A banker! Your Honor, Your Honor, Your Honor... Judge: That's enough already. Newman: Your Honor, Mister Kramer's obviously very distraught. Kramer: I'm distraught!?! Wooh-wooh-hoo! Newman (to Kramer): You shut up! (to judge): I demand a recess so I can take him outside and help him regain hius composure. Judge: That'll be seventy-five dollars. Newman (Strangling Kramer): What's the matter with you? We had it all worked out! [They fall on their backs. Kramer knocks the flag on judge.]
ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE? Well I did not explain it well enough in my pissed off state of mind so here it is, I was driving home from work, down 45 back to downtown (where I live) I took the spur exit that runs along side 45 and as I exit Dowling Street/downtown destinations exit it has a 35 MPH sign, I'm in the right lane and I merge into one of the two lanes of the feder road. At this point I have to get over one more lane to turn on St. Charles street to be able to head home, if there is ever too much traffic I have to continue down to Dowling this day there were no cars on the feder road.
You just had a first hand experience with the American Judicial System, at least you experience in small court. Even if you have great defense or reasonable doubt or alibi to be offender to a offense or crime, you can still be convicted and found guilty. There been many cases in this country where innocent people have went to jail for crimes they didn't commit, and even stayed in jail after evidence prove they weren't the offender of the crime they are committed of. Guilty and not guilty is meaning less and less, and convictions and easy cases are the more norm. Don't get me wrong in many cases and innocent person or party still wins or doesn't get convicted of a crime....but the main word is being "many" and "not all" or "all of the innocent parties." Most supporters will say "oh, well it can be perfect...some people just have to deal with it," but anyone who says that probably have never been in accused of crime they didn't committ and found guilty and thrown in prison or jail or even paid hefty fine. I'm pretty sure their stance would change five seconds. You could always file an appeal or you could sue the country or city for "disreputable or inconclusive evidence or statements provided by the officers."
i guess you didn't read my post in May when i got a ticket at that EXACT same place on my way to Live. that exit is just a speed trap. i'm just surprised you hadn't notice them before.
It is a speed trap, only problem is that I was not speeding. I live on Polk and am there every day and see the cops there every day, Was it a red headed, fat guy with a flat top?
LOL...he was definitely one of the cops who was pulling people over. but it was a lanky, blond haired, flat top cop that gave me the ticket. the thing is, i've been going down that exit for the last 10 years. they were never there, until recently.
No comment on the ticket and trial, other than I don't know what you can ask for more than a jury of your peers deciding the case. Not sure what comment about women jurors was about, either. But as for moving to Greece because of the bad legal system here -- that's laughable. There are plenty of good things about Greece, like the history, the natural beauty, the weather, but the legal system there isn't exactly a selling point. The sig is pretty ironic, btw. "Manouvering through traffic like Tracy McGrady" sounds like what got you in trouble in the first place.
