I would get a lawyer. I doubt you are obligated to go 20 below the speed limit. It seems very dangerous to have vehicles slamming on the brake in the middle of the highway, which is what such a law would conduce. Just out of curiosity, how much do you owe? Same as any other speeding ticket?
Thats really not the point. There are so many laws that a cop can always find a reason to pull someone over at any given time. Im all for enforcing safety, but with budget shortfalls, tickets should not be used as a means of revenue. We should not fear our police force. In my little town, you have to be doing something pretty serious to get pulled. The police do not hassle anyone. Once you're out on the interstate, its completely different with the State Police. Half the time when you see one, their lights are lit and writing someone a ticket. Its not about obeying the laws, its all about not being the slowest gazelle.
From the original post, it appeared the officer did nothing to make the OP "fear him". The OP did not complain of being hassled or rudeness. He simply complained that the officer wrote him a ticket for admittedly breaking the law. I hope you can see the point of the law. Cops are put into a dangerous situation when they are pulled over to the side of the road. And, again, we still have no idea why he was pulled over with his lights on. He could have been 'trolling' or he could have just finished a traffic stop and been writing something up or radioing someone. What if the original post read "The speed limit was 65 and I was going 73 and a cop pulled me over and wrote me a ticket - should I hire a lawyer"?
He clearly broke the law. There is not much to interpret unless you disagree with what 20mph or move the #*() over means. He is only whining because he thinks cop was being a prick for having lights on and giving him a ticket. He should be trying to move over regardless of whether it was a cop car with lights on or just some old lady with a flat tire.
A lot of laws ARE open to interpretation -- some are more cut and dry like speeding laws. But in general, DD is right in his statement. And I do agree about the cop being a dick. He seems to have been going after people who were not 20 mph below the limit -- a strange law to enforce that apparently not too many people are familiar with.
Your opinion on this might change in several decades. Might be a shifty way to bust people, but it IS the law- you either get over or slow down to 20 below the posted speed limit. You don't have a pot to piss in here.
Was referring to only this law which seemed very straight forward when it came out. I don't see anything strange about the law as all a person has to do is move over a lane. The slow down by 20 mph is only for people who don't move over a lane which I consider to be more rude than the cop who is allegedly being a prick. Sorry to all for being overly harsh. It's football season and I get irrational during these times.
That law has been on the books for a couple of years now. Heard radio adverts about it. Switching lanes would have been the simple solution. You basicly "buzzed the tower". You won't be able to date the captains daughter now.
