NY Governor David Paterson has vetoed a bill that would have ended the ban on state troopers plea bargaining traffic tickets in local courts.
Until 2006, troopers could discuss with drivers reducing tickets to lesser infractions. Critics say the state ban forced some municipalities to designate lawyers to handle traffic cases and made it harder for drivers to settle cases.
State police issued 1 million traffic tickets in 2007, most answered in municipal courts that count on revenue from the fines.
The legislation would have allowed troopers to appear in court when authorized by district attorneys. In his veto message, Paterson says it would make troopers vulnerable to unfounded allegations of favoritism and cost the state $5 million.
(Source: Newsday)
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It’s a shame! They’re issue tickets that are often blatant lies! They love it when they get the Jews. I got one for speeding 85 in a 65 limit. Not only was my cruise control set at 72 – so I couldn’t possibly be going 85, there were boys in the car who can attest that I was in the right lane and was being passed up by vehicles in the left lane. Now I’ll have to hire an attorney at an exhuberant cost to fight the rascal. Although the cop ridiculed me and laughed the whole time, HaShem knows that I acted with respect toward the officer the entire time! Truthfully I wanted to punch him ~ but boy would that have been a fatal error.
If I could meet him in court I could ask him why he laughed at me. I could challenge him and thus cause him to back off thus enabling me to plea bargain.
Paterson is not right on this one.