Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A Maryland judge issued an $85 fine to the owner of a Pontiac G8 GT for illegal tail lights, despite being factory-installed and approved by the US Department of Transportation. She's promised to keep fining him. Judicial activism, FTL!
Can you give me cliff notes since I'm too tired to look it up for myself?
Sure: turns out they were modified after all -- he had snap-on-type covers that blocked part of the reflective red surface. Some people in the comments section sniffed him out on the enthusiast board where his rant was first posted, and they posted his own pictures of his car with clearly modified taillights, exposing him as being FOS. Apparently he started pulling his pics down afterward but they're still up in the comments section at Jalopnik.
Here's a side-by-side of OEM versus what he was ticketed for:
While he wasn't completely up front about his lights, the cop and judge were both over bearing, and as for as I am concerned, the state law should be done away with. All it is for is to generate revenue for the courts and police departments. These laws have nothing to do with safety, but everything to do with picking the public's pockets and not calling it a tax.
Uh.... no. Having X amount of reflective surface really does have a safety purpose. The cop may have been overzealous, but the judge was spot-on to put her foot up his ass for trying to lie his way out of the ticket.
While he wasn't completely up front about his lights, the cop and judge were both over bearing, and as for as I am concerned, the state law should be done away with. All it is for is to generate revenue for the courts and police departments. These laws have nothing to do with safety, but everything to do with picking the public's pockets and not calling it a tax.
the guy swore in a court of law to tell the truth and nothing but then he lied about his car being stock to get out of a ticket. the judge pretty much said take off the aftermarket tail lens or if caught you will be fined again and again till he smartens up and takes them out and puts the OEM taillights back in.
and what are you saying we should get rid of state police forces and fire departments?
because those fines go to buy new equipment and cruisers/fire trucks to protect people and save lifes.
unless you want the feds to be doing routine traffic stops. I think state police forces are great and keep people safe.
and yeah it has to do with safty blacked out tailights are dangerous for the person behind them because they can't see the brakes lights very well. also busting people for DUI's and fining them is good and getting drunk drivers off the road is also good and hading out fines to these jackasses helps get local police forces better equipment then dang right I am for fining them.
if you don't want to be hassled or fined don't break the law it is pretty simple.
the guy swore in a court of law to tell the truth and nothing but then he lied about his car being stock to get out of a ticket. the judge pretty much said take off the aftermarket tail lens or if caught you will be fined again and again till he smartens up and takes them out and puts the OEM taillights back in.
and what are you saying we should get rid of state police forces and fire departments?
because those fines go to buy new equipment and cruisers/fire trucks to protect people and save lifes.
unless you want the feds to be doing routine traffic stops. I think state police forces are great and keep people safe.
and yeah it has to do with safty blacked out tailights are dangerous for the person behind them because they can't see the brakes lights very well. also busting people for DUI's and fining them is good and getting drunk drivers off the road is also good and hading out fines to these jackasses helps get local police forces better equipment then dang right I am for fining them.
if you don't want to be hassled or fined don't break the law it is pretty simple.
It is simple, we have too many who think modern day police are going to protect them. We also have too many people who believe the lie that police are justified in violating your right to travel without restriction or harassment. They have plenty of tax dollars for their equipment. but you have over paid police boards and heads of police depts. that want to be able to play kings. And that is more what laws like this are about than safety. You can not tell me that when a blacked out light lights up it does not get more attention than an always red one. The blacked out lens covers it, but when the lights pop on out of nowhere, you notice it quicker than the always red tailight lens.
Uh.... no. Having X amount of reflective surface really does have a safety purpose. The cop may have been overzealous, but the judge was spot-on to put her foot up his ass for trying to lie his way out of the ticket.
I won't disagree if the sole reason of the judge was his dishonesty. But yes, the cop was way over bearing and frankly has too big of a chip on his shoulder to be allowed to be a cop.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
