Unsigned Citations

[Shuftin]

Here’s the situation.

I drove to a local Kroger’s grocery store. My intention as to spend 5 minutes getting a money order. Once I arrived at the store, I noted 2 cars parked in a fire zone in front of the building. I decided to park 3rd in line in the fire zone as I was going to make a quick in and out of the store. Upon exiting the store, I noticed a Sherriff’s deputy writing traffic tickets on the cars parked in the fire zone. As I had not received a citation yet, I treated it as any other parking ticket and drove off, saying to myself “thank God I got there in time”. The officer made no attempt to flag me down or prevent me from leaving.

Thirty minutes later, this same officer, was knocking on my front door and interrogated and terrorized my girlfriend as to my whereabouts, cell phone number, date of birth, place of employment, etc. He stated that he had gotten my tag and traced the vehicle to my name and my residence and said to her that I needed to sign two citations. Is this proper police procedure for a simple parking ticket? He stated to my girlfriend that I had “run” away from him. There was no “running” away from anything. He simply had not ticketed my vehicle yet. I treated this as no ticket written, then no ticket period. Granted, I admit, my tags are expired. To me, that is the full extent of my crime.

Three hours later, the same officer returned to my residence a second time and repeated the interrogation, terrorizing my girlfriend threatening to take her to jail for obstruction. She told him I was not home, which I wasn’t, and he did not believe her. He asked if he could come in and she said no. He then went on to ask for her for her ID and wrote her information on the palm of his hand.

During that encounter, the officer repeatedly told my girlfriend that he was going to keep coming back at all hours. He stated he was going to put a warrant out for my arrest and that he was going to return and speak to my apartment manager. Why? Is it all that? Is this normal?

Can he truly put out a warrant for my arrest for mundane traffic citations that I have never seen nor signed? Considering the fact that he never made contact with me personally nor verified that I was indeed the person driving the vehicle, only the fact that the vehicle was illegally parked and possibly expired tags.

[Livefire]

I would think its similar to a cop loosing sight of a vehicle while trying to stop it to issue a citation....the citation would be dismissed due to the fact the cop cant be sure of whom is guilty of an infraction. That cop is a dirty pig full of BS. Your girlfriend isnt obligated to answer ANY questions posed by the police. After stating the name, (no need to present ID) state I do not consent to interrogation. , ask if there is a warrant for arrest, if not, there is no reason to let him in!

[rottweiler]

The bastard needs your signature to sell you that worthless UCC security known as "parking ticket". I doubt if you will hear from him again because what you did is basically a refusal for cause.

I had them assault and battery the doorbell, call on the phone and then block their caller ID and call again. Two days later the same pig cruises right by me as I am standing next to my house.

[Thom. Jefferson's ill]

Hope you don't mind me interjecting my thoughts.
I would chalk it up to walking in the right, your timing of not having to face the officer at the scene I mean. Although personally, if I was trying avoid the possibility of letting my jurisdiction be usurped, I probably wouldn't have parked in the Fire Zone based on other vehicles being there. Maybe some sort of emergency would warrant it though.
Ultimately, who was harmed?
But you never know what the civil authorities will do.
Just my thoughts.

[farmer_giles_of_ham]

At the end of the day we just have to be willing to go to jail. Especially if no young kids or other dependents (don't know your case)

I see a lot of this going around. First, 'obstruction' only applies to criminal investigations and parking tickets are always excluded from this. There is no power of warrantless arrest for these BoE. And no one needs to sign a parking ticket, at least I never heard of it.

Hindsight being 20/20, maybe she should have just closed and locked the door with no response whatsoever. I been there and done that, when an illegal child custody requirement was being made. Just talk through the windows if need be... but maybe silence is golden here.

Further hindsight being even better, your home address should never be used for any official registrations. Ideally the license etc would be 'out-of-state', but at least addressed way far away and definitely out of town. In fact nothing of your official ID should be linked to your home. No bills, accounts, nothing. These days with data integration even one link could well show up.

And where possible, like car registrations, use a neutral but impressive company name. America is all about business and corporations are far more respected than individuals. "they got fancy lawyers etc"

Obstruction charges can be overcome, according to the Supreme Court, by reliance on the 5th amendment- if this is based on refusal to self-incriminate or establish a link in the evidence chain. "none of your business" was held to be insufficient...but a more articulate reason is still open as defensible.

[weishaupt1776]

Find out who the main watch commander is (usually a 3 stripe seargant). I would complain IN WRITING to the WC @ the precinct about harassment

Having a car with plates in your name is a huge mistake

You need to put it into a trust in another state

[netwrkranger]

weishaupt1776 wrote:
Find out who the main watch commander is (usually a 3 stripe seargant). I would complain IN WRITING to the WC @ the precinct about harassment


Having a car with plates in your name is a huge mistake

You need to put it into a trust in another state

Now that is hardcore. I see I must study more. My techniques are mere pikers compared to this.

Love learning,
netwrkranger