Archive for February 12th, 2009
Germany: Police Caught Tampering with Speed Camera Ticket
Police chief and subordinates in Bavaria, Germany are under investigation for manipulating speed camera readings.
Prosecutors in Nuremberg, Germany are investigating three police officers implicated in a scheme to manipulate photo radar ticket speed readings. The charge centers on an officer in the Bavarian city of Neumarkt who allegedly forged speed camera log entries in an attempt to protect the son of a colleague from the consequences of speeding.
According to Mittelbayerische Zeitung, the young driver had been photographed while doing 96km/h (60 MPH) in a 50km/h (31 MPH) zone. Ordinarily that speed would have meant four points on his license leading to a suspension of his driving privileges. To prevent that from happening, the youth’s father convinced an officer who worked on the traffic enforcement program to alter records so that he was charged with driving only 70 km/h (43 MPH), a minor offense carrying no points and a fine of just 35 Euros (US $45).
Neumarkt Police Chief Helmut Lukas, 53, was drawn into the scandal because prosecutors believe the changes could not have been made without his authorization. An anonymous letter from within the police force tipped off investigators to the incident. Lukas has denied any wrongdoing.
The accused officers have been temporarily assigned to other duties pending the outcome of the investigation. Lukas, a senior civil service member, has been transferred to the services division of the Regensburg Police Directorate with full pay. The officers could face up to five years in prison if charged with forgery and tampering with evidence.
Source: Staatsanwaltschaft ermittelt gegen Neumarkter Polizei-Chef (Mittelbayerische Zeitung (Germany), 2/10/2009)
Judge Says Trooper’s Stop Was Improper
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A state trooper attempted on Wednesday to defend himself against charges that he made an improper traffic stop.
Video: Witnesses Testify In Motorcycle Stop
Trooper Jimmy Knowles came face-to-face with his accuser, and one witness came from as far away as Atlanta to testify in the hearing.
Andru Evans and Eddie Jennings both testified in traffic court that they told Knowles that he had pulled over the wrong person for speeding in October.
“I’m coming out of my truck, and I’m yelling him, telling, ‘You got the wrong guy. You got the wrong guy,’” testified Jennings.
The men were in separate vehicles traveling on Interstate 40 in Wilson County in October. Both said they remember seeing another biker, Rick Laude, on his motorcycle with his girlfriend going the speed limit with traffic.
Somewhere around mile marker 217, two other motorcycles zoomed by going at least 133 miles per hour. Not long after that, the witnesses said they saw blue lights and Knowles stopping Laude.
The trooper’s in-car video showed Laude with his hands up and Knowles pulling him from his bike. What was not on the video were the witnesses pleading with Knowles, telling him he had the wrong motorcycle rider.
“There were two separate cars where people were hollering out of their window, ‘You have the wrong guy,’ It was two bikes, not two people,” said Evans.
In court on Tuesday, Knowles admitted he made a mistake in believing Laude was part of the group of speeders, but stuck by his belief that Laude was reckless in driving on the shoulder of the interstate.
In the end, the judge ruled the October stop was improper and threw out the charges against Laude.
Knowles expressed regret but stuck by his claim that Laude was driving recklessly.
“I seen him pass on the shoulder. I made an honest mistake of pulling him over, thinking he was part of the pursuit,” said Knowles.
Knowles said he never struck Laude, but said he pulled the man from the bike because he believed he was ignoring his commands to get off the motorcycle.
He said he has been a trooper for seven years, and his record doesn’t reflect any past problems of this nature.
An internal investigation by the Tennessee Highway Patrol has recommended that Knowles be suspended for five days without pay. The suspension is going through the appeals process.
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