Rausche Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 Okay, so here's story on this one: Last night around 11pm we're (My friend Steve and myself) in the garage fixing a 1973 Diesel Mercedes (damn nice car!). The kid had just bought it and was on his way home. He got pulled over and since he hadn't registered the car yet the cops decided to tow it (his plates were still registered to his old car which he hadn't sold yet). So he calls Steve and myself for a ride. Of course we go and help him out. So I drive the SS out into town to go get him. We pick him up, go to the local gas station to get some coffee and such, and I notice I'm being cased by a cop... He followed me to the station, parked across the street, and when I went inside he drove the lot and ran my plates and then went back across the street. We leave the gas station and sure enough he pulls out and gets right behind me, I'm not doing anything wrong at this point, so I figured he'd just follow me to see if I was drunk. Wrong. He pulled me over about 500ft down the road. At this point he comes up to the window and as I hand him me license and reg he proceedes to tell me that my license has been suspended since JULY!!! I'm like no freakin way, I've been pulled over and since then and my plates have definately been run since then. Apparently I was supposed to go to Driver Retraining, but I had no idea about it!! (Nothing in the mail, no phone call, no notices, nothing!)... So he goes back to his car and 20 mins later he comes back saying he has to take my license and that he's not going to arrest me for oper w/o license because he belives my story, but he still writes me a criminal citation. He then notices my inspection sticker (which is a little tattered because of the windshield swap from my accident), and proceeds to ask me why the plate numbers don't match (on the inspection sticker vs. my plates)... After a 20 minute battle of him threating to tow my truck and me saying that it was all legit I had my friend get on his cell phone and we asked for another officer to come out... The other officer shows up, runs the old number, runs the new number, sees that they both come back to the same person (me) and the same truck (SS) and knows exactly what happened without me having to explain anything. The newbie told me I had to have it reinspected, and after I shot that down he thought I had taken the windshield/sticker off my old truck and put it on the SS. I explained to him that I had sold my old truck after I bought the SS and moved its plates onto the SS, turning in the SSes original plates. While the senior officer was explaining to the greenhorn why this was totally legal, I swapped places with my buddy Steve so that he could drive, shook the senior officer's hand and bid him goodnight, told the new guy to go back to his textbooks and gave him a nice death glare, and went to drop off my buddy and then to go home... Yeah... so all in all it was an exciting night... I have my Driver Retraining this weekend , and I'll have my license back by next week ... I'm going to court on Monday to contest the Criminal Citation because I really don't need that on my file... The SS almost got towed and impounded , and I had to try my best not to slap the new guy , but it worked out because the senior office did it for me ... Still, no driving the beast for a week... Makes me sad but at least she didn't get impounded ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireman31 Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 Geez man, sorry to hear that, but at least they didn't tow the SSS. You did the right thing by asking for a senior officer/supervisor, and definitely go to court and fight the citation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitches040 Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 Technically Rauche ... Seeing that you are Operating After Suspension (OAS)MGL Ch.90 s. 23, the officer could seize your plates, due the only fact that the vehicle is registered to you, and you are operating the vehicle on a suspended license. So that means having the truck towed and impounded. Secondly, if he only charged you with Operating W/O license, MGL Ch.90 s.10, feel lucky ... it is a lesser offense that OAS. Now on the Inspection thing .... yes, it even says on the back of the registration, once you change ownership. But you only changed regstration. Your good ... I can see a new boot not catching/knowing that one .... But hey ... you were summonsed, instead of Arrested, Towed, Plates Yanked and a night in the Crossbar Motel!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KissMySilvSS Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 Geez man, sorry to hear that, but at least they didn't tow the SSS. You did the right thing by asking for a senior officer/supervisor, and definitely go to court and fight the citation. you did the right thing!! Also he had no reason to pull you over, or run your tags. You were not doing anything wrong, I would look into this if I was you....the veteran officer tried to smooth things over because the newbie messed up and went beyond the book/protocol.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Silv Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 Did you happen to move to a different house during this period of when your licensed was revoked? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rausche Posted October 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 Did you happen to move to a different house during this period of when your licensed was revoked? Nope. The address on my license and registration were both correct. I also forgot to mention that I picked my friend up in a different town from where I got pulled over... I guess that means that my plate was for NO reason... Maybe I was a suspicious vehicle because I was the only one on the road at 2am? I dunno... I guess it's good that I got "caught" because it means that the system worksm, but I'm still upset I lost my license (go figure)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterp Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 Rausche buddy sounds like you and I are going to have a lot of similar life stories I'd say considering all the factors everything went well. Rule #1 in the speeder's handbook, always have your paperwork in order. Now you have a new problem, a city cop with a hardon and you drive a high-profile vehicle... I would make sure you have all your legal work in order because I see more roadside visits in the coming year or two. The senior officer did you a favor, if you ever cross paths (I don't know how likely that is) I would make a point to thank him; without him things could have turned out far worse. Mr. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brobradh77 Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 Good to see you didnt get into too much trouble and i hope you get it worked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterp Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 ...Maybe I was a suspicious vehicle because I was the only one on the road at 2am? ...YES. Think of it this way - during the daylight hours how many officers are patroling, and how many fellow drivers are on the road? Odds are that the ratio is anything from 1:1,000 to 1:10,000 - but at 2am there are certainly 3 or 4 cops out and only a handful of drivers (including YOU) the ratio is more liks 1:1 to 1:4, odds are NOT in your favor in the mid-morning hours and they've got all the time in the world to conduct an exhaustive roadside investigation/interview. Mr. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitches040 Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 (edited) you did the right thing!! Also he had no reason to pull you over, or run your tags. You were not doing anything wrong, I would look into this if I was you....the veteran officer tried to smooth things over because the newbie messed up and went beyond the book/protocol.... KissMySilvSS .... Sorry .... You are So wrong with that statement. Seeing that you are from New York, I know you have looked up the court rulings from the Massachusetts SJC, (Supreme Judicial Court), which states that a police officer can run a registration (License Plate) for any reason, at any time, without PC (Probable Cause), due to the fact, that the Registration is owned by the Registry of Motor Vehicles (that would be the Commonweath of Massachusetts) and not the owner of the vehicle .... I feel stupid typing this ... seeing that you are so well versed in Mass. Law. Edited October 27, 2007 by Stitches040 (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitches040 Posted October 27, 2007 Report Share Posted October 27, 2007 BTW Rauche ... what did you lose your license for? It will say on the printout in the cruiser or dispatch the reason for the Suspenion. Payment Default - is the one that catches most people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KissMySilvSS Posted October 28, 2007 Report Share Posted October 28, 2007 KissMySilvSS .... Sorry .... You are So wrong with that statement. Seeing that you are from New York, I know you have looked up the court rulings from the Massachusetts SJC, (Supreme Judicial Court), which states that a police officer can run a registration (License Plate) for any reason, at any time, without PC (Probable Cause), due to the fact, that the Registration is owned by the Registry of Motor Vehicles (that would be the Commonweath of Massachusetts) and not the owner of the vehicle .... I feel stupid typing this ... seeing that you are so well versed in Mass. Law. I am wrong and therefore not well informed of Mass state law, I did not look the correct information up. I guess my knowledge of NY state law clouded my response as you must have probable cause to pull someone over in our state, although I am not sure of the law when it comes to running someones plate in NY by an officer. Thanks for clearing that up since you are an officer in Mass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitches040 Posted October 28, 2007 Report Share Posted October 28, 2007 I am wrong and therefore not well informed of Mass state law, I did not look the correct information up. I guess my knowledge of NY state law clouded my response as you must have probable cause to pull someone over in our state, although I am not sure of the law when it comes to running someones plate in NY by an officer. Thanks for clearing that up since you are an officer in Mass No Prob .... Also you do not need PC all the time, a vehicle infraction that arises to the level of Reasonable Suspicion is also ok too. You can run plates all night long ... Once they come back on the vehicle, or the Registered owner, come back as Expired/Revoked/Suspended/Cancelled .... you have PC to make the stop. Good all day long in court!!!! BTW ... it is good for out of state registrations too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JF-03-SS Posted October 28, 2007 Report Share Posted October 28, 2007 Alex, you did the right thing by remaining calm about the whole thing That could have turned alot worst for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rausche Posted October 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2007 BTW Rauche ... what did you lose your license for? It will say on the printout in the cruiser or dispatch the reason for the Suspenion. Payment Default - is the one that catches most people. I think I lost it for that 3 ticket nonsense. I had 2 tickets before I turned 18 and one after I was 18. I was apparently supposed to attend Driver Retraining and all would have been fine, but I didn't know... I should have my license back by next Monday if all works out well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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