Ohio Speeding Ticket Ruling
 

Just got this from a buddy in Cleveland. Be careful driving through Ohio.

Feff

Officer Estimates Enough For Speeding Convictions

By: Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio's highest court has ruled that a person may be convicted of speeding purely if it looked to a police officer that the motorist was going too fast.

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that an officer's visual estimation of speed is enough to support a conviction if the officer is trained, certified by a training academy, and experienced in watching for speeders.

The court's 5-1 decision says independent verification of a driver's speed is not necessary.

The court upheld a lower court's ruling against a driver who challenged a speeding conviction that had been based on testimony from police officer in Copley, 25 miles south of Cleveland. The officer said it appeared to him that the man was driving too fast.

I wonder if they also convict people of murder if someone walks by and looks like a stabbist.

yes.

And every small town with every tom, dick and harry cop belongs to a 'SWAT' team where they KILL your dog if it BARKS too loud.


What a joke.

This is going to be shitty on my summer roadtrip - gotta pass through Ohio...

Are you driving to the Historics again?

Just based on what's posted, my inhouse counsel said that it is way too vague and unconstitutional.

But that doesn't mean that it will be challenged.

So until it is challenged and overturned, might as well avoid driving through OH altogether.

I can't believe there is actually a worse place to drive than People's Republic of Virginia where they crush your radar detector (also illegal since that is federal jurisdiction, but no one has challenged it and gotten it overturned).

Why do the people in OH stand for this crap?

No - we're driving to Breckenridge, CO. I'll make a road trip thread soon...

ummm, i guess you didn't realize they can already do this in CA? :)

in the vehicle code, it states that officers can estimate speed.


i agree - i can't imagine their training covers this; and even when trained, i bet most fail a test of 10 cars driving by.

- chuck

Lawmakers Pan Speeding Ticket Ruling, Working On Bill To Require Radar

Associated Press June 9th, 2010

COLUMBUS — Two leading state lawmakers want to overturn a ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court that says police officers can write speeding tickets just by looking at a vehicle and estimating how fast it is going.

State Rep. Robert Hagan, a Democrat from Youngstown, and state Sen. Tim Grendell, a Republican from suburban Cleveland, are working on bills that would require officers to use radar or other technology to verify a vehicle’s speed before issuing a ticket.

The American Civil Liberties Union says last week’s court ruling creates the potential for abuse.

In its decision, the high court said independent verification of a driver’s speed is not necessary if the officer is trained, certified by a training academy and experienced in watching for speeders.

Only in America does the word of a Cop in court count more than the defendants ..... by law.