Even during sentencing, this guy is an a*hole

By the time sentencing comes around, the case (guilty or not guilty)
has been decided and if the judge wants to make a comment on the
defendant's conduct, that's the appropriate time to do it. If the
defendant decides to show contempt at any time in the courtroom, the
judge has the prerogative to issue sanctions against such conduct. The
thing that irks me about the courtroom shows on TV (especially Judge
Judy) is the way she appears to have made up her mind before all the
testimony has been given. The judge should remain impartial and avoid
emotional outbursts until the final verdict and then the judge can slam
the guilty party to his/her heart's content. Saying someone is stupid
for stealing an aircraft, drinking, endangering others, etc. seems like
a pretty accurate summation of the case. I'd say the guy shows a lack
of remorse and should be given the opportunity to reflect on his
conduct while picking up trash along the highway for as long as the law
allows.

Doesn't work that way in the military

Fortunately we're not living under military rule (yet).

Roger that. The worst possible scenario would be a North Korean type of
martial society IMO. In that case, our airplane thief might not have
had a public trial and probably would have disappeared to a work camp
(or worse).

I've argued with a cop more than once and won every time. And I'm
not even a lawyer.

I've even given chase a few times and confronted them when I saw
THEM do something wrong.


The judge will back them though...
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/24/pol....ap/index.html

"JohnH" wrote in message
...

I've argued with a cop more than once and won every time. And I'm
not even a lawyer.

I've even given chase a few times and confronted them when I saw
THEM do something wrong.


The judge will back them though...
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/24/pol....ap/index.html


An example of one is far from conclusive evidence. A fair judge will listen
to both sides and decide based on the facts.

"JohnH" wrote in news:66-
:


I've argued with a cop more than once and won every time. And I'm
not even a lawyer.

I've even given chase a few times and confronted them when I saw
THEM do something wrong.


The judge will back them though...
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/24/pol....ap/index.html

In this case, the officer was in line, in performance of his duty.

Here's the stories of the times I've observed officers abusing
their powers or otherwise acting inappropriately even for the
level of the situation.

You know how many streets have those painted islands, aka chicken
lanes? I had just pulled out of a driveway and was waiting in one
before merging into traffic. Suddenly in front of me from the
other direction a police car passes traffic on his side of the
road using this same chicken lane that I am currently in. He merges
back in before getting to me, but it's still quite a fright to see
a car speeding head on towards you at a high rate of speed. He
DID NOT have his lights on. So I turned around and followed him to
where he went. Turned out to be backup for another officers traffic
stop. When I saw things were OK there I approached the officers
and asked for the one that had jsut come down that particular road.
I confronted him about what he did and why I was making an issue of
it. I explained that if he had had his light bar on I wouldn't have
cared. He apologized.

In another case I saw an officer use his lights to go through a
red light. He then turned into a Dunkin Donuts. I didn't follow in
this case, but there did not appear to be any activity going on
warranting the action.

There was one time I was on my way somewhere and had a police bike
go flying past me. I was on my bike. He stopped at every red light
and waited for green. But between signals he was doing at least 70.
I took it up to that speed and he was still going faster. Mind you,
this was in a 45 zone. This went on for a good 2-3 miles and eventually
he turned off into a restaurant where he met his buddies for lunch.
There was no call, the guys wre just standing around yacking. I
did not pursue this as I was on my way elsewhere and was terribly
sick at the time. Otherwise I would have.

Another time I was on my way home from a halloween party at like 2
in the morn on my motorcycle. As I was driving through the
neighborhood I had passed a couple police cars parked at a house.
Must have been a problem. A minute later I see these two cars come
racing up behind me while I'm making a right turn. At an intersection
where I'm beginning to make a left turn, these two cars endager my
life, one by cutting inside the turn I'm in progress of making and
the other cutting around me once I'm around the turn. They DID NOT
have their lights on. I followed them at speeds of up to 80mph.
They were on an officer needs assistance call. The excuse was it was
a code whatever and they don't use their lights in that situation.
Problem is, it was 2 miles from where they endangered my life and the
location of the call. It would have been no problem if they had
simply flipped their lights on to warn of their presence. I could
have pulled over out of their way. Since they were so far from their
destination, flipping on their lights for a few seconds would have
done NOTHING to endanger ANYONE at the scene they were going to.
Instead, they chose to endager me.

This one's a little hard to describe. Imagine an intersection, but
just before that maybe a 100 feet is another intersection for a
side street. That intersection is marked "keep clear". There's also
a left turn lane for the opposing traffic to turn onto this side
street. Anyway, a cope comes up from behind me, cuts into the
opposing traffic lanes and tries to pass through this keep clear
section whereupon he has to slam on his brakes for a car entering
the turn lane. Once clear, he then proceeds up to the main intersection
to make his left turn. As it happens, the signal timing and traffic
is just right so I can enter that left turn at the main intersection
and follow. Turns out the officer had immediately turned into a
parking lot and stopped in the middle of it. I pulled up along side
and motioned for him to roll down his window. I ask, "If I had done
what you just did at that intersection back there, would I have got
a ticket?" He pauses for a split second and then says "Yes". I then
simply say "Thank you, have a nice day" and drive off. My point
was made.

Another time I was going shopping. You know how in the front of
the store is the "No Parking Fire Lane" section? Well, this sheriff
pulls up and parks. At first I think he's there for a shoplifter
or something. Nope. He walks over to the deli counter and proceeds
to order a sandwich. I walk up and excuse myself for butting in and
ask, "If I were to park in a fire zone just so I could run in the
store and get a sandwich, would I get a ticket". Again, the answer
was yes whereupn I politely thanked him and went about my shopping.
I watched out he corner of my eye as he just stooped there dumbfounded.
He was caught. Shortly thereafter he left. I don't think he got his
sandwich.

And now my favorite, which is a bit different than the rest. I was
out cruising on my bike late one night. At oen point I noticed blue
For Taurus in my blind spot. Probably just some idiot doing the
moneky see monkey do type driving. I speed up a little and they
pae me. I slow down, and they slow down. This goes on for a couple
miles. I'm approaching a left turn I intend to make, but being a
little concerned about this car thatis obviously following me, I
decide to not signal my intent until the last second. I enter the
left turn pocket as hard as I could without being wreckless and
come to a stop a the red. Sure enough, this car stops quickly and
maneuvers behind me. Great, I've got a freak following me. So I
make this turn and I take my speed up to about 50. It's a 45. I'm
thinking about my plan. I have the advantage of speed and want to
use it, but realize I'm about to come to another red light and I
don't want this guy pulling up next to me. So I wait until he's up
to my hind quarter agian in the lane next to me, take a quick look
in the mirror to make sure no one else is around, and then slam on
my brakes in with a downshift to shut down that bike right quick. Of
course, he goes flying past. Then the little red light on the dash
pops on. It's a cop. So instead of doing the u-turn I had planned,
I proceed past him and pull over. I see him get out via my mirror
whereupon,without getting off the bike, I simply turn around and
verbally lay into him something firece, french words and all. To
make the rest of this story short, his supervisor even deemed his
actions inappropriate. I wonder what would have happened had I
decided to run instead? I would have inadvertantly found myself in
a high speed chase.

I've also been pulled over late at night after a marked car did
similar stuff to me. Supposedly it appeared I had bald tires.
Funny thing was, I had brand new tires and it being so dark, how
could he tell. It was an obvious lie.

As an example of arguing my way out of a ticket, I was out cruising
on the bike and I stopped at a light where a police car already
was. I was pulled next to him. Anyway, the light turns green and
I take the bike right up to the speed limit. Motorcycles naturally
accelerate faster than a car. At least mine does. Anyway, the cop
pulls up into my left side blind spot. I need to change lanes there
for an upcoming turn, so I slow down so I can simply pull in behind
him. He slows down. So I speed back up to the speed limit. He speeds
up. Well, My turn signal was malfuncitoning so I used my hand signal
to indicate a left turn and speed up to only 5 over and make a nice
smooth lane change. Then he pops his lights on and puls me over.
He claims I was doing at least 65. I told him exactly what I said
here, that at most I was going 50 becaue he kept sitting inmy blind
spot and preventing me from making a lane change. He says my speedo
must be off. They have to get the speedo in their cruisers calibrated
every six months. I retort, "If spedometers can go out of calibration
that badly, why aren't all cars required to get their speedometers
checked regularly." AHA!! Got him. No answer. He hands me back my
stuff and let's me on my way.

And this only includes the times where I was the supposed "bad guy".
Then there's all the times where I had people trying to run me off
the road, or the drunk that hit me at a red light, or the nut job
that went road rage on me....in all those cases the police could
or would not do anything, all due to this-that-or-the-other rule or
law. All the times *I* needed help, it was not found.

OK....I think I've made my point. Enough story telling.

Brian
--
http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology, Astronomy, Skepticism
Seismic FAQ: http://www.skywise711.com/SeismicFAQ/SeismicFAQ.html
Quake "predictions": http://www.skywise711.com/quakes/EQDB/index.html
Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes?

wrote)
Doesn't work that way in the military, Dave. Believe me, I've run into a
few a-holes that I couldn't stand in the army but maintaining discipline
in the military requires a respect for higher rank. Even if the person
wearing the rank is not worthy of it. (One of the reasons I got out after
6 years)


A Few Good Men (1992)

Directed by Rob Reiner
Aaron Sorkin (play)
Aaron Sorkin (screenplay)

[Col. Jessep]
I'd appreciate it if he would address me as "Colonel" or "Sir"... I believe
I've earned it.

[Judge Randolph]
Counsel will refer to the witness as "Colonel" or "Sir."

[Col. Jessep]
I don't know what the hell kind of unit you're running here.

[Judge Randolph]
And you will refer to this court as "Your Honor" or "Judge"... and I'm quite
certain I've earned it. Take your seat, Colonel.


Montblack ...not a bad cast! g

Tom Cruise .... Lt. Daniel Kaffee
Jack Nicholson .... Col. Nathan R. Jessep
Demi Moore .... Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway
Kevin Bacon .... Capt. Jack Ross
Kiefer Sutherland .... Lt. Jonathan Kendrick
Kevin Pollak .... Lt. Sam Weinberg
James Marshall .... Pfc. Louden Downey
J.T. Walsh .... Lt. Col. Matthew Andrew Markinson
Christopher Guest .... Dr. Stone
J.A. Preston .... Judge Julius Alexander Randolph
Matt Craven .... Lt. Dave Spradling
Wolfgang Bodison .... Lance Cpl. Harold W. Dawson
Xander Berkeley .... Capt. Whitaker
John M. Jackson .... Capt. West
Noah Wyle .... Cpl. Jeffrey Barnes

"Skywise" wrote

OK....I think I've made my point. Enough story telling.

Man, you must either be one unlucky, hexed dude, or there is something that
you are doing to draw attention to your driving. I have never had the kind
of encounters you describe.
--
Jim in NC

"Morgans" wrote in :


"Skywise" wrote

OK....I think I've made my point. Enough story telling.

Man, you must either be one unlucky, hexed dude, or there is something that
you are doing to draw attention to your driving. I have never had the kind
of encounters you describe.

I dunno....perhaps it was because I wasn't driving like a madman
and therefore stood out. Now that I do, I have no problems. Go figure.

Actually, I think what it is, is that 99% of people would just shrug
their shoulders at such stuff and never think another thought about
it. I just happen to give a $&!^ about what goes on in my world
more than most (or so it seems at times). Perhaps I have an overly
developed sense of right & wrong & justice?

Brian
--
http://www.skywise711.com - Lasers, Seismology, Astronomy, Skepticism
Seismic FAQ: http://www.skywise711.com/SeismicFAQ/SeismicFAQ.html
Quake "predictions": http://www.skywise711.com/quakes/EQDB/index.html
Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes?

"Skywise" wrote

Actually, I think what it is, is that 99% of people would just shrug
their shoulders at such stuff and never think another thought about
it. I just happen to give a $&!^ about what goes on in my world
more than most (or so it seems at times). Perhaps I have an overly
developed sense of right & wrong & justice?

It sounds all normal {I think g} to me. I would likely react the same
way...

A few years ago, I had a strange encounter, that had me playing the citizen
cop.

I was on a 140 mile bike cross-country, on a 4 lane highway with cross
roads. I came upon a terrible head-on, with a lady laying out on the
ground, and a passer-by trying to help her. I stopped and asked if help was
on the way, and they said, "yes, but did I see a smashed up car going past
me, the other way?"

I said, "yes, there was a car laying out a big smoke-steam cloud," and
described the car. They said "yes, that was the one." I pulled a quick
U-turn, and went after the car. It had maybe a 2 mile head start, but I
could still smell the lingering smoke in the air.

I went weaving in and out of the traffic, at a very high rate of speed. The
smell was getting stronger, but suddenly, at a crossroads, I lost the smell.
I guessed right turn, but could not pick up the scent. I doubled back, and
turned the other way, but no luck.

There happened to be a state highway patrol station between the place of
losing the smell and the scene of the accident. I pulled in there and
reported what I had done, and where I lost the smell. I went on my way,
having done all that I could do.

At the end of the weekend, I stopped by the same station, and asked how it
had all turned out. They said, "Oh, you are the guy that tracked him down.
Yes, we found his car in the parking lot on that corner where you lost the
smell. We waited about an hour, and he came out of the store, and we
arrested him for drunk driving and hit-and-run. Thanks for your help. The
lady that got hit is doing fine, also."

It felt good, helping to fix a wrong. It was also fun, doing a high speed
pursuit, perhaps a bad idea, but I felt justified.

If I "HAD" gotten caught, would I have been arrested, and the book thrown at
me? I always have wondered. g
--
Jim in NC

On Fri, 10 Mar 2006 20:52:38 -0000, Skywise
wrote:

"JohnH" wrote in news:66-
:


I've argued with a cop more than once and won every time. And I'm
not even a lawyer.

I've even given chase a few times and confronted them when I saw
THEM do something wrong.


The judge will back them though...
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/24/pol....ap/index.html

In this case, the officer was in line, in performance of his duty.

Here's the stories of the times I've observed officers abusing
their powers or otherwise acting inappropriately even for the
level of the situation.

You know how many streets have those painted islands, aka chicken
lanes? I had just pulled out of a driveway and was waiting in one
before merging into traffic. Suddenly in front of me from the
other direction a police car passes traffic on his side of the
road using this same chicken lane that I am currently in. He merges
back in before getting to me, but it's still quite a fright to see
a car speeding head on towards you at a high rate of speed. He
DID NOT have his lights on. So I turned around and followed him to
where he went. Turned out to be backup for another officers traffic
stop. When I saw things were OK there I approached the officers
and asked for the one that had jsut come down that particular road.
I confronted him about what he did and why I was making an issue of
it. I explained that if he had had his light bar on I wouldn't have
cared. He apologized.

In another case I saw an officer use his lights to go through a
red light. He then turned into a Dunkin Donuts. I didn't follow in
this case, but there did not appear to be any activity going on
warranting the action.

There was one time I was on my way somewhere and had a police bike
go flying past me. I was on my bike. He stopped at every red light
and waited for green. But between signals he was doing at least 70.
I took it up to that speed and he was still going faster. Mind you,
this was in a 45 zone. This went on for a good 2-3 miles and eventually
he turned off into a restaurant where he met his buddies for lunch.
There was no call, the guys wre just standing around yacking. I
did not pursue this as I was on my way elsewhere and was terribly
sick at the time. Otherwise I would have.

Another time I was on my way home from a halloween party at like 2
in the morn on my motorcycle. As I was driving through the
neighborhood I had passed a couple police cars parked at a house.
Must have been a problem. A minute later I see these two cars come
racing up behind me while I'm making a right turn. At an intersection
where I'm beginning to make a left turn, these two cars endager my
life, one by cutting inside the turn I'm in progress of making and
the other cutting around me once I'm around the turn. They DID NOT
have their lights on. I followed them at speeds of up to 80mph.
They were on an officer needs assistance call. The excuse was it was
a code whatever and they don't use their lights in that situation.
Problem is, it was 2 miles from where they endangered my life and the
location of the call. It would have been no problem if they had
simply flipped their lights on to warn of their presence. I could
have pulled over out of their way. Since they were so far from their
destination, flipping on their lights for a few seconds would have
done NOTHING to endanger ANYONE at the scene they were going to.
Instead, they chose to endager me.

This one's a little hard to describe. Imagine an intersection, but
just before that maybe a 100 feet is another intersection for a
side street. That intersection is marked "keep clear". There's also
a left turn lane for the opposing traffic to turn onto this side
street. Anyway, a cope comes up from behind me, cuts into the
opposing traffic lanes and tries to pass through this keep clear
section whereupon he has to slam on his brakes for a car entering
the turn lane. Once clear, he then proceeds up to the main intersection
to make his left turn. As it happens, the signal timing and traffic
is just right so I can enter that left turn at the main intersection
and follow. Turns out the officer had immediately turned into a
parking lot and stopped in the middle of it. I pulled up along side
and motioned for him to roll down his window. I ask, "If I had done
what you just did at that intersection back there, would I have got
a ticket?" He pauses for a split second and then says "Yes". I then
simply say "Thank you, have a nice day" and drive off. My point
was made.

Another time I was going shopping. You know how in the front of
the store is the "No Parking Fire Lane" section? Well, this sheriff
pulls up and parks. At first I think he's there for a shoplifter
or something. Nope. He walks over to the deli counter and proceeds
to order a sandwich. I walk up and excuse myself for butting in and
ask, "If I were to park in a fire zone just so I could run in the
store and get a sandwich, would I get a ticket". Again, the answer
was yes whereupn I politely thanked him and went about my shopping.
I watched out he corner of my eye as he just stooped there dumbfounded.
He was caught. Shortly thereafter he left. I don't think he got his
sandwich.

And now my favorite, which is a bit different than the rest. I was
out cruising on my bike late one night. At oen point I noticed blue
For Taurus in my blind spot. Probably just some idiot doing the
moneky see monkey do type driving. I speed up a little and they
pae me. I slow down, and they slow down. This goes on for a couple
miles. I'm approaching a left turn I intend to make, but being a
little concerned about this car thatis obviously following me, I
decide to not signal my intent until the last second. I enter the
left turn pocket as hard as I could without being wreckless and
come to a stop a the red. Sure enough, this car stops quickly and
maneuvers behind me. Great, I've got a freak following me. So I
make this turn and I take my speed up to about 50. It's a 45. I'm
thinking about my plan. I have the advantage of speed and want to
use it, but realize I'm about to come to another red light and I
don't want this guy pulling up next to me. So I wait until he's up
to my hind quarter agian in the lane next to me, take a quick look
in the mirror to make sure no one else is around, and then slam on
my brakes in with a downshift to shut down that bike right quick. Of
course, he goes flying past. Then the little red light on the dash
pops on. It's a cop. So instead of doing the u-turn I had planned,
I proceed past him and pull over. I see him get out via my mirror
whereupon,without getting off the bike, I simply turn around and
verbally lay into him something firece, french words and all. To
make the rest of this story short, his supervisor even deemed his
actions inappropriate. I wonder what would have happened had I
decided to run instead? I would have inadvertantly found myself in
a high speed chase.

I've also been pulled over late at night after a marked car did
similar stuff to me. Supposedly it appeared I had bald tires.
Funny thing was, I had brand new tires and it being so dark, how
could he tell. It was an obvious lie.

As an example of arguing my way out of a ticket, I was out cruising
on the bike and I stopped at a light where a police car already
was. I was pulled next to him. Anyway, the light turns green and
I take the bike right up to the speed limit. Motorcycles naturally
accelerate faster than a car. At least mine does. Anyway, the cop
pulls up into my left side blind spot. I need to change lanes there
for an upcoming turn, so I slow down so I can simply pull in behind
him. He slows down. So I speed back up to the speed limit. He speeds
up. Well, My turn signal was malfuncitoning so I used my hand signal
to indicate a left turn and speed up to only 5 over and make a nice
smooth lane change. Then he pops his lights on and puls me over.
He claims I was doing at least 65. I told him exactly what I said
here, that at most I was going 50 becaue he kept sitting inmy blind
spot and preventing me from making a lane change. He says my speedo
must be off. They have to get the speedo in their cruisers calibrated
every six months. I retort, "If spedometers can go out of calibration
that badly, why aren't all cars required to get their speedometers
checked regularly." AHA!! Got him. No answer. He hands me back my
stuff and let's me on my way.

And this only includes the times where I was the supposed "bad guy".
Then there's all the times where I had people trying to run me off
the road, or the drunk that hit me at a red light, or the nut job
that went road rage on me....in all those cases the police could
or would not do anything, all due to this-that-or-the-other rule or
law. All the times *I* needed help, it was not found.

OK....I think I've made my point. Enough story telling.

Brian


This one time, at band camp, I was riding late at night and.....
--

Dave in Columbus