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I wanted to post my experience and I am interested in hearing any advice you may have.
So on April 2020 I was driving to work (hospital employee). I was on 26 East bound at approximately 9:40PM going to downtown Portland from Beaverton. I was on the far right lane and going about 55 MPH (that is the posted speed limit). As I am passing the zoo exit, I see a dark SUV on the West side on ramp. Immediately I figured it was an unmarked unit.
I use waze GPS and a Valentine 1 radar/laser detector. I drive safe and within the speed limit, the detector is just to let me know if any speed traps are near me. Do I go two or three miles over the limit sometimes? yes, but I do not drive crazy. When I am on the back roads, sometimes I do drive a bit spiritedly.... come on now, I drive a manual Mustang lol, but I digress. Oh btw I haven't had a ticket in like eleven years....
So I see what appeared to be an unmarked unit around the zoo exit, I was not concerned much as I was driving within the speed limit. And I should mention that I did not receive any laser warnings, and I will get to that in a bit.
So after the zoo exit, speed limit falls to 50 MPH. As I approach the 50 MPH zone, I take my foot off the gas and just coast (while in gear) and my speed drops down from 55. I was probably not going 50, maybe 52 or 53. Of course I still had to slow down a bit here and there before the tunnel because while in gear and coasting, I could gain speed. So, I go through the tunnel, stay to the left as if I was gonna get on I-5. I then take my first exit to the right to get back into downtown.
I get off the highway and once I cleared the off ramp, I see one head light behind me. I had a feeling it was a police bike, but I had nothing to worry about so I was like.... meh. Next thing I know, bright strobe lights go off and I am getting pulled over.
I pull over and discover that it was a Portland Police bike.... great! ugh.... So the officer came up to my window and asked for my license and nothing else. I told him I was carrying legally, he asked where the gun was and I told him and he was fine with the whole thing.
It took him a few minutes and I knew he was gonna give me a ticket. So he came back and told me I was doing 75 in a 50 and gave me a $270 ticket. I was shocked! I asked him a few questions and discovered I was lasered. He said he lasered me but I think the dark SUV facing West on 26 on ramp was the one that tagged me, but I did not get a laser warning from my Valentine 1 when I passed the dark SUV.
There is no way I was going 75. If I was going 75, I would have been hauling butt and traffic was very light. Was my speed between 50 and 55? yes, probably, but I swear on my grandmother and uncle's graves that I was not going 75 MPH.
So the court is extending everything out 90 days, when my plea date comes up, I will plea not guilty! and they will set a trial date for me.
I plan on filing motion for discovery so I can obtain as much information as to what happened. I feel like something dishonest has taken place. I feel like the odds are against me however. My word against a sworn peace officer with speed detecting equipment. Also a second officer was involved so two vs. one.
If they do not provide me with requested information, I think I may be able to file for dismissal but I am not sure. If the officer does not show up, I know the ticket will get dropped.
Anyone with good advice?
Any retired or active LEOs that can comment on what I can do?
I stated that I was running waze GPS earlier, so I downloaded my location files, I did not see a log of my speed, just places I have been etc. I thought about going to the dealership to extract information out of my car's "black box" but I was not in an accident and I don't know what information was stored for how long etc.
Thanks folks.
So on April 2020 I was driving to work (hospital employee). I was on 26 East bound at approximately 9:40PM going to downtown Portland from Beaverton. I was on the far right lane and going about 55 MPH (that is the posted speed limit). As I am passing the zoo exit, I see a dark SUV on the West side on ramp. Immediately I figured it was an unmarked unit.
I use waze GPS and a Valentine 1 radar/laser detector. I drive safe and within the speed limit, the detector is just to let me know if any speed traps are near me. Do I go two or three miles over the limit sometimes? yes, but I do not drive crazy. When I am on the back roads, sometimes I do drive a bit spiritedly.... come on now, I drive a manual Mustang lol, but I digress. Oh btw I haven't had a ticket in like eleven years....
So I see what appeared to be an unmarked unit around the zoo exit, I was not concerned much as I was driving within the speed limit. And I should mention that I did not receive any laser warnings, and I will get to that in a bit.
So after the zoo exit, speed limit falls to 50 MPH. As I approach the 50 MPH zone, I take my foot off the gas and just coast (while in gear) and my speed drops down from 55. I was probably not going 50, maybe 52 or 53. Of course I still had to slow down a bit here and there before the tunnel because while in gear and coasting, I could gain speed. So, I go through the tunnel, stay to the left as if I was gonna get on I-5. I then take my first exit to the right to get back into downtown.
I get off the highway and once I cleared the off ramp, I see one head light behind me. I had a feeling it was a police bike, but I had nothing to worry about so I was like.... meh. Next thing I know, bright strobe lights go off and I am getting pulled over.
I pull over and discover that it was a Portland Police bike.... great! ugh.... So the officer came up to my window and asked for my license and nothing else. I told him I was carrying legally, he asked where the gun was and I told him and he was fine with the whole thing.
It took him a few minutes and I knew he was gonna give me a ticket. So he came back and told me I was doing 75 in a 50 and gave me a $270 ticket. I was shocked! I asked him a few questions and discovered I was lasered. He said he lasered me but I think the dark SUV facing West on 26 on ramp was the one that tagged me, but I did not get a laser warning from my Valentine 1 when I passed the dark SUV.
There is no way I was going 75. If I was going 75, I would have been hauling butt and traffic was very light. Was my speed between 50 and 55? yes, probably, but I swear on my grandmother and uncle's graves that I was not going 75 MPH.
So the court is extending everything out 90 days, when my plea date comes up, I will plea not guilty! and they will set a trial date for me.
I plan on filing motion for discovery so I can obtain as much information as to what happened. I feel like something dishonest has taken place. I feel like the odds are against me however. My word against a sworn peace officer with speed detecting equipment. Also a second officer was involved so two vs. one.
If they do not provide me with requested information, I think I may be able to file for dismissal but I am not sure. If the officer does not show up, I know the ticket will get dropped.
Anyone with good advice?
Any retired or active LEOs that can comment on what I can do?
I stated that I was running waze GPS earlier, so I downloaded my location files, I did not see a log of my speed, just places I have been etc. I thought about going to the dealership to extract information out of my car's "black box" but I was not in an accident and I don't know what information was stored for how long etc.
Thanks folks.