Got two tickets on my bike yesterday
#1
08-30-2009, 01:14 PM
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: St. Joe, Michigan
Posts: 271
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Got two tickets on my bike yesterday
So a michigan state trooper pulls me over and was a complete A-hole to me the whole time. i was treated like pure crap by this officer. Apparently he is just one more tin god with a badge and a gun. Anyways i have the moto gp shorty pipe on my bike and he said it is to loud. Which it is, but he did not perform any db tests on it at all. Also i have my plate mounted vertical on the swingarm which i got ticketed for as well. I was unaware that mounting a plate vertical is illegal.i got home and looked it and Michigan law says that a plate must be lit, horizontal and a minimum of 12" off the ground.
I am just P.O. about the whole thing since he did not write me fix it tickets, since he said i did the mods on purpose he wrote me two civil infractions that must be paid and not written off each costing $100.
I am thinking about taking the fines to court and using the loud pipes save lives line and just explaining that i was unaware of the license plate law. Do you think i stand a fair chance of getting reduced/dropped fines?
I am just P.O. about the whole thing since he did not write me fix it tickets, since he said i did the mods on purpose he wrote me two civil infractions that must be paid and not written off each costing $100.
I am thinking about taking the fines to court and using the loud pipes save lives line and just explaining that i was unaware of the license plate law. Do you think i stand a fair chance of getting reduced/dropped fines?
#2
08-30-2009, 01:43 PM
#3
08-30-2009, 02:06 PM
Admin Emeritus & MVN
Tough luck dude. My advice is if you wish to fight the tickets do not mention loud pipes save lives. The pipe tickets get thrown out in GA all the time because 1) nobody carries a decibel meter and 2) even if they did have a meter the law is ambiguous about how far away to measure the sound.
The tag one is a bee-yatch because you see choppers and the sort with the vertical tag all the time. I think the ones that wrap around on the swing arm are da bomb!
Most of the time to effectively win in court you need a lawyer ... but it's cheaper to just pay a non-points ticket than hire a lawyer. So it's catch 22, eh? Try calling an attorney that gives free initial consultation. Like cops, some of 'em are decent peeps and will help you out. Especially the ones that ride also
The tag one is a bee-yatch because you see choppers and the sort with the vertical tag all the time. I think the ones that wrap around on the swing arm are da bomb!
Most of the time to effectively win in court you need a lawyer ... but it's cheaper to just pay a non-points ticket than hire a lawyer. So it's catch 22, eh? Try calling an attorney that gives free initial consultation. Like cops, some of 'em are decent peeps and will help you out. Especially the ones that ride also
#5
08-30-2009, 03:36 PM
Senior Member & 2010 ROTY
#6
08-30-2009, 06:10 PM
I have been pulled over by the MI troopers a few times. I always have been treated fairly. The loud pipes saves lives will not work but I would still fight that ticket because he didn't take a reading. The plate ticket does suck but you probably get stuck with it.I would fix it for now and show up with the bike fixed and just tell the judge you bought it that way but have fixed it in order to comply with the laws. See how that goes.
#7
08-30-2009, 08:54 PM
July 2008 ROTM
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Milwaukee
Posts: 3,002
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No offense, but the "loud pipes save lives" defense is retarded. They'll laugh at you in the court room for trying to use that. Don't bother.
I would fix the plate and say you were unaware of the law and have fixed it, hopefully they'll sympathize and drop that one. As for the exhaust, you can try to contest based on no DB testing was conducted so there's no factual information regarding its legality, but you might just want to eat that one and consider getting something quieter.
Just my two pennies.
I would fix the plate and say you were unaware of the law and have fixed it, hopefully they'll sympathize and drop that one. As for the exhaust, you can try to contest based on no DB testing was conducted so there's no factual information regarding its legality, but you might just want to eat that one and consider getting something quieter.
Just my two pennies.
#8
08-30-2009, 09:51 PM
Guest
Posts: n/a
You put a motogp shorty pipe on and got ticketed for noise compliance. Sorry bro but duh, no surprise there.
Borrow a slipon from someone if you can, attach it. Fix the plate and then take multiple pictures of both the plate and pipe, before and after your changed them. Take those pictures to the prosecuting attorneys office before your court date, show him you fixed it all and he'll likely toss out the tickets. If you actually take it to court they'll likely throw one out but keep the other, just cause you had the audacity to waste the courts time and money on such trivial, non-points tickets. The PA on the other hand is busy as all hell and will likely drop or severely lower the tickets just to avoid one more thing on his docket for that day, especially if you show that it's fixed now and argue that you weren't given a fixit. Either way, the ignorance bit won't work, they don't care, and the loud pipes save lives, yeah they will laugh at you. After you take the pics you can put your "please ticket me" pipe back on and go your merry way. Though if that samne cop pulls you over again expect an even worse stop than this last one.
If you listen to nothing else hear this, deal with the prosecuting attorney before the trial date. Not the defense attorney/public defender, not the judge, the pa, and do it BEFORE ythe court date. The pa is the only one with the ability to throw anything out or to help you in any way. Once the court date comes around, the cop has to be there and he's annoyed, the judge has to waste time on this in an already busy day and he's annoyed, the pa has to cram one more thing into his busy day and is annoyed and the public defender is a joke, all he can do is go talk to the pa about your case. You want leniency, the prosecuting attorney, before the court date, is the most likely one to help you out.
Borrow a slipon from someone if you can, attach it. Fix the plate and then take multiple pictures of both the plate and pipe, before and after your changed them. Take those pictures to the prosecuting attorneys office before your court date, show him you fixed it all and he'll likely toss out the tickets. If you actually take it to court they'll likely throw one out but keep the other, just cause you had the audacity to waste the courts time and money on such trivial, non-points tickets. The PA on the other hand is busy as all hell and will likely drop or severely lower the tickets just to avoid one more thing on his docket for that day, especially if you show that it's fixed now and argue that you weren't given a fixit. Either way, the ignorance bit won't work, they don't care, and the loud pipes save lives, yeah they will laugh at you. After you take the pics you can put your "please ticket me" pipe back on and go your merry way. Though if that samne cop pulls you over again expect an even worse stop than this last one.
If you listen to nothing else hear this, deal with the prosecuting attorney before the trial date. Not the defense attorney/public defender, not the judge, the pa, and do it BEFORE ythe court date. The pa is the only one with the ability to throw anything out or to help you in any way. Once the court date comes around, the cop has to be there and he's annoyed, the judge has to waste time on this in an already busy day and he's annoyed, the pa has to cram one more thing into his busy day and is annoyed and the public defender is a joke, all he can do is go talk to the pa about your case. You want leniency, the prosecuting attorney, before the court date, is the most likely one to help you out.
Last edited by Hangfire; 08-30-2009 at 09:58 PM.
#9
08-30-2009, 10:58 PM
Admin Emeritus & MVN