Virginia Legislature Votes to Hide Radar Evidence

The Newspaper ^ | 3/18/2006 | n/a

[High Cotton]

Virginia governor expected to sign legislation allowing police to hide radar evidence from motorists in speeding cases.

Virginia copThe Virginia General Assembly voted last Tuesday to eliminate a state requirement for police, upon request, to show ticketed motorists their speed reading on a laser or radar speed gun. By a 33-7 vote in the Senate and a unanimous vote in the House, police officers will now have the option of suppressing this evidence. The bill was transmitted to Governor Tim Kaine (D) on Wednesday for his signature.

Eric Skrum, communications director for the National Motorists Association, hopes Kaine rejects the bill.

"There is no justification to deny the motorist a chance to see the radar reading," said Skrum. "There is no safety concern. This is being done simply to make it easier for officers to issue tickets and make it more difficult for a driver to dispute that ticket."

[Xenalyte]

Ping!

[fooman]

Sure, just supress all evidence and throw people in the clink.

[elkfersupper]

Sure, just supress all evidence and throw people in the clink.

That's where we're headed.

[zarf]

Virginia is a bitch to drive through. There seem to be fuzz everywhere.

[fooman]

supressing liberty without due process of law...

[Logophile]

The Virginia General Assembly voted last Tuesday to eliminate a state requirement for police, upon request, to show ticketed motorists their speed reading on a laser or radar speed gun. By a 33-7 vote in the Senate and a unanimous vote in the House, police officers will now have the option of suppressing this evidence. The bill was transmitted to Governor Tim Kaine (D) on Wednesday for his signature.

I am scratching my head over this one. Under what circumstances should an officer refuse to show the speed reading to a ticketed motorist? Can anyone explain what arguments were offered to convince the legislature to vote so overwhelmingly for this change?

[tomzz]

If you use radar detectors in Va., use the cordless types.

[atomic_dog]

I know that DUIs are getting thrown out because the company that builds the breath analyzer will not release the embedded source code to defense attorneys. Has anyone tried this with radar or lidar?

[MarkL]

I am scratching my head over this one. Under what circumstances should an officer refuse to show the speed reading to a ticketed motorist? Can anyone explain what arguments were offered to convince the legislature to vote so overwhelmingly for this change?

If the officer loses, the city, county, and state get less money. Nuff said!

Mark

[curmudgeonII]

If you use radar detectors in Va., use the cordless types

Why?

[King Prout]

this is messed up.

[cripplecreek]

If they're hiding something there's probably a reason for it and it's probably not good.

[Logophile]

If the officer loses, the city, county, and state get less money. Nuff said!

I suspect that was the real reason; but I doubt anyone in the legislature actually would come out and admit it. Someone must have given a specious argument in favor of the bill. I wonder what it was.

[Mark was here]

... but the police are our friend ... You think they would have it in them to be honest about their revenue collection activities, but they don't.

[cripplecreek]

I got arrested for drunk driving once and went for a blood test because the breathalizer wasn't reading high enough for an arrest. They towed my car and I spent the night in jail.

After nearly a year of waiting for the blood test results to show up at the courthouse my case was dismissed. Keep in mind that I had 5 different court dates where the judge wanted me to enter a plea without ever seeing the evidence. Finally the prosecuting attory wrote a random number on the back of a sheet of paper and tried to convince me to plead guilty based on that alone.

[Roverman2K]

Cops and prosecutors are the biggest liars on earth

[cripplecreek]

I don't know if it's still that way but our county court website proudly claimed that they had collected fines and costs in excess of 103%.

[ol painless]

I believe using radar detectors are illegal in Virginia. I assume the cordless types would be easier to hide.

[org.whodat]

. but the police are our friend ...

Sure they are!!!! Just remember if driving on I81 in Virginia that around Wythville is the biggest speed trap in the state.