Rants

Had I not been witness to this and the fact that we had been very careful in observing the speed limit throughout our entire trip I would have had a hard time believing this could happen.

A detailed description included in a letter I sent to the judge can be read below but to summarize, we were given a speeding ticket in Garrison, TX, going downhill at the posted speed limit of 45 mph and the officer claimed we were going 52 mph. I am convinced we were victimized and I am posting this story to just warn travelers on US59 going through Garrison, TX of what can happen to them.

There is this urban legend that officers try to fulfill their quota of tickets the last couple of days of the month.  We were stopped on March 31, 2007.  Is it possible?  Seems to... in Garrison, TX.

City of Garrison Municipal Court
129 W. Greenwood Street
Garrison, TX 75946

April 4, 2007

Plea of Nolo Contendre under STRONGEST PROTEST for Citation #002173

Dear Judge:

Attached please find my daughter’s plea of Nolo Contendre, return envelope, as well as a money order for $91.25, the amount due to take a driver’s safety course.

I advised my daughter to enter this plea despite being certain that she fell victim to at least a wrongly calibrated radar detector and the nastiest of speed traps, if not at worst being the victim of gross abuse of police authority and fraud.

As a witness to the issuance of the citation and the circumstances surrounding it, I feel compelled to stand up for our rights as law-abiding residents of this state. I ask that you take a moment to read the attached narrative and consider dismissing the citation and return the attached money order.

I will be filing a formal complaint with the Garrison Police Department and I am researching what avenues are available to me to file a complaint on the state level. As the Information Technology Director for a Houston Company with a background in Website Development, I am also considering establishing a Website dedicated to this incident to warn travelers and individuals researching Garrison of the traps they might drive into through Garrison.

Respectfully
Michael Seuffert

Incident Summary

My daughter and I were traveling on US-59 South on our way from Harrison, AR to Houston, TX passing through Garrison. We had been taking turns driving for this long trip and I was a passenger. As most parent-passengers I kept a close eye on my daughter’s speed and driving style throughout the trip.

As we were leaving Garrison we drove down a small hill. At the bottom of the hill I noticed a police cruiser in a parking lot. I instinctively looked at my daughter’s speedometer, which read 45 mph. I also saw the highway speed limit sign in front of us reading 45 mph. Assured we were observing the speed limit, I did not mention anything to my daughter as she continued at the posted speed.

My daughter told me a few moments later that a police car appeared to be following us. A short time later the officer turned on the lights and we were pulled over. The officer stated that we were traveling 52 mph. We informed him that we were sure that we traveled 45 mph. He inquired where we were from and if my daughter attended the University of Houston. When he took my daughter’s license to return to his car I asked whether he was writing us a ticket, which he affirmed. At that time I requested that he provide me with the make and model of his radar equipment and the date it was last calibrated. At this time he asked, “Are you serious?” And wanted to know whether I “was a lawyer or something like that,” which I denied.

When the officer handed my daughter the ticket I once again informed him that we were traveling at 45 mph. I also asked him once again for the radar equipment and calibration date. His response was that he believed that all radar equipment was the Golden Eagle brand and that it was calibrated daily. He also stated that we were speeding either way since the speed limit before the posted 45 mph sign was 40 mph. We did not turn back to verify this statement, my daughter signed the ticket and we were on our way.

Here are the issues I have with this incident:

• How can the officer’s radar equipment be off by such a significant amount? I am certain that our speedometer is correct as we passed numerous radar stations along our trip advising travelers of their speed.
• Would we have been stopped at a radar reading of 45 mph downhill during light traffic just in front of a 45 mph speed limit sign?
• Why did the officer follow us for some time before turning on his lights?

As a father I am angered by the message this sends to my daughter about justice and the law.

At a minimum, I believe that my daughter was clocked using faulty radar equipment at a very nasty speed trap, but I can’t help but wonder whether the officer also followed us for a while to profile her vehicle and after observing her University of Houston sticker saw little chance of us returning to Garrison to challenge the citation. I even wonder if the radar was turned on.

For the record I do need to state that the officer was calm and courteous, and I have no issue with the way we were approached.