Taylor

Prostock...that really stinks about that ticket. Some departments are like that. We too have an officer or two who will right anyone a ticket (including their own mothers).

I've been lucky since I've joined our police department, but I have learned that 'extend courtesy' generally only means in my own city. If I get pulled over in another city or state, I don't expect my little card to get me off and would pretty much be on my own.

I do a lot of traveling in VA, and those guys are tough. Me and another officer were traveling through there and were pulled over (she was driving)...She was issued a criminal citation for speeding....not a traffic ticket but a criminal citation...and she was doing 19 over. Yeah, thats fast but I don't believe it warranted a criminal citation.

I don't know what your options are, but will you have the opportunity to take it before a judge? Here in MD, you get the ticket, you always have the option of taking it to court. Every ticket I've received in my life, I've taken to court and plead 'Guilty with an explanation'. In almost every case, the judge has reduced the fine and the points that would have been on my license. I'd pay a reduced fine and court costs. I didn't think about it much then, but those things came back to haunt me when I applied for the police department. All that came back and when I was being hired, I had to explain every single one of them which is kind of embarassing to do at an oral interview. Fortunately, my bad driving days were back when I was aged 16 to 23 and have only had a couple of problems in the past 8 or so years.