Originally posted by Chris Arslanyan:
Sandman, you do raise some very good points, but I will still talk to a lawyer and see what my options are.
It's your money. Do you know whether or not the officer had a camera? If there is videotape evidence, IMHO you would be ahead of the game just to admit to what you did and beg for mercy.
We were the only traffic on the road, thats why we decided to 'play' a little.
I thought someone mentioned a tow truck. That gets you the reckless driving charge.
We all now what we did was wrong, and maybe a bit childish. But, if we were set-up, by the wrecker and the trooper, well, than isn't that entrapment? (sp?)
lol, how could they have set you up? Really? Did they offer you money to drag race along the highway? No? Then you have no case. I wouldn't mention that to the judge, likely to get you a more severe sentence.
We all know we are guilty of speeding, but of racing, we were driving fast, our 'tours, modified or not, are no match for the bikes. They made us look like we were driving backwards they were able to pull on so fast!
You just about defined the legal definition of drag racing there. Here is the IL definition, and in other states YMMV:
(625 ILCS 5/11-503)
Sec. 11-503. Reckless driving; aggravated reckless driving.
(a) Any person who drives any vehicle with a willful or wanton
disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless
driving.
(b) Every person convicted of reckless driving shall be guilty of a
Class A misdemeanor, except as provided under subsection (c) of this
Section.
(c) Every person convicted of committing a violation of subsection
(a) shall be guilty of aggravated reckless driving if the violation
results in great bodily harm or permanent disability or disfigurement to
another. Aggravated reckless driving is a Class 4 felony.
(Source: P.A. 88-679, eff. 7-1-95.)
(625 ILCS 5/11-504)
Sec. 11-504. Drag racing. Any person who, as an operator of a motor
vehicle, is convicted of being a participant in drag racing shall be
guilty of a Class C misdemeanor, and the driver's license of such person
shall be revoked in the manner provided by Section 6-205.
"Drag racing" means the act of 2 or more individuals competing or
racing on any street or highway in this State in a situation in which
one of the motor vehicles is beside or to the rear of a motor vehicle
operated by a competing driver and the one driver attempts to prevent
the competing driver from passing or overtaking, either by acceleration
or maneuver, or one or more individuals competing in a race against time
on any street or highway in this State.
(Source: P.A. 83-831.)
I truly believe I did not cross that double yellow line, as the trooper stated. If I did, and its proven by the video, then I'll deal with that. But, the speeds he got us with, I'm still confused about that. How does LIDAR work, I thought that was LASER?
Yes, it is a laser. The officer looks through a scope of sorts on the lidar gun and aims it at you license plate. This way, he knows exactly which vehicle is targeted. The range on modern lidar guns is further than radar. Radar is emitted in a cone, while lidar is a narrow (relatively) beam.
