It seems like the option of getting tickets dismissed in court isn’t available anymore. Sources inside the LAPD say that officers who testify in traffic court are strongly encouraged to do so to the best of their ability instead of having citations dismissed because they may have forgotten the specific details of a case.

You might have been the recipient of or noticed that traffic tickets seem to be on the rise lately, and that’s not a surprise, as they represent a great source of revenue. A photo red light costs up to $500. Therefore, these tattle tale services are becoming increasingly widespread all over the state. An entirely new meaning starts being attributed to defensive driving.

Joel Rubin of the Los Angeles Times wrote a very good article in October 2010, where he highlights the details of internal memos that ask LAPD officers to testify in court, no matter whether they remember the facts or not. Also, instead of dismissing the ticket should they be unable to recall the details, officers are asked to carry notes on the citation which will help them in court.

As some officers may be writing dozens of citations every day, this has created some issues with the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which doesn’t want to create an environment of unreasonable expectations amongst its members.

LAPD officers wrote more than half a million tickets from January to August 2010, which doesn’t include the Sheriff’s Department, according to the previously mentioned article. In this case, the measures of facing disciplinary action for dismissing citations due to a faulty memory are somewhat extreme.

That’s where we are, at least in Los Angeles. What about your city? Is it next?

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