Both good points. But courts don't rule on such intangibles (usually) as "helping another drive get away with speeding later on, after the speedtrap is avoided." The immediate effect is not to help the other driver to get away (like tripping a cop chasing a bank robber, for instance) but rather to get other drivers to slow down (even momentarily). Which is, as the court pointed out, encouraging them to OBEY the speed law.

As to your second point, well, I've been caught by those, even with a radar detector in my car. When the speed limit drops from 55 mph to 25 in about 100 yards (with signs that may be hidden), with a cop hiding right after the 25 mph sign, well then, as you pointed out, I handed my money over to the authorities...

Sigh.

Was in southern Michigan, if anyone is interested...

-CW

On the other hand, a speed trap is an unmarked or poorly marked transition to a much slower speed limit than is justified, just for the sake of officially-condoned highway robbery. There's no real compliance at stake: the law is not there to regulate behavior, so there's nothing to comply with -- unless the behavior in question consists of handing over your money to the so-called authorities.

THAT brought back some memories.. :D

Michale

OK, that's a funny story, true or not!

But I already covered that one earlier...

http://www.chrisweigant.com/2013/01/03/digitus-impudicus-ruled-constitutionally-protected-speech/

-CW

ESPECIALLY when a cop has a quota to fill. :D

Having said that, I cannot argue with the merits of the ruling...

Free speech vis a vis cops can be a funny thing..

I had a partner who arrested a military civilian contractor for "provoking speeches and gestures". The contractor flipped off my partner after receiving a ticket. On a military installation, that's a no no.. When it went to magistrate's court, the pie-in-the-sky judge ruled that flipping someone off is not provoking..

My partner did what any reasonable person would do. He said, "Thank you, your honor", flipped off the judge and walked out of the court.

We laughed at that for a week!! :D

Michale

Good reasoning, good ruling, hope the ruling holds up and spreads though the states, obeying applicable speed restrictions of course ;)

Man, I miss my old motorcycle sometimes!