What's new
America's Epidemic of Police Abuse & Violence

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Democide

Administrator
Staff member
11 Insanely Corrupt Speed-Trap Towns
Caught stealing from motorists, these towns disbanded their police forces or even disbanded their governments altogether.

8 May, 2022



CASTLEBERRY, ALABAMA: The Birmingham News recently investigated the tiny town of Brookside, Alabama, a place "with no traffic lights and one retail store [that] collected $487 in fines and forfeitures for every man, woman and child." Income from fines and forfeitures comprised a whopping 49 percent of the town's budget. Lawsuits allege that Brookside police officers made up charges to soak vehicle owners for thousands of dollars in fines. Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth is asking for an official state audit of the town and its police force. That doesn't bode well for Brookside officials, in light of some recent history ...



 

Democide

Administrator
Staff member
Flashing Headlights To Warn of Speed Traps Permanently Protected in Missouri Town

9 April 2014



It's the happy conclusion to a free speech battle with potentially broad application: A federal judge says flashing your headlights to warn oncoming drivers of speed traps is protected by the First Amendment. Under a permanent injunction issued in the case, the town of Ellisville, Missouri, will have to stop hassling drivers considerate enough to give fellow motorists a friendly heads-up. The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, which represented Michael Elli, describes the facts of the dispute: While driving along Kiefer Creek Road [in November 2012], Michael Elli, flashed his headlights to warn oncoming traffic to proceed with caution. ...



 

Democide

Administrator
Staff member
How Louisiana Perfected the Speed Trap
Want to fight your ticket? Welcome to mayor’s court, where your accuser is also your judge.

19 July 2021



Speeding was not an option for Evelyne Bornier when she hosted relatives from France and took them on a road trip through the Deep South in October 2018. The group of seven adults traveled in a Chevrolet Venture with a broken suspension system that turned potholes into craters. "It was an old, beaten up van," says Bornier, a language professor who immigrated from France in 1994. "We just needed transportation, and it was cheaper to buy one and use it for the trip rather than rent something for three weeks." Even with a newer vehicle, Bornier would have followed the ...



 

Democide

Administrator
Staff member
Chicago's More Aggressive Speed Cameras Issued 2.8 Million Tickets Last Year
The city's army of 160 speed cameras issued a ticket every 11 seconds during 2021 and generated $89 million in revenue.

6 April 2022



After rejiggering its speed cameras to fine any car caught traveling as little as 6 mph over the posted speed limit, the city of Chicago collected record-breaking levels of revenue last year. Chicago's army of 160 speed cameras issued more than 2.81 million tickets last year and collected $89 million in revenue from motorists, according to data from the Chicago Department of Finance published this week by the Illinois Policy Institute, a free market think tank. That's more tickets than there are residents of the city, and translates to one ticket issued every 11 seconds during the entire year. Those ...



 

Democide

Administrator
Staff member
Illinois Appeals Court Rules Chicago Slapped Drivers With Illegally High Fines for Years
A plaintiff in the class-action lawsuit says he had to declare bankruptcy after Chicago dumped $20,000 of ticket debts on him.

9 May 2022



Chicago has been hitting motorists with illegally high fines for years for not having up-to-date vehicle stickers, a state appellate court ruled Friday. The Illinois First District Appellate Court found that Chicago has been flouting a state law that caps the amount it can fine drivers through its administrative court system at $250. The ruling came in a class-action lawsuit challenging the city's notoriously punitive ticketing regime, especially for vehicle stickers, which cost nearly $100 to renew every year and carry stiff fines for failing to keep them up to date. "For far too long the city has used ticket ...



 
Top