Police can give speeding tickets if they 'think' car is going too fast
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
In Ohio, if a cop says it looked like you were speeding, he can write you a ticket - no proof needed. Makes things so much easier for law enforcement if they don't have to be bothered with the burden of proof. True story.
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The state's supreme court ruled five-to-one that independent verification of a driver's speed isn't necessary... things like laser guns or radar or actually clocking how fast you're going. The court says an officer's visual estimate will work as long as the officer is trained, certified by a training academy and experienced in finding speeders.
Supporters say that officers undergo extensive training where they have to visually estimate the speed of vehicles within one or two miles per hour of the actual speed.
Nonetheless, law enforcement officials insist they won't be getting rid of their speed guns; and that it's rare for officers to give tickets based solely on their observations. But the state's highest court says if they want to, it's quite all right.
The case stemmed from the appeal of a traffic ticket issued near Akron, Ohio in 2008.
In that case, a police officer ticketed a driver because he said it looked like the driver was going too fast.
Without any technical assistance, the cop determined that the motorist was going 70 miles-per-hour when the speed limit was 60. The driver says the court's decision "stinks." The driver is right.
Here's my question to you: What else will police be able to do without proof if they can now give speeding tickets if they simply "think" a car is going too fast?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
What should Pres. Obama say about Arizona immigration law?
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
A fascinating day to be a fly on the wall at the White House... where Pres. Obama met with Arizona's governor for the first time since the state passed a controversial immigration law.
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/06/03/art.jan.brewer.jpg caption="Arizona Governor Jan Brewer outside the White House after meeting with President Obama. "]
The law goes into effect next month and will require police to check the immigration status of anyone they stop for another crime.
Governor Jan Brewer says she and the president agreed to try and work together on a solution to the immigration crisis. She also says that during that half-hour meeting in the oval office, the president promised most of the 1,200 national guard troops he's sending to the Mexican border will go to Arizona.
But we'll have to wait to see how all this shakes out. The president has called the Arizona law "misguided." Mr. Obama says it's the wrong approach to illegal immigration. However, "no approach" to illegal immigration is what we've gotten from the federal government for decades.
As for Governor Brewer - she doesn't seem to be too worried. The governor has said of the Obama administration, "we'll meet you in court. I have a pretty good record of winning in court."
And the American people are behind her, despite boycotts of Arizona and complaints from folks like the ACLU. Polls show a majority of Americans support Arizona's new law; and at least a dozen states are considering similar laws. But why would our federal government listen to us?
At least Arizona is doing something about this crisis. There are an estimated 11 million illegal aliens in this country; and almost 500,000 of them are in Arizona.
Here’s my question to you: What would you like to hear Pres. Obama say about Arizona's immigration law?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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