Sunday yesterday around 6 pm our band was holding rehearsal just as any other usual weekend. However this weekend someone in the neighborhood decided to call the cops :scowl: We hear a knock on the garage door and a yell that its the cops, out of instinct we all proceed to turn off our amps, and our drummer proceeds to open the garage door. As soon as the door is open the sheriff feels free to walk inside our practice space and engage into a conversation with David our drummer. As he does he notices my fingers running over my fretboard (take in mind I was not picking, simply running my fingers over the board as in a warm up/cool down, and the amp was off) so he tells me: Will you stop playing that while I talk to him? I try explaining to him that im not playing that im simply cooling down my fingers from our current jam, and he takes that as me being a smart ass. He pulls me out of the garage and asks for my age, I reply 19, he then tells me that if im 19 I can afford to get a 300$ ticket under the charge of loud music for being a smart ass. While he is writing the ticket he places me in the back of his car, finally lets me out hands me the ticket leaves without incident. I will additionally add that he left a particularly offensive "typo" on the ticket, he put down my sex as being female, I do have long hair, but seriously to mistake me for a girl you'd have to be a 3 year old. I plan to show up in court and contest the charge. Ideas, thoughts, opinions welcomed.
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Problems with the law.
- Thread starter The modifier
- Start date
just a petty cop being a petty prick. Find out what hour the noise ordinance is in effect and contest it if you were only playing at 6. You can't get in trouble for moving your fingers over the fretboard, he's just a dick.
Also, he knows you're male, cops are just ultra-conservative and have the same chip on their shoulder they've had for the past 50 years, where musicians, hippies and anyone with long hair are their enemies just for the hell of it so he wrote "girl" on your ticket. It's a stupid way to view the world but what can you do?
Also, he knows you're male, cops are just ultra-conservative and have the same chip on their shoulder they've had for the past 50 years, where musicians, hippies and anyone with long hair are their enemies just for the hell of it so he wrote "girl" on your ticket. It's a stupid way to view the world but what can you do?
You were more or less nonverbally telling the sheriff that he was unimportant and the law was of no consequence to you.
1. Policeman expressed emotions, anger, and was unprofessional?
2. The policeman entered garage with no threat, or invitation?
3. Your amp was off when you fingers moved on the frets?
4. The ticket was written for a woman, and you're not. An insult from the Officer?
Word to the wise, never say anything that appears to be disagreeable, disrespectful, or dishonest to any LE. They are likely to make you regret it...
2. The policeman entered garage with no threat, or invitation?
3. Your amp was off when you fingers moved on the frets?
4. The ticket was written for a woman, and you're not. An insult from the Officer?
Word to the wise, never say anything that appears to be disagreeable, disrespectful, or dishonest to any LE. They are likely to make you regret it...
Fight it, just do it legally. Show up to court, explain how you shut down as the cop was coming in. Tell them how he intentionally wrote you up as a female, and if you have to file harassment charges.
If your a clean kid and no incriminating habits, I would fight this ticket. If he bothers you again, harassment.
If your a clean kid and no incriminating habits, I would fight this ticket. If he bothers you again, harassment.
Just a thought:
Pissed off overbearing cop spoiling to write someone a ticket asks you to stop playing...
The only correct answer: "Okay."
/thread
Pissed off overbearing cop spoiling to write someone a ticket asks you to stop playing...
The only correct answer: "Okay."
/thread
Nope. Extrapolate that line of thinking... will it soon be illegal to break eye contact from a cop when he's talking? That was a ticket where the punishment greatly exceeding the "offense"... just a cop being a jerk because he can and feels like it.
I guess if you're that easily beaten down by a moron with a badge and an ounce of authority. How quickly you'd acquiesce... no wonder cops get away with anything.
Right. I agree with this. Man, do I hate bullies. I hate bullies more than I hate kids playing music, I can tell you that for free.
Yeah. Don't do that. You failed. Never talk back to a cop, never try to "correct" them.
Sit down and shut up next time.
Popping off to an angry law officer who has the authority to make your life miserable is not a good idea.
The band violated a noise ordinance. At the point you find yourself guilty of wrong-doing, and the officer holds your fate in his hands, it's wise to dummy up.
It's quite possible that if everyone had kept their mouth shut, they would have gotten off with a warning.
Yeah, you can take on the man if you want, but is that the best use of your time and resources? Is that really easier than just shutting your pie hole other than to say "yes sir?"
Not in my book.
Maybe, but it is worthy of note-that harassment is a huge gray area in judicial law, and often judges go around it or nullify a case if presented.
Sad, but true!
This is correct. But since the damage is already done...
This is correct. If you have a case in this aspect, you can easily fight the ticket and win.
They opened the door for the cop; legally they didn't have to. Unfortunately, since they opened the door for the cop, it cannot be contested.
That's what I'm talkin about! Put 'im over your lap, electra! Beat 'im! Beat 'im!
Research the sound ordinance. Fight the ticket in court. By fighting the ticket in court I mean show dressed nice, explain your side, explain your understanding of the sound ordinance and how you feel you were not violating it. Do not mention the cop was a prick. Stick specifically to why you were not violating the sound ordinance and mention nothing else. If you get into a pissing match with a cop in court, the judge will always side with the cop- no matter if the cop is lying or if he is a prick and a scumbag. If you however are polite and look nice, you can use reasoning and logic to have the ticket dismissed. Again, be very polite and professional to the judge. Explain how this is just a misunderstanding and the sound ordinance was not violated. (Don't come out and say the cop was wrong!)
