3 point turn cop on trial

[mujambee]

Surely that the cop thinks that the bikes in question were exceeding 100kph is subjective and irrelevant, as it's without evidence/proof and so not acceptable in court.
In the UK I was told this sort of evidence was not accepted, ie no proof. Even an eye witness to an accident can't say the vehicle was going too fast unless they have a calibrated speeding device

I'm not a lawyer but if this sort of evidence is accepted then an unfortunate precedent would be made going against the international norm - well UK law, Euro law and US?

Not knowing exactly what you are talking about (could someone post a link to a piece of news?), I can tell you how it works here:

1. If there is no accident, just speeding, they can only accuse you if they have objective evidence (approved device, approved operator, tell you exactly what speed you where doing +- error, exact road and Km where you got caught...); and people has gotten so picky about it that it is hard for them (anyhow they get millions a day).

2. If there is an accident, forensic analysis of it may tell what speed you where doing, and that's quite accurate.

[peasea]

The very ones!!

And see post #3....

As it happens; I/we take a keen interest in most motorcycle accidents that we hear about for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to hear the names in case it's someone we know. In this case, the fact that he was a copper makes a difference because you KNOW he's going to try and run and hide behind the cloak of darkness, plead not guilty and use the bottomless pockets of the taxpayer to cover his arse.

He fucked up, we all do from time to time. If he hadn't been so focussed on making his ("non-existent") quota it probably never would have happened and two people's lives/bodies would not have been changed forever.

Geez, 125kph? Big fuckin' deal, let it go. It's not like this 'mystery biker' going the other way was reported to shot anyone's granny up the bum is it? If this biker does in fact exist he/she probably feels stink but is unlikely to break ground coz all the fingers would undoubtedly point their way. Especially the cops coz don't forget; it's human nature to want to blame everyone else for shit that goes down and if you have plenty of money to spend, why not give it a shot?

[mdnzz]

As he is no longer a cop i cant imagine it worthy of a thread,lets face it for most interweb bikers that point was the attraction.

I think that the attraction for most interweb bikers would be more the fact that fellow riders were downed by a driver doing a stupid move in an inappropriate place.

That this action nearly caused the deaths of their fellow riders.

That there have been so many court cases where the motorcyclist has been portrayed as the James Dean rebel without a cause and they the perpetrator was just an innocent bystander caught in the melee.

The fact he was a police officer at the time is just food for trolls and somewhat a bonus mayhap?

[MSTRS:Me]

I think that the attraction for most interweb bikers would be more the fact that fellow riders were downed by a driver doing a stupid move in an inappropriate place.

We could read that as 'cager' and not be too far off the mark. The fact that he was a cop is just insult to injury. We all know that their primary function is to ensure safety for all on our roads. To do that, they employ all sorts of tactics. What they should not be doing is employing tactics that would earn anyone else a ticket (speeding to the donut shop excluded). How many here have had a ticket for, say, careless driving that caused no-one a problem, but just happened to be witnessed by a cop? Did you get off? Doubt it. And neither should he.

[Nasty]

from the other day

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crim...int-turn-crash

[ynot slow]

My pessimistic view is as the officer is now retired,did he get asked to perf and save being reprimanded or lose his job and perks.It stinks especially when an officer commits a crime they get bagged,but he could have said yes I was after a speedster and f.cked up,who knows maybe his superiors told him to fight it.

As an aside was going to Feilding Monday at 12.45pm and driving down Waughs Rd?,a police car was driving along the parralel road(Cambell?)fast,no lights on,how do I know it was fast,I was doing 110km and the car pulled away,then it came to intersection onto the road we were on,had to stop for traffic,merged behind a couple of cars and pootled into town,not an emergency obviously,but enjoying the quick trip,no problems with them doing that,but if I was doing the same you can bet an invoice would be given.

[98tls]

I think that the attraction for most interweb bikers would be more the fact that fellow riders were downed by a driver doing a stupid move in an inappropriate place.

That this action nearly caused the deaths of their fellow riders.

That there have been so many court cases where the motorcyclist has been portrayed as the James Dean rebel without a cause and they the perpetrator was just an innocent bystander caught in the melee.

The fact he was a police officer at the time is just food for trolls and somewhat a bonus mayhap?

Yep Way back when the original thread on this was posted it ended up being more about the fact the guy that fucked up was a cop than anything else and endless boring cop bashing ensued.Car drivers fuck up and knock motorcyclists off there bikes every day but we dont hear about most of them on here...thank christ.I in no way support the guys actions but to me anyway what he does for a living matters not,so far as a result of those actions hes no longer employed by them anyway and am sure he will get whatever he deserves in court.Post 3 was merely pointing out that to many in the original thread what he did for a living seemed far more important than what he did,ridiculous.

[Grahameeboy]

Because that is the New Way (tm) and this is the 21st Century where NOBODY accepts responsibility and are always quick to point the finger at 'somebody else' when they're in the cack.

It's not JUST the Police that do this - hell, I'm sure they learned off the public they deal with so often...

The Police are also the Public...The Public never accept responsibility so why should they expect a Cop who is after all just Human and has probably been told to button it like any good Lawyer would tell his Public client.

He made a mistake in the "agony of the moment"...a uniform does make him more than "Public".

And know I don't suck Cops dicks but opinion has have to have balance and that is what the Publicforget

[MSTRS:Me]

.Post 3 was merely pointing out that to many in the original thread what he did for a living seemed far more important than what he did,ridiculous.

Not so sure it is ridiculous. Sure, he's people too, and people do fuck up. The big BUT comes from being a cop, the (fact?) is that we should be able to expect a higher standard of driving from someone in that profession, especially after 30 years in Traffic.

[Grahameeboy]

Not so sure it is ridiculous. Sure, he's people too, and people do fuck up. The big BUT comes from being a cop, the (fact?) is that we should be able to expect a higher standard of driving from someone in that profession, especially after 30 years in Traffic.

I agree but that does not make him immune from making a mistake...the first one after 30 years!!

I bet you expect a high standard from your kids but they fuck up and you say..."it's a learning curve Son"...now how do spell "Hypo...."

[MSTRS:Me]

I agree but that does not make him immune from making a mistake...the first one after 30 years!!

I bet you expect a high standard from your kids but they fuck up and you say..."it's a learning curve Son"...now how do spell "Hypo...."

How do you know that? This guy may have made hundreds, and been caught out or not. Or maybe it was his first. Only sure thing is, he did make a mistake this time. And he's facing the consequences. Albeit that he is trying to make it the bikers' fault.
Oh, and it's 'hypochondriac'

[Grahameeboy]

How do you know that? This guy may have made hundreds, and been caught out or not. Or maybe it was his first. Only sure thing is, he did make a mistake this time. And he's facing the consequences. Albeit that he is trying to make it the bikers' fault.
Oh, and it's 'hypochondriac'

Geeze I am glad you don't go to Church and one of those Holyier than Thou do gooders...

Maybe he feels in his own mind that he was not at fault, or not entirely at fault...a human frailty

[MSTRS:Me]

Right or wrong, would any of us attempt a 3 point turn in the middle of a blind corner on a narrow 100kph major road? And if we did, would it be considered 'careless'?
I think we all know the answer to that one.

[cheshirecat]

My point in starting this thread was that here we have a (past) representitive of the law, in a court of law, offering evidence through a barrister, (who should know what is evidence and what is not,) which is subjective at best as part of his defence. There's no mention in the article (but it is the Dominion or Minimon) about forensic evidence from the crash scene re speed of bikes or anything aside from the opinion of the officer that they collided because they were speeding. What if it were a 40 ton logging truck within the speed limit braking on a wet gravely surface that came across him.
In my past experience of this, abielt in a different country, this kind of evidence could not be offered, one's barrister would advise against. Standing on a street corner saying a vehicle is exceeding the speed limit is not admissable evidence surely.

Still, I'm not a lawyer. Cross fingers for the Bikes because aside from their misfortune, if they loose some very unfortunate precedents are set for us all

[mujambee]

Doesn't look like a high speed crash to me.

(tnx Nasty)