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From: ark@rabbit.UUCP (Andrew Koenig)
Newsgroups: net.legal
Subject: selective enforcement
Message-ID: <2793@rabbit.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 11-May-84 15:50:27 EDT
Article-I.D.: rabbit.2793
Posted: Fri May 11 15:50:27 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 13-May-84 08:44:18 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 28

A few horror stories.

1.  I know a fellow who was once convicted of driving while his name
was on the revoked list.  Big deal, you may say.  Well, please note
that I did not say he was convicted of driving with a revoked license.
His license was NEVER revoked.  How did his name get onto the revoked
list without his license being revoked?  By mistake.  The state admitted
that his name was on the list by mistake, that he had never been informed
that he was on the list, and that there had never been any cause to revoke
his license.  However, these three facts were ruled inadmissible to the
defense, as the only issue was whether or not he was driving while his
name was on the list.  This could not be questioned, so he was convicted.
I'm not sure what the penalty was, but I think he lost his license for
a year.

2.  I was once stopped by a squad car for no reason while driving,
as far as I can tell.  The circumstances:  I was in the only car on
the road at the time.  It was broad daylight.  I was driving at exactly
the speed limit.  I was not doing anything unusual.  The cop started
following me on a straight stretch of road with no traffic lights,
stop signs, or intersections.  He followed me onto private property before
turning on his flashers.  He demanded to see my license and registration,
took them back to his car to check me out, then gave them back to me
and told me I could go.  I asked him why he had stopped me, and he
refused to answer.  The only thing that I can think of that might
have motivated him is that I was driving a rag-top sports car with
the top down and maybe I didn't look as if I should be able to afford
such a vehicle.