im scared...do CHP motorcyces have cameras?

[miles345]

i live in california and this is what happened:
I approached a four way stop and stopped completely when this car next to me didnt stop @ the 4way and started "racing". now out of now where, i decided to contest this "race" when right away this CHP cop on a bike turned on its lights so I pulled over (coincidently its less 100m from an intersection so i turn into the intersection, drove maybe 100m, slowed down, & stopped. The cop went on to follow the car that passed the 4way instead of me (they didnt turn, they went straight ahead). Now here is where I went wrong. Since I was so scared I maybe stayed 30 sec, saw no cop behind me, and then left and drove off. Now am I a criminal? Do they have cameras and take pic of my license plate? I am applying for a entrylevel job (grad college few wks ago) and I am afraid that they may show up on my criminal record? All I did was speed a little and I guess "race." Can a cop pull me over say tomorrow, next week, next month?? Im scared, and paranoid over this!

[patchcop]

Yes

[MP_Steve]

If a Police Officer signaled you to pull your vehicle over while he went on to stop the other vehicle, and you left before he returned, he very well may have your information and may attempt to make contact with you.

I'd attmept to contact CHP to CYA. Just a thought.

[sbrad]

Now am I a criminal?

Yep

Do they have cameras and take pic of my license plate?

All of our motors have cameras. Whether they bother coming back to get you though is anyone's guess.

Can a cop pull me over say tomorrow, next week, next month??

Yep.

[ChesCopPodz]

Worst case scenario: Officer gets your plate and sees your face as he passes. Officer comes back and you are gone. Officer obtains a copy of your DMV photograph and sees you are indeed the person driving that car that day. Officer goes and obtains warrant/summons for racing. Warrant/summons is served on you at a later date.

Best case scenario: Officer wasn't interested in the lesser of two evils (ie; slower car who pulled over right away) and was concentrating on getting the other car. You're home free.


Which one happens? Only time will tell. If he does obtain a warrant/summons then yes you could be pulled over at a later date if your plate is run and it comes back with you having a warrant.

[miles345]

Is there a way I can find out if indeed there is a warrant or anything for what I've done? If I go to my local Highway Patrol office, would they be able to supply this information? I dont want to tell them what happened and then hold me for admitting my mistake.

[Kimble]

Is there a way I can find out if indeed there is a warrant or anything for what I've done? If I go to my local Highway Patrol office, would they be able to supply this information? I dont want to tell them what happened and then hold me for admitting my mistake.

There isn't a public database you can check that will tell you if you have a warrant, but if you get pulled over, you better believe there's one for a cop to tell if you have a warrant. If you go to the local CHP office, and if you do indeed have a warrant, you can expect to be arrested (as that's what a warrant is all about).

You can either deal with this like an adult and deal with the consequences of your actions, or expect that you will get caught sometime down the road, likely when you least expect it.

[miles345]

someone mentioned time, to wait. when can i go to the CHP and find out if there is a warrant or if I really AM a criminal?

[Kimble]

Sooner the better, for you. If there is a warrant, the longer you wait, the more the chances are that you'll have an encounter with the police (ex: traffic stop) that will result in your arrest upon running your record.

[sbrad]

someone mentioned time, to wait. when can i go to the CHP and find out if there is a warrant or if I really AM a criminal?

Whether or not you are a criminal has nothing to do with a warrant.

[miles345]

one more question, are CHP offices open weekends?

[taylorplayer]

Yes they are open on the weekends. Just go in there and explain the situation. Don't lie. They can't arrest you for a traffic violation that you tell them about, unless there is a warrant.

More than likely, if the trooper got your information, he will be visiting you personally to sign the ticket.

Again, as others have said, better to deal with it now then wait until it is inconvenient for you, such as on a traffic stop, or worse...

[miles345]

Yes they are open on the weekends. Just go in there and explain the situation. Don't lie. They can't arrest you for a traffic violation that you tell them about, unless there is a warrant.

More than likely, if the trooper got your information, he will be visiting you personally to sign the ticket.

Again, as others have said, better to deal with it now then wait until it is inconvenient for you, such as on a traffic stop, or worse...

how will the trooper be visiting me? at my house?

[Piggy]

He can visit you at your house, your work, your girlfriends house, your grandmas house, or you can get pulled over on your way to church and get hauled to jail for a warrant.

A warrant is a court order to take you into custody, it doesn't matter where you are.

If an Officer files a case with the Prosecutor, it can sit around for months before they decide to issue a warrant or not. You can stop into the local CHP Office and be told no warrant, one month later you can get stopped for not using your turn signal and be hauled away.

[miles345]

thats scary, so its matter of time. i can check w/CHP office, w/DMW, w/warrants office.