When running from the cops...

[Valor55]

Make sure the parking lot you duck into when you cut your lights off has a way out. I got them cornered in the parking lot behind a store with no way out. Not smart. Although had there been a way out I would have had much more fun chasing them.

Right after that I got a DUI, .12. Experienced drinker with very little on the FSTs however the HGN totally gave it away.

Very productive night. :D

[scott715us]

+2 for the good guys....

[mobrien316]

Nice job.

What were you chasing them for?

[Valor55]

He did a burn out and when I pulled out after him he took off and tried to duck down a side street and then behind a store. I saw him cut off the lights and followed him, he went right into a dead end. :D I searched them all real good, they weren't ridin' dirty. :D Just stupid.

[Ironhead]

*snip* ... the HGN totally gave it away.

When I worked for the Dept you work for now the HGN was not understood or accepted by the court as an acceptable field test. Therefore, if an officer was trained in how to use it, they could use it if they wanted, but couldn't testify about it. The main stumbling block (as I understand it) was Judge R----, who has since moved on to bigger and better things - can you all use the HGN now?

[Lawson]

Excuse my ignorance, but which one is the HGN?

[North Patrol]

HGN = Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus.

Check out this site. Good info.

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/inju...rce/nystagmus/

[cntryboy0531]

When I worked for the Dept you work for now the HGN was not understood or accepted by the court as an acceptable field test. Therefore, if an officer was trained in how to use it, they could use it if they wanted, but couldn't testify about it. The main stumbling block (as I understand it) was Judge R----, who has since moved on to bigger and better things - can you all use the HGN now?

Same here.

Unless you are a court certified expert in the HGN, you can't testify to it, it'll get thrown out. You can only use it in addition to the rest of your P.C. for the arrest, and that's it.

[Paul Hartwig]

Same in Illinois

[Valor55]

Nothing has changed yet Ironhead. I'm working on it now since our new chief judge is pretty good.

[Reapp]

Wow, that sucks. We've gotten prison time on 3rd time DWI offenders based on HGN alone. :D

[Darin]

HGN is considered "voodoo science" around here.

[Ironhead]

HGN is considered "voodoo science" around here.

That is the truth. This area is behind the times - but then, so is Virginia as a whole. In Virginia you cannot testify to speed from skid, despite the fact that it is usually a 'minimum speed' (because it does not take into account the kinetic energy from the crash) and it is quite scientific.

The only portion of the equasion that can be open to interpretation is the coefficient of friction - 5 different experts can come up with 5 different numbers. The funny thing is - even with the different figures - the final speed will only change a couple mph.

[mcsap]

We have a neat charge called " Driving without lights to avoid identification" It is a summary cite of $200 and a 6 month suspension for the first offense.

2nd offense is $200-$1000 and 6 months suspension.



AND , they don't have to do it to the police ! I had a guy doing donuts on the snow in a lot hit a parked car. A witness saw them and went after them to get a plate number. The bad guy turned his lights off and took off around the back of a shopping center where he tried to hide near a loading dock.

At his trial , he said his knee accidentally bumped the light switch when he hit the car. He couldn't explain why he took off without stopping to locate the car owner or turn his lights back on.

He was found guilty.