I need info please help!!

[curious_kid]

Hi,
I am from NJ, today i was driving, and I pulled into a driveway to turn around and to call my brother to find out where i needed to go. When I pulled into the driveway a normal car pulled behind me and blocked me in the driveway. It wasn't an unmarked police car it was just a regular car. The person who got out was in a plice uniform, asked me for license, registration and proof of insurance, which I gave to him. Then he told me that he was going to mail me 2 tickets 1 for careless driving and 1 for talking on a cell phone. My question and what i need help with is finding out if a police officer in a regular car (by regular i mean his own personal car) can issue a ticket.
:confused:

[Creeker]

Yes, but let me be the first to tell you that if he didn't put his hat on, it doesn't count.

[Sierra]

Although not common (that I am aware of) for the officer to use his personal vehicle, yes, he can write a cite in that manner. If you had doubts about the legitimacy of the stop, you should have called 911 on your cell phone and had a marked unit respond.

[dirtysubie]

Yes, but let me be the first to tell you that if he didn't put his hat on, it doesn't count.

+1 .... I once was pulled over and was cited, the first thing I noticed was that the officer was not wearing his hat. I let him write my ticket, informed him about his mistake and had to go down to the local station to fill out a ID-10T form and never ended up paying it :D

[curious_kid]

My concerns about the stop are:
he was in his own personal car
he did not show me a badge nor tell me that he is officer so and so
he blocked me in the driveway
he didn't have any lights (like police style lights)

I mean beyond this being a valid traffic stop should i call the local police and inform them of the stop seeing as so many things seem suspicious about the stop?

[nypd7748]

Did he write your information down?

[greg72982]

he did not show me a badge nor tell me that he is officer so and so

You said he was wearing a uniform though. Other than PA state police most police have badges on their uniform :confused:

[Sierra]

My concerns about the stop are:
he was in his own personal car
he did not show me a badge nor tell me that he is officer so and so
he blocked me in the driveway
he didn't have any lights (like police style lights)

I mean beyond this being a valid traffic stop should i call the local police and inform them of the stop seeing as so many things seem suspicious about the stop?

Depending on how reckless your driving was, it is entirely possible that an actual officer stopped youin his POV. Not all officers will id themselves as Officer Babcock of the Metro PD; watch an episode of COPS someday. Blocking you in the driveway effectively limits (but obviously does not remove entirely) your ability to flee and is a prudent move on his part. And why would he have lights on his POV?

Is it possible it was an actual officer? Yes. Is it possible it was an impersonator? Yes. The time to worry about that was during the stop and before you handed him your id. Most departments I know issue their officers id or commission cards and you would have been correct to ask for it if you had doubts. Another course of action would have been to quit yakking on the phone with your brother and call 911 and ask that a marked unit respond.

You are rather limited in your actions now. You can call the department and see if a stop was logged later. If you had obtained the officer's name you could have asked if such an officer works there and provided a description. Or you can simply wait to receive the cites in the mail.

[Norm357]

Although not common (that I am aware of) for the officer to use his personal vehicle, yes, he can write a cite in that manner. If you had doubts about the legitimacy of the stop, you should have called 911 on your cell phone and had a marked unit respond.

I can't speak for NJ, but that Officer would be in a heap O' **** in GA.

[deputywave]

In IN, you must be in a marked squad car OR in uniform. Pay your tickets when you get them.

[chiefhuntr]

My concerns about the stop are:
he was in his own personal car
he did not show me a badge nor tell me that he is officer so and so
he blocked me in the driveway
he didn't have any lights (like police style lights)

I mean beyond this being a valid traffic stop should i call the local police and inform them of the stop seeing as so many things seem suspicious about the stop?

If he was not a cop, you will not have to worrie about any tickets. If you get some in the mail, go to the local county building, confirm that they are legit and then pay them as you were in the wrong.

As for the cost of the fines. You have been given some misinformation. Just because the officer was not wearing his hat does not nigate the tickets..........it only reduces the fine by half.

[Drew27k9]

Hi,
It wasn't an unmarked police car it was just a regular car.
The person who got out was in a plice uniform, what i need help with is finding out if a police officer in a regular car (by regular i mean his own personal car) can issue a ticket.
:confused:

How do you know it was his own personal vehicle? Just because it didn't look like a typical unmarked car, doesn't mean it wasn't that departments unmarked car.

[curious_kid]

I wasn't in the wrong though because he claimed that I cut him off and i checked before I turned into the driveway and the nearest car from opposing traffic was far enough away for me to be in the driveway before they were even 10 ft away from me and i wasn't talking on my phone i had picked it up to dial once i was in the driveway

[Cat_Doc]

I wasn't in the wrong though because he claimed that I cut him off and i checked before I turned into the driveway and the nearest car from opposing traffic was far enough away for me to be in the driveway before they were even 10 ft away from me and i wasn't talking on my phone i had picked it up to dial once i was in the driveway

Kid,

This is not the forum to dispute your citations. You will get ample time to present your case in a court of law. In a court of law, the “trier of fact” (magistrate, hearing officer, judge, jury, etc.) will get the opportunity to hear both sides of the incident, evaluate the presentation for honesty and logic and come to a conclusion.

We are only hearing your side, therefore, we can not make an objective evaluation.

If you strongly feel you did not commit the violations, fight it in court.

If you believe the officer was somehow outside of departmental policy and procedures, inquire with a supervisor at the police department. You may find out the stop and cite was entirely within reason under that agency's policy and procedures.

[Creeker]

I wasn't in the wrong though because he claimed that I cut him off and i checked before I turned into the driveway and the nearest car from opposing traffic was far enough away for me to be in the driveway before they were even 10 ft away from me and i wasn't talking on my phone i had picked it up to dial once i was in the driveway

I am certain that this cop was just looking for an excuse to do something for everyone else to see while he was wielding the mighty power of his uniform... and he happened to pick on you.

Get over the persecution complex.