Re: Appeal Red Light Conviction
argyll wrote:The issue is the date that the notes were made. The error from disclosure is that the date wasn't included, but there would have been a date. What sometimes happens is an officer writes the date at the start of the shift and then makes pages of notes. My best practice was to photocopy the date page and then attach it to the actual incident notes. It appears as if this did not happen. That would have been your line of questioning at the trial, asking when the notes were made. The fact that you didn't get them through FOI is a complaint against that process, not the disclosure which you DID receive and had an opportunity to cross-examine and ask the officer when they were made.
No officer is going to perjure themselves and say they made their notes at the time when they actually made them 20 days later as it would be so easy to find out - that's why notebook pages are numbered. Why would they risk a $100k a year job for a traffic ticket ? You had the opportunity to question what date the notes were made when the officer was on the stand ? Did you ask him when they were made ? Did you ask him to show you the date entry ? If not then that is a poor presentation of evidence to support your case, not a ground for a successful appeal.
The crown asked him and he said he wrote it right away. I am not sure if the ticket is same for RCMP and other force but it appears he wrote it in the back of the ticket.