Improper Use Of Turn Signal...but Not Really!!
Hello,
First time poster here, so I hope I'm posting in the right forum.
In Aug '11 I got a ticket for turning right without signalling. However, I believe the officer only gave me the ticket because he was hoping to get me for something else but he couldn't.
I drive my wife to the GO station for her 5:55 am bus, and while I was driving to a restaurant for breakfast, I received a text. A friend and I always listen to a radio context in the morning.
Anyway, I pullled into a parking lot of a buidling to check my text and a prostitiute approached my car. She left after I told her I wasn't interested.
However, a police cruiser was on the street and was able to see this incident. The next thing I know, the copy car pulls up behind me and the officer starts asking me questions about the prostitute and so on. To make a long story short, I think he finally believed that I wasn't trying to pick her up (if you saw her, you wouldn't either! lol). It took about 15-20 minutes of convivince though. I even showed him my phone and the text I received.
After this incidient was settled, he gave me a ticket. I asked him what it was for and he didn't respond. I looked at the ticket and it was for turning without signalling.
Now, there is NO WAY the officer saw my car turn and I have pictures of the intersection. So I think he just gave me the ticket because he wanted to get me for something. My court date is coming up because I refused to plea-bargain with the prosecutor for a reduced ticket.
I took pictures of the intersection and drove for 15 second from the light. I then got out and took some pictures of how far I was from the intersection where I supposedly turned without signalling. The officer was AT LEAST 30 seconds behind me when I was on the road at the intersection. During disclosure, I noticed that he said he was about a minute behind me.
I feel I have a really strong chance of having this thrown out.
As I'm new to this board, and have never run into any "situations" before, can anyone give me any advice on how to proceed in my court case?
Also, does an officer have to tell you why he is detaining you and why he is giving you a ticket?
Because he didn't tell me why he was detaining me (which, according to the ticket, was for improper use of a turn signal), I feel this contravenes my Constitutional rights (Sec10) that states I must be informed of why I'm being detained.
Thanks!