over Thanksgiving break, I got pulled over for rolling a stop sign. But the cop did not pull me over to the side of the road, he pulled me as I was pulling into my parking spot to where I was going. As I told this to my friend on the wolfline, someone informed me that it is illegal for cops to give tickets in parking lots. ie..speeding tickets, rolling stop sign tickets, etc.

just wondering if this is true, and how would I go about not paying, court costs are about the same as the ticket, 50 dollars less.

12/6/2005 9:51:45 AM

i would just take the advice from the random person on the wolfline....im sure they know what they are talking about. just dont pay it and you will be fine.

12/6/2005 9:53:10 AM

dont deel like paying, trying to do this legally.

12/6/2005 9:54:35 AM

i've been pulled after I got in my parking space once too. It's very likely that the "parking lot" is actually a street with a name and gives him the right to pull you. See if someone can get this reduced to a non-moving violation and pay the ticket. Don't plead guilty to it and don't use a PJC on a stop sign ticket. There are several non-moving violations you can get this reduced to, I forgot the names maybe unsafe movement or improper equipment or something like that, just don't let it go on the insurance.

12/6/2005 9:55:39 AM

feel*

12/6/2005 9:56:48 AM

supposedly the officer is supposed to signal to pull you over while on the road where the infraction occured. However they can and will give you a ticket as you are pulling in a parking spot. If you try to fight it in court saying you were in the lot before he turned his lights on, they will just deny it and say they turned them on prior to you pulling in the lot, your word against theres.....you loose.
I do know from personal experience that if you have completely parked, shut off the car and got out of the vehicle before he turns his lights on then they will not write the ticket, but will prolly still give you hell and a warning about it.

12/6/2005 9:57:59 AM

do this on my own or pay lawyer?

12/6/2005 9:58:06 AM

dammit, shouldnt parked so close to the entrance

12/6/2005 9:59:01 AM

Quote :

"As I told this to my friend on the wolfline, someone informed me that it is illegal for cops to give tickets in parking lots. ie..speeding tickets, rolling stop sign tickets, etc."

hahahhahahhahahahhahahahhahahhahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahhah

12/6/2005 10:12:55 AM

is their any truth in the theory that if you are driving drunk and get pulled that if you instantly take your keys out of the ignition, pull out a bottle of vodka, step out of the car and chug that the cop can't give you a DUI b.c he can't prove you were drunk while driving?

12/6/2005 10:42:54 AM

Only one way to find our for sure but I think a blood test won't be in your favor.

[Edited on December 6, 2005 at 10:54 AM. Reason : g/s/p]

12/6/2005 10:48:34 AM

Wait, so was the stop sign in the parking lot, or were you in the parking lot by the time the cop got you? If it was in the parking lot, it probably wasn't a duly erected stop sign. If it was on the road and he caught up with you in the parking lot, that doesn't matter.

12/6/2005 12:10:08 PM

My cousin got a ticket for driving left of center and careless/wreckless driving because some bitch on a cell phone plowed into her while she was trying to park. This was in a private apartment complex parking lot. She told the cop that he couldn't ticket her in a parking lot, but he most definately did. The parking lot thing really doesn't mean anything.

12/6/2005 1:12:02 PM

The police can ticket you in a parking lot, the only exception as stated above is they cannot ticket you for running a stop sign that is not duly erected (placed by a government agency). But they can charge you with careless/ wreckless, DWI, etc. while in a parking lot. That is because the parking lot is considered a public vehicular area. As to where the stop actually occurs they can ticket you at any point after the infraction takes place as long as it is a reasonable period of time, ie he couldn't pull you over an hour later. The fact that your car is parked and you are out of it is immaterial.
As far as the drinking vodka thing... I'm not sure about that but you would definitely be charged with resist/obsruct/delay...

12/6/2005 3:10:40 PM

i have several law degrees and i think you can just toss the ticket, the police have clearly violated your parking lot liberties - i think you have a legitimate shot at a lawsuit

12/6/2005 3:11:42 PM

well if this is in wake county you cant get it reduced to a nonmoving violation. you either pay the ticket and have your insurance go up or use a pjc. i know this for sure.

12/6/2005 4:02:06 PM

12/6/2005 4:21:32 PM