Fines and the GW Creating Sate Revenue

[Longstick]

asking for one of my lease members..he was stopped on 183 between Cisco and Brownwood Fri night on way to lease by GW,,,was told he had a burnt license illuminator on back plate,,how do you see that passing each other at 65?? GOOD EYES?? He warned him after he shined his truck bed
Stopped AGAIN by trooper sat afternoon between Bangs and Brownwood for a reason I cant remember<old timers disease> and cut loose after a truck bed search
STOPPED AGAIN on sun coming home for speeding and argued he had GPS saying he was doing 65 and cruise set on 65! Meanwhile trooper got the GW out of the car which searched his doe kill tag and he had forgotten to write the county on it..BINGO!! They finally nailed him..so how much this ticket going to cost? Anyone paid one yet?
He thinks he was targeted because his truck looked like a hunters truck a Z71
TO TOP ALL OF THIS OFF THEY NEED TO BE WALKING FENCE LINES AND NAIL THE CORN BANDIT THAT KEEPS FLIPPING MY GAME CAMS UPSIDE DOWN AND LOCKING THME IN PLACE WITH A LIMB! Thats one smart coon!

[tkuehn5410]

I was stopped a week ago for a burnt out license plate illuminator as well after an evening hunt. I was shocked to find that there was one of the illuminators that was actually working, and only one of them was burnt out. It was a first for me.

Sorry your friend got a ticket, but I have heard of many instances where tickets have been given for that violation and make sure I fill it out before I tag the deer. There are some dishonest people as well who will shoot more deer than a county allows and then claim it as a deer from a different county.

[Jaspro]

Doesn't sound to me like he was targeted. Sounds to me like he was caught failing to comply with the states game laws. There are way to many vehicles in that part of the world that look like "hunters vehicles" for that to be a viable excuse. My guess he was just slightly breaking a traffic ordinance which led to him being checked

[Charles]

It appears to me the GW was doing his job and not trying to generate state revenue.

[Longstick]

You do have to be careful on I-20...parts of it drop in the speed limits,,,bet that was his problem...65 in a 60

[BuckSmasher]

State LEO's are known for their absolutely strict enforcement of even the smallest infraction. They actually go to a class called 'social reorganization' designed to take away any impulse of judgement. Also, I don't doubt at ALL that he was targeted because of the vehicle he was in.

That being said why would he not fill out the county info? Fill in all the blanks! At least he didn't get a fine for something he was not guilty of (has happened to me twice, once for 'trespassing' which was dismissed when the landowner sent a letter and once for not wearing a seatbelt which I DEFINITELY WAS).

Oh yeah it is most certaintly all about the money.

[Caspd302]

As far as burnt license plate lights, I stop people for that infraction along with other violations. A criminal who knows he is doing wrong is going to check his car and make sure that he is doing everything right, so he won't get stopped. We get warrants, DWI's, drugs, stolen vehicles, stolen trailers, stolen ATV's, by doing so. I know that's not what you want to hear, but that's why I do it.

[Olphart]

State LEO's are known for their absolutely strict enforcement of even the smallest infraction. They actually go to a class called 'social reorganization' designed to take away any impulse of judgement. Also, I don't doubt at ALL that he was targeted because of the vehicle he was in.


Oh yeah it is most certaintly all about the money.

You are entitled to your opinion...and that's all it is...opinion, not fact.

[Longstick]

As far as burnt license plate lights, I stop people for that infraction along with other violations. A criminal who knows he is doing wrong is going to check his car and make sure that he is doing everything right, so he won't get stopped. We get warrants, DWI's, drugs, stolen vehicles, stolen trailers, stolen ATV's, by doing so. I know that's not what you want to hear, but that's why I do it.

And I personally thank you for doing a fine job..I do my upmost to keep within the law even on I-20 doing the POSTED speed limit and not taking the supposedlu given 5 mph
My hats off to all you guys!

[theboydoutdoors]

As far as burnt license plate lights, I stop people for that infraction along with other violations. A criminal who knows he is doing wrong is going to check his car and make sure that he is doing everything right, so he won't get stopped. We get warrants, DWI's, drugs, stolen vehicles, stolen trailers, stolen ATV's, by doing so. I know that's not what you want to hear, but that's why I do it.

So when you can't find any other reason to write a ticket after stopping someone for a burnt out license plate light. Do you then proceed to write them a ticket for that or just give a warning?

I change the oil in my truck every 5000 miles, and at the same time I check the lights , rotate the tires, check fluid levels in all the components of my truck that require fluid. I keep it in tip top shape , not because I'm a criminal but because I need to depend on my truck to make a living.

Being ticketed for a burnt out license plate light that could have went out five minutes before you stopped a guy seem's a little extreme to me.

Not looking for a fight , just an honest answer .

[trailboss]

We all know it's about generating revenue (and qualifying for the toaster)!

Trailboss

[BuckSmasher]

You are entitled to your opinion...and that's all it is...opinion, not fact.

True, most of my post is my opinion.

That state LEO's go through a class designed to take away emotion and judgement in enforcing the law is not an opinion but a fact.

[Okiehunter]

As far as burnt license plate lights, I stop people for that infraction along with other violations. A criminal who knows he is doing wrong is going to check his car and make sure that he is doing everything right, so he won't get stopped. We get warrants, DWI's, drugs, stolen vehicles, stolen trailers, stolen ATV's, by doing so. I know that's not what you want to hear, but that's why I do it.

Ask Timothy McVay about, never mind - he got his in the end.

These LEO guys are doing what we pay them to do. When we get caught we get all uptight and complain about it.

As far as I am concerned they can stop me any time. If I volate the law I will take my fine and get on down the road.

[tvc184]

So when you can't find any other reason to write a ticket after stopping someone for a burnt out license plate light. Do you then proceed to write them a ticket for that or just give a warning?

I change the oil in my truck every 5000 miles, and at the same time I check the lights , rotate the tires, check fluid levels in all the components of my truck that require fluid. I keep it in tip top shape , not because I'm a criminal but because I need to depend on my truck to make a living.

Being ticketed for a burnt out license plate light that could have went out five minutes before you stopped a guy seem's a little extreme to me.

Not looking for a fight , just an honest answer .

No fight, just an honest answer.... from my point of view.

It is commonly called a fishing expedition. Officers can lawfully stop a vehicle for any violation and then check for drivers license, insurance and anything else that he may detective during the contact. As examples are DWI, drugs, etc.

Then the officer has the option of a warning, citation or arrest. You can be arrested in Texas for any violations except speeding or open alcohol container if the person agrees to sign the citation.

We can call it profiling, interdiction, fishing, good police work or anything else. It is all a legal means to check people out as long as there is a lawful charge in order to make the original contact.

When people are stopped by the police they obviously don't like it. When they are at home sleeping in their beds, they want those same cops out there around their homes and cities stopping people that are bent on preying on people. How many threads have we seen on TBH about stolen property or poachers on property. Well if an officer would have been in the right place to stop someone for a license plate light out or failing to signal intent of turn, maybe a few of the people would have been caught. I was with an another officer on patrol one night about 3:00AM and we stopped a car for a headlight out. Were we really concerned about the headlight? Not really. The guy turned out with two murder warrants out of Louisiana and was skulking around out city. I have no clue what his intent was that night but I am sure that if any citizen knew about the stop and arrest, they would be happy about it. I can give plenty of stories like that and I am sure that almost every officer that posts on this site can also.

Game wardens probably use the same tactic as other peace officers in Texas. If after a brief detention everything is okay, the whole deal will last a few moments and everybody will be on their way. Like I said, people don't like it when they are the person stopped (the police have no clue who is in the vehicle) but they want the officers out there trying to find crime. I know that most people on this site probably loathe poachers and people that steal their hunting equipment or other property. Well that is how they are caught.

As far as the notion that it is simply revenue, how about this? The same judge that gives a fine for a game violation (Class C misdemeanor) is the same one that gives a fine for a traffic violation (Class C misdemeanor). If it was about revenue, why doesn't a game warden issue traffic citations all the time. After all, they have the same authority as all other officers (I have seen them make a DWI arrest) and the fines are given by the same judges and the money goes to the same place.

If it is about money, why the warning for a license plate light out since it can be the same fine as speeding or most game violations?

[k9trainer]

I don't know why the dislike for GW's lately. If these guys were catching poachers with every stop you guys that bash would be singing their praise. But let them write a ticket and not give a warning and now they are all in it for the money. Everyone thinks they deserve a warning.

Follow the game laws and rules and you have nothing to worry about.