Hi
EDIT: This was central New Jersey, sorry
So I was on my way to community college when a police officer pulled me over. Now I was in my brothers car, who had his licensed suspended, since it was newer and nicer. He said he pulled me over for speeding, then said "whys the inspection say 18?". Now the sticker was scratched up and the month was difficult to decipher, but it clearly said 19, which I pointed out, and he said "oh what about the month". Literally the day before my parents and I had been looking at it, and deduced it was 10 because there were clearly two digits and the second one had a curved bottom, with neither 1 or 2 has. (Older pics now confirm that it was likely 10). I told him as much, and he responds "well I can go find out for you" which I thought my father would like to know the answer, (edit) saying he would "call Trenton and check it out". He returned and told me "this car has never been inspected, that sticker is from a Honda Civic"(brothers car is 2014 Mazda suv) and peeled it off with his fingers and crumpled it up. That made me think he wasn't lying, we bought it used from a stranger, but the previous owner revealed that he had the window replaced and when they scraped the sticker off they left some behind. He then ticketed me for speeding, and my brother for no inspection, and fraudulent inspection.
Cut to today, we take the car to the MVC to get inspected. MVC tells us it's still good until August 2019 as we purchased it last August, and the law is that 5 years after model year and purchase it is clear for driving. We have pics of car with old sticker from August 2018 (sticker clearly visible and legible), and the new sticker. We have purchase dates, Carfax, and are hoping to get window repair tab from previous owner.
MVC also told us no way he "called Trenton" and found out. All records are kept in exclusively paper for two years in a shed (or some storage) at each private MVC. It would have to go to Trenton, then to the company, then to the individual location, then a guy there would have to find the record and report back all the way to a cop on patrol. So even though he wasted 25-30 min of my time, it would take far longer to accomplish that, and he would have no way of knowing what model car it was attached to.
Also when he pulled me over, I handed him my license, registration and insurance as soon as I could, but mentioned I didn't know where the latter two were so I apologized while searching. He asked whose car it was, I said my brothers to which he immediately responded "why is his license suspended?". This caught me off guard, and I now believe he pulled me over thinking he hit the jackpot with my brother driving around.
Anyways, how effectively can these tickets be fought? Best way and time to file complaint about officer? Can he peel off a sticker like that? I am very upset an officer lied to his teeth to me just to give out tickets, played me like a fool when I was trying to be as cooperative as possible, and that my family has to deal with all this crap. We also don't have the original sticker now and I am lost.
Tl;Dr- Cop pulled me over for speeding, said my inspection sticker was no good after "calling Trenton" and was fraudulent. MVC said car is good, sticker was good, cop can't access that info. Cop lied, now we have court dates, how can I fight them? Thanks to anyone that can help and for your time
EDIT1: Also I am not saying the stop was illegal or anything, but him saying that the car was never inspected, claiming the sticker was from another car, and just removing the sticker are the questionable things. I'm sure he can lookup the last inspection, yes, all its records? If the sticker is from another car? that's where the doubt lies. The related tickets are the primary concern, especially as we have proof it has been inspected and it is clear regardless, meaning he lied one way or another.
Written By: DeciusMoose
Source: https://ift.tt/2CTw430
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