43 in a 25, Inattentive Driving, Long

[midscream]

I live in MD, got caught in some little town in DE. I turned off of the highway onto what I thought would be another highway, but turned out to be a little street, half business, half residential. I have never been to Delaware, much less this little town. I was looking for a sign that said what street I was on, while keeping an eye out for stop lights/signs and on the car in front of me so I didn't hit it.

After 1/2 mile, I heard a siren, looked up and saw lights ontop of a police car in the distance. Figuring it was on its way to a band robbery or something, I pulled over to the side of the road. A blue car pulled in behind me. It took a few seconds to realize that the blue car had lights in the dashboard, and it was pulling me over. So, I got out of the street and pulled into the next parking lot.

The two cars boxed me into the parking lot, and I still had no idea what was going on. The officer in the unmarked car got out screaming and yelling and me, and I still had no idea what was going on. I was surprised when he said I was going 43 in a 25, but then again, I had been doing 60 on the highway for 100 mi., so I didn't question it.

Though, in his tirade, he mentioned the fact that I had turned off the highway, implying that he was sitting close enough to the highway to have seen me. And on the ticket he wrote that he followed me for 1/2 mile. I had only been on that street for 1/2 mile. So, did he clock me the moment I turned?

In the end, I was cited for speeding and for inattentive driving. No idea what the inattentive driving charge is for. When I looked up the regulation, this is what I found:

a) Whoever operates a vehicle in a careless or imprudent manner, or without due regard for road, weather and traffic conditions then existing, shall be guilty of careless driving.

(b) Whoever operates a vehicle and who fails to give full time and attention to the operation of the vehicle, or whoever fails to maintain a proper lookout while operating the vehicle, shall be guilty of inattentive driving.


I was told that if I bring a copy of my driving record to court, he can give me deferred judgement one of the charges. My record is clean for the last 7 years, and I have copies of my record from Maryland and Texas.

I'm supposed to appear in court next week, and I'm nervous. This inattentive driving charge is bogus, and I'd like to try to get out of it. Any advice on what to say or do? Thanks in advance.

[freakray]

Well, if he was following you for 1/2 mile and you didn't notice a cop was following you, I would say that was pretty damn inattentive.

[midscream]

I was driving in a place I had never been. Of course I'm going to pay more attention to what's in front of me. Plus, he was in an unmarked car with the lights in the dashboard. Not as easy to see as the ones on top of the car.

[fredjacksonsan]

Take it to court and tell your story. Explain to the judge that you'd been looking for a speed limit sign since you turned off, and that 45 seemed like a reasonable speed for the road (IF you have pictures showing no speed limit signs from where you turned off to where you were stopped) and that you WERE being attentive as you pulled over BEFORE the officer got close to you.