question and need some advice

[juiceTurd]

first off, my question is what's the stock tire size on a 96 formula? IIRC, the tires that came on mine are 245/45R16.

secondly, this is my first time getting ticketed in over 3 years. (last time was fall of '05 when i was 18)

i came around a right hand turn (6 lane divided highway with a small "merge" type right turn lane) doing just over 20mph in 3rd gear and accidentally squealed the tires a little on the paint stripe. not a burnout and not getting sideways, just that annoying squeal that happens sometimes when you turn in parking lots or on new paint/asphalt. come around the corner and see a cop there, no big deal i think. get past the cop, set cruise control on the speed limit at 45, think nothing of it. about a minute later i see the cop light up his lights behind me, so i pull over.

in a very belligerent manner, he tells me that i was driving "wrecklessly" "insanely" and i "shocked" him. he wrote me up for careless driving for "drifting" through the turn and also for doing 54 in a 45. (with my speedo showing a tops of maybe 48 right after i hit the cruise) just at $240 in fines and two 3-pointers on my record.

i know he didn't get me on radar, as my passport woulda been going crazy with him right behind me, so i'm assuming he tried pacing me and going off his speedometer.

i'm considering fighting this in court, as i've had a clean driving record since my last ticket (which i took the class and had removed). was hoping to get some advice from some guys who've been around longer than i have.

and for what it's worth, the guy told me several times that i needed to sell the car before i "got arrested" and walked around my car several times, i assume looking for anything else he could write me up on. (oh yeah, gotta love being 21 years old and driving a red firebird )

oh well, i'm just thankful i didn't get pulled over in my saturn. open exhaust, gutted interior and visible nitrous bottle would've owned my ass.

[SoulReaver]

If the cop is in court you have no chance. Next time you need to request to see his radar gun when you get pulled over. Everyone has the right to ask to see it. If he denies you, then you can fight it in court.

[LowTech1]

If the cop is in court you have no chance. Next time you need to request to see his radar gun when you get pulled over. Everyone has the right to ask to see it. If he denies you, then you can fight it in court.

Heh. That happened here in Richmond the other day. Cop pulled this guy over in the lot where I work, and I headed that way to say hello. Once I get up there, he's giving dude his tickets and the guy asks to see his radar.

Cop: "Sure, cmon over."
Guy: <gets out of car>
Cop: <points at radar unit on motorcycle> "There it is."
Guy: <dumb look> "Theres nothing on it! I thought the law said you had to show it to me!"
Cop: "Law doesn't say anything about us having to lock the speed into it though."
Guy: <madface>
Cop: "Have a nice day sir."