Richmond Speed Reading Instruments
Richmond police officers primarily use radar devices in order to tell if motorists are speeding. Traffic radar tools are very common in Richmond speeding cases and they are used by almost all the officers and troopers in the area.
An officer will try to prove that he or she was recording the speed of your vehicle by testifying in court. The officer will testify that he or she was operating the radar, was trained to operate the radar, and viewed your vehicle going through the radar beam at the time of the reading. An officer will also testify that the radar was calibrated within six months of the stop and that it was checked with what’s called the Doppler tone before and after the officer’s shift.
Weight of Speed Reading Instruments in Court
The weight of a radar reading in court is very significant. If the officer can show that the radar was calibrated and maintained properly, Richmond courts will accept the radar reading as fact. And if the officer can testify to the exact speed and that you were in fact operating the car that went through the radar, a judge will almost always accept it.
Challenging Richmond Speeding Tickets
If you truly weren’t going as fast as the officer claims then it is your word versus the officer’s most of the time. In these sorts of cases, you must show either that there was an issue with your speedometer or that there was an error with the officer’s radar equipment.
Defenses Against Speed Reading Instruments in Richmond
The biggest myth about speed reading instruments is that they are not accurate. In these types of cases, we often see individuals trying to claim that there’s no way they could have been going that fast and their only real defense to a radar gun reading in court is that the radar was not maintained properly. However, these instruments are extremely accurate because they are usually well maintained, and the courts will accept them as evidence of your speed. Alternatively, you can also show that your speedometer was working incorrectly.
There are other issues that can come up with radars. Sometimes, officers are not trained properly in how to use the instrument. If that is the case, then you have to provide documentation about that. In addition, officers have to show the documentation about the maintenance of the radar.
Operator error is not very common in officers’ use of radar guns, as the instruments are actually fairly easy to operate and officers for the most part are very highly trained.
Defenses Against LIDAR in Richmond Courts
LIDAR devices are sometimes questioned in court. There are instances where we do find issues with them. Sometimes, the LIDAR device has been interfered with due to direct sunlight and dust in the air. And on occasion, it can actually lock onto several targets at once.