City to Cops: You’re Not Writing Enough Tickets
August 17, 2010 by RUThere · 6 Comments
The Chicago Sun Times has obtained an August 10 memo, from City Hall to Chicago Police Department, which indirectly instructs them to write more “parking and vehicle-compliance tickets” in order to help with the city’s budget. Although, the writers of the memo were careful not to “explicitly ask cops to boost tickets,” it does tell them that “police ticket-writing is down nearly 25%” compared to last year. Mark Donahue, the President of the Fraternal Order of Police, called the memo “troubling,” saying it “smacks of ticket quotas” and “sends the wrong message to the public as to what the real responsibilities of the police officers are.” Not surprisingly, the cit is currently looking at the a $654.7 million budget shortfall – a record, even for Chicago.
Chicago Fire Hydrant Ticket
July 26, 2010 by RUThere · 37 Comments
I received a parking ticket for parking my motorcycle (sport bike) within 15 ft of a fire hydrant. My actual location is rather debatable. It looked like I was just barely out of the 15ft range. Should I still contest it? If so, would it be more effective to contest it by mail or in-person? Will an in-person hearing take time from my workday? (I work 9am to 5pm). I am willing to contest it in person as I am better presenting a case in person, but not if it takes too much time from the workday. I can also be an effective writer (when I really try) so arguing my case in a letter isn’t something I’d be against. I would just like to know which way will provide me with a better chance of winning my case. I have pictures of my bike in relation to the fire hydrant and a picture of the sidewalk with no painted, yellow line indicating the 15ft range near the fire hydrant. Is the absence of the yellow line enough to contest the ticket? Or did I need a measuring tape marked at 15ft to show my bike was just out of range? Help please??
New Law Controls Red Light Camera Errors
July 12, 2010 by RUThere · 3 Comments
A new Illinois law, signed by Governor Pat Quinn, will require an “official” to review and approve a red light camera photograph before a citation is issued. The new law stems from incidents like that of the Webb family, who received a red light camera ticket from an intersection that they had never driven through before. “The car make did not match theirs, nor did the license plate. The image was too blurry to figure out what the camera caught.” Still, the ticket proved difficult to have dismissed. “I thought it would be pretty easy to get rid of once we proved it wasn’t us. That hasn’t been the case,” Kelley Webb said. Although some residents would like to see an officer be physically present at the intersection when tickets are issued, this law does not go that far. It simply requires an official to check the photograph before mailing the citation.
Chicago Blocking Alley Ticket
June 22, 2010 by RUThere · 8 Comments
I got a ticket for blocking an alley last Thursday. The alley is about 10 yards South of my driveway and I’ve been parking in that spot for the last 4 1/2 years. My rear bumper was at least a foot away from the alley so I figured I was fine. (Not to mention the fact that I’ve been parking there for years.) I took a picture of the situation and plan on appealing. Anyone have any advice?
