Texas Woman's speed trap warning lands her in jail

[Lyon Wonder]

A woman in Houston Texas warns drivers with a makeshift "Speed Trap" warning sign and gets arrested for it.

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=8715510

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A woman tried to save drivers from getting ticketed by police and instead ended up in jail herself. Now she claims she was wrongfully arrested.
It all happened as officers were clocking speeders and pulling them over last week near downtown. Natalie Plummer now fears police retribution. She says she was just trying to get people to stop driving so fast, and that instead of being seen as helpful, she was arrested for it.

Plummer admits she probably will never hold up a similar sign again out near any road.

"I was completely abiding by the law," she said. "I was simply warning citizens of a situation ahead."

Last Thursday on West Dallas, Plummer was on her bike headed home from the grocery store when she saw Houston police pulling over alleged speeders. She took some video while riding by.

She said, "I felt like he was just pulling random cars over."

So Plummer went up the street a few blocks, made an impromptu sign on a grocery bag reading 'Speed Trap!' and stood, she says, on the sidewalk.

"I for sure did not step into the street," Plummer said. "(I stayed) on the sidewalk the entire time."

After a few minutes, Plummer claims one of the officers drove up, jumped from his car and started pulling at her backpack. She says he searched it without consent, and then arrested her.

"He was telling me he was taking me to jail for obstructing justice, that was an automatic three to five years," Plummer recalled.

She was instead only cited with a misdemeanor. Court documents show her accused of "...walking in the roadway where there is a sidewalk present."

Plummer says, though, that she spent 12 hours in jail before bonding out.

The Houston Police Department refused our request to talk about this incident on camera. A spokesperson says Plummer was "in the roadway" and "was a danger to herself and others and "...the sum total of which was is an arrestable offense."

Plummer said, "He couldn't take me to jail for holding up this sign or he would have. So all he could do was make up something fake about it."

Police say Plummer was combative and resisted arrest. But our KTRK legal analyst says Plummer should not have been arrested.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

[Brandon]

She should sue the police department and the municipality for everything they've got.  It was wrongful arrest, and all the local assholes..er..cops were doing was revenue fishing.

[vdeane]

Indeed.  If she gets a good enough lawyer, maybe she could blow the lid off the whole "speed limits = free money for the state" conspiracy.

[BigMattFromTexas]

Being the son of a police officer, I'll say everyone who has crap to talk about them can shut up.
She shouldn't have been arrested, a ticket would have been fine. Whether she feels they pulled over random cars or not, it's none of her business. I've talked to my dad plenty of times, there really is a whole lot you can pull a person over for.. Although this is another example of everyone wanting to be a "hero".
BigMatt

[Alps]

Being the son of a police officer, I'll say everyone who has crap to talk about them can shut up.
She shouldn't have been arrested, a ticket would have been fine. Whether she feels they pulled over random cars or not, it's none of her business. I've talked to my dad plenty of times, there really is a whole lot you can pull a person over for.. Although this is another example of everyone wanting to be a "hero".
BigMatt

Fuck you. This is America, and we're not shutting up. There's enough incompetence and corruption in the police force to bring down a small African nation, and it's up to us to stand up and shout about it until people take notice.

[BigMattFromTexas]

And whining on a forum helps our nation.. how? And considering I knew a cop in Austin from San Angelo who was shot and killed, kinda have a higher respect for them. Don't do stuff to even involve them, then ain't nothing happens..
BigMatt

[Alps]

And whining on a forum helps our nation.. how? And considering I knew a cop in Austin from San Angelo who was shot and killed, kinda have a higher respect for them. Don't do stuff to even involve them, then ain't nothing happens..
BigMatt

What whining on a forum? She went out and exercised her right to freedom of speech. She got arrested for it. That's abuse of power. So because you knew a police officer who was killed, they are above reproach? That's like saying that because I'm a Jew, Israel has not done anything wrong in its fight against the Palestinians. And I know you're young and dumb, but honestly, you can get police involved by doing nothing wrong. They do what they please because who's going to stop them?

[Zmapper]

I never knew you were so anti-authority towards police, Steve. 

For the record, I think she shouldn't have been arrested, provided that she really was not unduly hindering traffic.

[Scott5114]

Reminds me of the big SPEED TRAP AHEAD signs painted on the side of trailers on US 69 when the Big Cabin speed trap was still active.

In an ideal world police officers would be widely respected but so many of them have proven themselves unworthy of that respect by abusing their power that these days it's mildly surprising when one lives up to higher standards.

[Alps]

Reminds me of the big SPEED TRAP AHEAD signs painted on the side of trailers on US 69 when the Big Cabin speed trap was still active.

In an ideal world police officers would be widely respected but so many of them have proven themselves unworthy of that respect by abusing their power that these days it's mildly surprising when one lives up to higher standards.

I would state it the opposite way. I think a majority, a strong majority, are respectable and honorable, but it's the minority that paints them all in a negative light. Look at it like this - most cops are not traffic cops or beat cops.

[Zmapper]

Reminds me of the big SPEED TRAP AHEAD signs painted on the side of trailers on US 69 when the Big Cabin speed trap was still active.

In an ideal world police officers would be widely respected but so many of them have proven themselves unworthy of that respect by abusing their power that these days it's mildly surprising when one lives up to higher standards.

I would state it the opposite way. I think a majority, a strong majority, are respectable and honorable, but it's the minority that paints them all in a negative light. Look at it like this - most cops are not traffic cops or beat cops.

I can see how it is very possible that there are more "backroom" cops than street cops, but most police interactions occur with street cops of course. There isn't much immediate danger if the "backroom" cops mess up (well, unless it is your case), but a street cop messing up could result in a death and general panic.

[NE2]

Someone had better arrest these guys:


If I were doing what she did, I'd probably make a homemade "strictly enforced" plate and hold it up near the speed limit sign.

[Alps]

Reminds me of the big SPEED TRAP AHEAD signs painted on the side of trailers on US 69 when the Big Cabin speed trap was still active.

In an ideal world police officers would be widely respected but so many of them have proven themselves unworthy of that respect by abusing their power that these days it's mildly surprising when one lives up to higher standards.

I would state it the opposite way. I think a majority, a strong majority, are respectable and honorable, but it's the minority that paints them all in a negative light. Look at it like this - most cops are not traffic cops or beat cops.

I can see how it is very possible that there are more "backroom" cops than street cops, but most police interactions occur with street cops of course. There isn't much immediate danger if the "backroom" cops mess up (well, unless it is your case), but a street cop messing up could result in a death and general panic.

I was referring in particular to police looking for traffic enforcement or just walking the streets (typical in big cities only). Most police are around "on patrol" or at the precinct waiting for a call.

[nexus73]

Be careful when on US 101 as you drive through Port Orford OR.  The speed limit for a very wide 4-lane street with center left turn refuge is 30 MPH.  The city of Port Orford has as part of their expected revenues listed in their city budget $160K from traffic tickets.  You will not see such a heavy police presence in any other small town on the Pacific Coast.

Rick

[NE2]

I have an idea! Let's list all the speed traps we know!

[hbelkins]

Being the son of a police officer, I'll say everyone who has crap to talk about them can shut up.
She shouldn't have been arrested, a ticket would have been fine. Whether she feels they pulled over random cars or not, it's none of her business. I've talked to my dad plenty of times, there really is a whole lot you can pull a person over for.. Although this is another example of everyone wanting to be a "hero".
BigMatt

I've got some very close friends who are retired police officers.

But I'm the camp that wishes that police officers would pay more attention to "real" crimes that involve persons or property than speed or traffic enforcement.

Yesterday I saw a state policeman parked running radar. Since it's the last of the month, he must not have met his quota. (And yes, they have quotas even though most deny it. One of my policeman friends told me he had a quota.) As soon as I passed him I Tweeted his location and my Tweets automatically go to Facebook. One of my friends jumped on me for disclosing his location.

I say more power to this woman. If the purpose of issuing speeding tickets is to get people to slow down and obey the law, then telling drivers where a speed trap is located serves the same purpose without the revenue collection aspect of it.

I hope this woman sues and ends up owning the police department. Her First Amendment rights were definitely violated.

[kkt]

I've been very glad to see police officers at times, and I certainly agree that the great majority of them are good people and good officers.  However, that doesn't mean we should tolerate bad ones.  If the officer was lying in his report about where this woman was standing, it's perjury, and it should go on his record and make his testimony in any future case highly suspect.  His career as an officer should be over. 

Good police officers should be the first to want the bad ones off the force.

[kphoger]

I wasn't even issued a ticket for this one, but....

Back in the Chicago suburb of Wheaton, I was hitchhiking along Roosevelt Road, going to Geneva.  I was standing on the sidewalk with a backpack and a sign that said "Geneva".  A police officer parked in the TWLTL, came over, told me soliciting rides is prohibited in the town of Wheaton, demanded that I walk until I was outside the city limits, and then didn't leave until I started walking.  So I walked until the "Welcome to Winfield" sign, got my sign out again, and got a ride the rest of the way to Geneva.

A couple of days later, I went to the library, got a copy of Wheaton's municipal code, and searched it.  Found nothing–except that, unless otherwise stated, state laws apply.  So I emailed  the chief of police, stating exactly what happened at what location at what time of day.  I included the exact wording of the laws.  The deputy chief replied to my email, offered an apology, and stated that the officer would be dealt with.

So, yeah, a cop can nail you for breaking a law you're not breaking, because most cops don't actually know what the law says.  Assuming this lady was not impeding traffic, I applaud her actions and hope the police force there takes a good look at what its function in society is actually supposed to be.

[Brandon]

Being the son of a police officer, I'll say everyone who has crap to talk about them can shut up.
She shouldn't have been arrested, a ticket would have been fine. Whether she feels they pulled over random cars or not, it's none of her business. I've talked to my dad plenty of times, there really is a whole lot you can pull a person over for.. Although this is another example of everyone wanting to be a "hero".
BigMatt

Whatever, I'm the grandson of a Detroit policeman, so stuff it, Matt.  I also know that cops drive just as bad as anyone else (worse in some cases).

[Brandon]

I wasn't even issued a ticket for this one, but....

Back in the Chicago suburb of Wheaton, I was hitchhiking along Roosevelt Road, going to Geneva.  I was standing on the sidewalk with a backpack and a sign that said "Geneva".  A police officer parked in the TWLTL, came over, told me soliciting rides is prohibited in the town of Wheaton, demanded that I walk until I was outside the city limits, and then didn't leave until I started walking.  So I walked until the "Welcome to Winfield" sign, got my sign out again, and got a ride the rest of the way to Geneva.

A couple of days later, I went to the library, got a copy of Wheaton's municipal code, and searched it.  Found nothing–except that, unless otherwise stated, state laws apply.  So I emailed  the chief of police, stating exactly what happened at what location at what time of day.  I included the exact wording of the laws.  The deputy chief replied to my email, offered an apology, and stated that the officer would be dealt with.

So, yeah, a cop can nail you for breaking a law you're not breaking, because most cops don't actually know what the law says.  Assuming this lady was not impeding traffic, I applaud her actions and hope the police force there takes a good look at what its function in society is actually supposed to be.

Either that cop was just being a jerk, or like all too many cops, they don't actually know all of the laws and just assume what the law is.  Part of the problem is that there really are too many laws, IMHO.

[vdeane]

I suspect he didn't know what the law was.  If he wanted to be a jerk he could have given kphoger a ticket... it looks to me like he honestly thought that was the law and was looking for any excuse to not give a ticket.

[roadman65]

I have heard speed traps mentioned in on air traffic reports, the AAA, and of course everyone knows about Waldo, FL.  Then the Houston Police should arrest these people in the reporting and tourism industry and all who mention in conversation about the US 301 corridor to each other.

Steve is right, she was excersizing her First Amendment right!  Also you have a few bad cops that ruin it for the whole force that give the law a bad name. In general the whole law enforcement is not totally corrupt.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Crappy photo, but I thought this sign on NY 40 north near NY 196 got the point across.


My question towards this is a) why do they care? and b) the locals probably enjoy her fair warning, so why make citizens upset if you're supposed to protect them?

[vdeane]

Usually the locals are the ones who want the lower limit in the first place.  They don't want non-locals to speed through and disrupt what they think is a quiet residential street (regardless of whether said street is actually a major through route), and the revenue from speeding tickets gives the local government more money.

[Compulov]

Usually the locals are the ones who want the lower limit in the first place.  They don't want non-locals to speed through and disrupt what they think is a quiet residential street (regardless of whether said street is actually a major through route), and the revenue from speeding tickets gives the local government more money.

And in fairness to the police (not going to comment on the original story since I wasn't there), in some areas they get it from both ends. The locals complain that people drive too fast (cause you know everyone has radar eyes) and demand the police "do something". The people who drive through (and even lots of the locals, if it's a road off the beaten path) then complain when they start getting speeding tickets. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.