Big Brother could actually be her indoors, to use the British term for a female spouse. The Sun [UK] reports that a snooping wife was doing the electronic version of twitching curtains (Googling her friend’s house) when she spotted her hubby’s motor parked outside. “The love cheat is not the only husband trapped by Google’s controversial new 360-degree photo search which covers 25 cities and towns throughout the country. Top media lawyer Mark Stephens said: ‘I was talking about the Range Rover case when another divorce lawyer came up to say his firm was dealing with the same sort of thing. People are getting caught out on Google.'”
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Category: Crime & Punishment
A Georgia state lawmaker wants to know the best way to force local jurisdictions to obey a new law governing photo enforcement systems. House Resolution 774, sponsored by state Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-Cassville), would create the “House Study Committee on Compliance by Local Governments with the Red Light Camera Law” in response to evidence that cities are operating automated ticketing programs without complying with Georgia Code 40-14-22. This legal provision, which took effect January 1, mandates a one-second extension of the duration of the yellow warning phase at red light camera intersections. As TheNewspaper first reported earlier this month, several jurisdictions are openly flouting the law.
While officials in Europe and the United States insist that “the camera never lies,” motorists around the world are receiving automated tickets for crimes that they did not commit. In Liverpool, England, for example, a speed camera accused the Fiat Punto belonging to Emily Davies, 19, of hurtling down Edge Lane Drive at 37 MPH on March 10 at precisely 10:22pm, exceeding the road’s 30 MPH limit. Confused, Davies asked to see the photograph of her alleged offense. The Merseyside Speed Camera Partnership, hoping she would just pay the £60 (US $87) fine, insisted she would have to go to court to see it. Upon later review, the photograph showed the Ford parked outside the Davies family home, which is located in view of a speed camera. Although Merseyside officials eventually apologized, Davies first had to go through quite a bit of hassle.
A Fairfax County, Virginia General District Court judge earlier this month backed away from driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) charges filed against a motorist after a defense attorney cast doubt on the accuracy of the county’s breath testing machines. Police and courts often entrust machines like the ten-year-old Intoxilyzer 5000 with the authority to exonerate or convict a motorist of serious charges that carry significant monetary penalties, loss of license and jail time. Richmond DUI attorney Bob Battle found that this particular machine, which is being phased out in Virginia, has a significant weakness.
The Minnesota state trooper who rammed a slow-moving minivan on New Year’s Eve was given a slap on the wrist Wednesday. A written reprimand was placed in the personnel folder of Sergeant Carrie Rindal, mildly criticizing her for twice slamming her patrol car into the Toyota Sienna minivan belonging to Sam Salter, 40, who had been driving his two-, three- and six-year-old children home to Hudson, Wisconsin, just before midnight on Interstate 94 in St. Paul.
Facing increased budgetary pressure, the New Mexico state Legislature this week adopted legislation that will increase the cost of red light camera fines by a third, adding millions in extra revenue to state coffers. State Senator Michael S. Sanchez (D-Belen) introduced Senate Bill 519 to extend revenue sharing provisions that previously only applied to the city of Albuquerque to other New Mexico cities. The measure passed unanimously in the state Senate and by a vote of 64-1 in the House.
“Essentially, the increase in fees mostly offsets the new distribution formula in which Albuquerque retains 50 percent of the net receipts,” the Legislative Finance Committee’s fiscal analysis of Senate Bill 519 explained. “The increase of fees from $75 to $100 would yield an approximate annual increase in receipts of $2.3 million to $9.2 million, assuming a similar pattern of traffic violations.”
Cities around the country are ignoring state laws designed to curb the financial incentive for private red light camera contractors to generate the greatest number of violations possible. In Texas, for example, the city of College Station signed a deal to allow American Traffic Solutions (ATS) to operate red light cameras and collect fines on the city’s behalf. In return, College Station gives back to ATS a per-ticket fee that is capped at a rate of $4750 per intersection approach per month—in direct conflict with a state law that took effect on September 1, 2007.
As you’d probably guess (if it was in the least bit important), I’ve set up a a fair few email alerts to keep my finger on the pulse of the autoblogosphere. “Nissan” usually renders unto me four or five stories on some electric vehicle they’ll never make and a review or two of a Z car. This is the first time I’ve seen a link called “more news from your region.” While Levittown isn’t exactly my region (off by 252 miles), I was happy to see that no item is too small for Google’s news spiders. And that, for once during these dark days for the auto biz, I linked to a story with a happy ending. Of course, one wonders who in their right mind would bother reporting that they were almost the victim of a crime. And whether or not the police asked the citizen involved whether or not they take Ambien CR.
Attempted theft from vehicle
500 block Old Street Rd., Trevose, 10:30 p.m. Mon-9 a.m. Tue, entered unlocked Nissan Altima in driveway, items thrown on floor, nothing of value removed.
Video Courtesy of KSL.com
A decision issued last month by the Appellate Division of the Superior Court in Sacramento County, California would invalidate at least eighty percent of red light camera tickets in Sacramento—if drivers were to bring their case to court and contest their citations. A three judge panel found the photo system did not generate evidence sufficient to convict local motorist David Graham, 38, of running a red light. “Sometimes you can fight city hall,” said Graham. “Now those bozos will have to give me back every penny of the $371 they bilked me for the ticket.”
You may recall the story wherein two swanky Lamborghini dealerships—Lamborghini of Orange County and Lamborghini of Calabasas—suddenly closed their doors. Needless to say, the collapse involved a little “creative accounting.” It can now be revealed [by the LA Times] that dealer principle, Viken Keuylian, 45, of Laguna Hills, borrowed $12M from Volkswagen Finance to personally purchase 54 examples of VW’s Italian supercars. Keuylian then spent the money, put the cars on his lot, sold them for $8,163,275 and spent that money too. Vineyard. Lotus dealership (talk about a sinkhole). Gas for HIS Lambo. The girls above. That sort of thing. Simple math reveals that the grifter liberated $20,723,589 from VW and Lambo customers. Obviously, Keuylian will soon be contemplating his crimes from a jail cell. But the big question: will VW go after his customers, demanding they pay the “real” price for their car or cars? It’s highly unlikely. But even so, VW Financial’s credibility and profitability have taken a major ding.
The boss men at Legacy Ford Lincoln Mercury Toyota of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, have arranged a personal economic stimulus program; by running off with 81 cars and trucks valued at over $2.5 million (before or after rebates?). Lacking a “Tales from the Dark Side” section, the AP put the story out as auto industry news. The missing Fords were trucked away on Saturday but the Toyotas had to wait their turn until Monday. By Wednesday, some of the missing vehicles already started popping up at auctions in Utah and Arizona. Floorplan banker Toyota Financial said: “If the dealer and the cars go missing there’s an issue.” Ya think? “Arrest warrants had been issued for owner Allen Patch, controller Rachel Fait and general manager Rick Covello, who are wanted on suspicion of theft.” Up until now, none of these clowns had an arrest record. Oddly enough, Legacy so far remains open for business. Personally I wouldn’t leave my ride there for service unless I wanted it to disappear. Meanwhile, rumors of a movie deal starring Robin Williams, Chevy Chase and Al Pacino run rampant.
A tax levied on speeding tickets funds the re-election efforts of two-thirds of Arizona’s politicians and provides lawmakers with a personal financial incentive to protect controversial photo enforcement programs. In 1999, a ten percent surcharge was imposed on all traffic tickets to create the “Citizens Clean Election Fund.” The fund allows politicians to avoid tedious fundraising efforts. After raising just $5 each from 220 people in a district, candidates for public office qualify for public financing money to match private expenditures. In effect, these lawmakers collect $16.50 for their campaigns each time a photo radar ticket is issued on an Arizona freeway. This adds up to big money. In 2008, traffic tickets generated $10,095,771 in revenue for the clean elections fund.
Injuryboard.com, a website dedicated to promoting safety, protecting lives and chasing ambulances (I made that last one up, ish) writes:
The funeral of Harold St. John, a retired airline employee and former auto mechanic who died from mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure, was interrupted at a New Jersey cemetery last week when, in a new moral low for defense tactics, a Chrysler official arrived with subpoena for his body.
The subpoena, which prevented the burial from taking place, was issued so that more tests could be performed to determine the cause of death. Before he died, 67-year-old St. John had sued Chrysler, along with Honeywell, claiming that the automobile brake linings he used to install in his father’s auto shop in the 50s and 60s had caused his illness.
The trial was set to begin March 9. Unexpectedly, St. John died on February 28. Though he had undergone a painful biopsy to provide a lung tissue sample while still living, Chrysler insisted on taking the body from its burial site before it could be laid to rest.
ChryCo spokesman Mike Palesi’s statement after the jump.
A deeply divided Ohio House of Representatives on Thursday passed sweeping legislation that would impose new penalties on motorists, including a statewide speed camera program. State Representative Peter S. Ujvagi (D-Toledo) inserted the controversial proposals into a “must pass” $7.6B transportation funding measure to avoid individual discussion of the merits of the many programs rolled into the 361-page bill. Only one Republican voted in favor of Ujvagi’s plan, which passed by a margin of 53-45.
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