Same Bat Time

The other week, Juan Jalisco and I are sitting in traffic court. As the cases are called and the court room starts to thin out, I finally hear my defendants name called. I see my defendant rise from his seat as I do the same. I catch movement off to my right side. I look over and Juan Jalisco is standing up also.

Apparently both Juan and I had cited the driver less than 7 days apart for the same violation, speeding. I stand behind the podium in front of the Judge as the defendant is standing behind his to my left. I give my version of events and the Judge allows the defendant to cross examine me meaning ask me questions.

The defendant gives his testimony and I'm completely lost to what he's talking about. The location he was describing was nothing close to where I witnessed the violation occur. The driver said he has pictures he wants to show the Judge. The Judge directs him to hand the pictures to me.

I receive the pictures and I'm looking at them and now I have no clue of where these pictures are about. I hand the pictures over to the Judge. The defendant had nothing further to add, the Judge asked me if I had anything further. I told the Judge "submitted". He was found guilty but would not check his driving record nor set a fine until his second case was heard and adjudicated.

So I sit back down as Juan Jalisco gives his testimony of the same defendant being paced in a school parking lot as school was letting out for the afternoon. Then the pictures made sense. They were pictures of the school parking lot and not the roadway I had cited him for speeding on.

Even the defendant was confused and thought his first case with me was the ticket which Juan Jalisco had given him. Given the circumstances of children all around, the Judge found him guilty of unsafe speed through a school parking lot. Two points on his driver's license in one afternoon, Ouch.

I guess the defendants confusion adds some credibility to the stereotype that all motor cops look alike....