Black People : Pregnant woman tazored for not signing a traffic ticket

[Josef]

I get what Brother Josef and Darkside are saying, but the point is, she did not have to sign that ticket. Even though things might have went better for her had she did, she still did not have too. She did not break the law by not signing, therefore her treatment was unjust.

She was speeding...got caught...they gave her a ticket...case closed. It does'nt matter that she was upset and annoyed. It doesn't matter if she may have rolled her eyes, raised her voice, or tsk her teeth. Tasering that young lady was a violation of her rights. Now, if it was the law that said, "if u get a traffic ticket you must sign it in the presense of an officer or risk being apprehended and/or sentenced to jail time", then yes, it was her fault what happened next. But clearly that is not the case. She was violated and her accusers got off scott free because they were officers of the law.

The point is, if we continue to allow or rights to be violated in such a way, pretty soon we won't have a leg to stand on when its something as minor as stopping for a few minutes in a no loitering zone.

Traffic Infractions and Citations.
When issued a traffic infraction, the person cited must sign the ticket as an acknowledgment
of his or her receipt of the notice of infraction and as a promise to respond as directed in the
notice. A notice of traffic infraction represents a determination that an infraction has been
committed. Signing the notice of infraction is not a waiver of the right to contest this
determination. A traffic infraction is a non-criminal offense. However, failure to sign a notice
of infraction acknowledging receipt of the notice is a gross misdemeanor.


http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/archives/160628.asp


http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/library/1650-S.FBR.pdf

 

[Emerald_Queen]

I feel like the police officers all three of them could have combined their thoughts creatively to figure out what to do with this woman who so happens to be pregnant that is refusing to sign the ticket.

I believe they know the law as well as the next police officer. The fact remains that yes she was speeding and yes she refused to sign the ticket, but that as other posters have stated and what the WA law states is that she did not have to be detained because she did not sign the ticket. For whatever reason.

I feel that the result of this was harsh and not warrented. They didn't just taze her once they did it three times! To me the first was too out of line. That's my humble opinion. Just as it is if they were to slam down a olderly woman for refusing to do the same thing. It's the amount they used to the porportion of the individual they are dealing with! They have to deal with things on a individual based level, not cookie cutter to what's in the instruction manual of a "unruly" citizen. I mean I feel it was out of hand and there are other ways to properly deal with it than to taze her THREE times!!!

 

[cherryblossom]

Traffic Infractions and Citations.
When issued a traffic infraction, the person cited must sign the ticket as an acknowledgment
of his or her receipt of the notice of infraction and as a promise to respond as directed in the
notice. A notice of traffic infraction represents a determination that an infraction has been
committed. Signing the notice of infraction is not a waiver of the right to contest this
determination. A traffic infraction is a non-criminal offense. However, failure to sign a notice
of infraction acknowledging receipt of the notice is a gross misdemeanor.


http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/archives/160628.asp


http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/library/1650-S.FBR.pdf

That Bill you cited, Brother Josef is dated 2006...Here's what the summary said:

Summary:
The requirement that a person who is cited for a traffic or other civil infraction or citation must sign the notice of infraction or citation is removed, and the refusal to sign such notices is decriminalized. The requirement that a person who is arrested for a traffic law violation punishable as a misdemeanor must sign a notice of written promise to appear in court in order
to secure his or her release is removed. A person who receives a statement of his or her options and procedures for responding to a notice of civil infraction, and who thereafter fails to exercise one of those options in a timely manner, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

For me, it's about whether or not those officers had legal grounds to arrest her for not signing the ticket.

If so, then she was "resisting arrest."

If not, then the arrest was unlawful and the tasing was unlawful.

 

[Josef]

I feel like the police officers all three of them could have combined their thoughts creatively to figure out what to do with this woman who so happens to be pregnant that is refusing to sign the ticket.

Whether pregnant or not, we should not think that she should have any more rights than you or I..

after the refusal to sign the ticket, the officer contacted his superiors, and was given orders to place her under arrest. This was a situation where she flat out refused to sign the ticket...look, all she had to do was simply sign it...

but no, she did not do that, she instead made the case more than what it should have been, why should she be given any more lee-way than what you or I would be given...

If you ask me?..

she put herself and her unborn child in danger

 

[Emerald_Queen]

Whether pregnant or not, we should not think that she should have any more rights than you or I..

after the refusal to sign the ticket, the officer contacted his superiors, and was given orders to place her under arrest. This was a situation where she flat out refused to sign the ticket...look, all she had to do was simply sign it...

but no, she did not do that, she instead made the case more than what it should have been, why should she be given any more lee-way than what you or I would be given...

If you ask me?..

she put herself and her unborn child in danger

I understand that she broke the law by going 15 mph faster than the speeding limit inside a school zone, and I understand that she refused to sign the ticket. However, I felt that the force that was used was inappropriate and I stand by my thought. Regardless of if they detained her or not, it was how they went about it that caused me to disagree with them on that part.

That goes without saying my hypothetical above about a older lady getting slammed down by a 6'2 250lb police officer. It wouldn't be right for him to use that much force on a lady in her age, as I would say it was unnecessary force and in Football would be unnecessary roughage...he gets a penalty of 15yards!