Each Wednesday, we’ll publish quick summaries of the articles from the last week on TheNewspaper.com. We’re doing this because these articles are often strongly connected to the issues that National Motorists Association members are interested in.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
US Supreme Court Backs Anonymous Tip Traffic Stops
A quick call to 911 can lead to any car on the freeway being pulled over and searched. Thanks to a ruling handed down Tuesday by the US Supreme Court, police officers no longer need to corroborate an anonymous claim that someone is reckless or drunk behind the wheel before hitting the emergency lights and conducting a traffic stop.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
DC To Raise $1 Billion From Virginia And Maryland Motorists
Washington, DC has long sought to impose a commuter tax, a levy designed to raise money from residents of neighboring Virginia and Maryland who take the train or drive in to the District of Columbia to work. The US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled in 2005 that the city could not impose such a tax without congressional approval, something it was not going to receive. Now city leaders have found a way to harness the latest transportation fad to achieve the same result as the tax.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Nevada: Cars Stopped For a Pebble In the Windshield
Nevada’s Supreme Court earlier this month decided that motorists can be stopped and searched if a tiny rock scratches a vehicle’s windshield. The court took up a case where a police officer stopped a motorist but was wrong about the statute governing windshields. The high court decided to find a way to make the initial stop stick.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
France, Italy: Speed Cameras Burned and Painted
Vigilantes left a speed camera in Venice, Italy a charred and useless lump on the ground Thursday at around 11pm. According to La Nuova di Venezia, the fire department was called to the scene on the Via Cavalleggieri in Mogliano as the powerful blaze lit up the night sky. The camera’s concrete base had been ripped out of the ground before the camera housing was torched.
Friday, April 18, 2014
New Mexico Appeals Court Upholds Arbitrary Speed Limits
The state of New Mexico does not need to justify its speed limits. The state Court of Appeals came to this conclusion earlier this month in upholding the conviction of Raul Tarin, a motorist who decided to mount a legal battle against his ticket for allegedly driving 71 MPH in a 45 MPH zone. Representing himself in court, Tarin argued that the state had to establish the speed limit’s legitimacy before the ticket could be considered valid. It was the first time anyone had brought such an argument to the appellate level in the state.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Colorado: Photo Ticketing Ban Clears Committee
The Colorado State Senate took the first step Monday toward eliminating the use of red-light cameras and speed cameras in the state. By a bipartisan 3 to 2 vote, the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee approved a measure that would prevent municipalities from hiring for-profit companies to mail automated citations to vehicle owners.
