My friend Will is an exhibitionist. He was arrested for it a couple of nights ago. Of course, he thought he was just minding his own business, driving home in his car.
Imagine his surprise when Officer Bigshot pulled him over and told him he was an exhibitionist. A driving exhibitionist. At least that's what the paperwork said.
He was charged with "exhibition driving".
Maybe you are wondering what exactly is "exhibition driving"?
I wondered, so I looked it up.
41-6a-606 (1) A person may not engage in any motor vehicle speed contest or exhibition of speed on a highway.
You may not engage in an exhibition of speed on a highway. That's the whole description. Not very specific, is it? They just leave it up to the police officer to decide.
What kinds of things are considered and exhibition of speed? In Will's case, he stepped on the gas when the light turned green.
His car is pretty fast. And it's pretty loud. But he didn't break the speed limit. He didn't spin his tires. He wasn't racing anyone. He just went faster than the officer thought he should.
The officer that remembered Will because he gave him a ticket for speeding three or four years ago was now going to teach Will a lesson.
What is the penalty for "exhibition of speed"?
Class B misdemeanor. And you lose your license for 60 days. And they impound your car.
So he handcuffed Will and took him to the county lock-up. Because he took off kind of fast when the light turned green.
Will had to post bail and he had to pay to get his car out of impound. At a hearing tomorrow he will plead not guilty and the judge will set a date for trial. Maximum sentence is $750 and 90 days in jail.
Will is looking for a lawyer. Hopefully he can find a good one.
The whole thing makes me a little nervous. Could my driving be considered "exhibition of speed"?
A speeding ticket that you don't think you deserve is one thing. I've had a few of those. A criminal record is a whole different matter. And no way do I want to spend time in jail.
What do you think? Is this overkill?
Have you ever enjoyed a little "spirited" driving? And if so, do you consider yourself a criminal?
So what happened to Will?
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing that the officer was pulling Will over to teach him a lesson. Then Will acted like a punk, so the officer abused his authority.
I would hope that the police officer had film or some other evidence to prove Will was guilty. If not, then something needs to be done about Officer Bigshot.
I guess I should be glad I don't have a car that a cop would even think could be an exhibition of speed. What happened to Will?
ReplyDeleteWill got a lawyer, pleaded "not guilty", and is going to trial on April 14.
ReplyDelete