We've reached 369 supporters. The new signs in Edgewood seem to have gotten some attention. I've been told you can only expect 1 out of 10 people to respond to a call to action and I appreciate your help. If it's true, and I have no doubt it is, there are an additional 3,300 folks who agree with the petition.
This update is a little long, it's less than a 3 minute read, but I think you all might find the scenario I presented to the council educational and at least interesting. I usually get a big aha smile when I finish telling it to anyone.
I presented it to the city council on January 14. I had already told it to the mayor and police chief in a separate meeting. It makes the legality of the traffic camera programs easier to understand.
This is the story I told. The break in actually happened...
Suppose I'm watching TV at 1 in the morning and I hear a big bang in the driveway. I look out the window and I see that 2 dirtbags have broken into my car. I run down the stairs and out the front door. I chase them down the street, cussing at them the whole time. They get in their car and drive away BUT I GET THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBER!
I asked the police chief if he would ARREST THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. I asked him if he would bring him/her in to the police station and make him/her SWEAR UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY that the owner was NOT one of the dirtbags who broke into my car. Of course the police wouldn't because THERE ISN'T ENOUGH EVIDENCE to charge the owner with a crime. Not a fingerprint, not a picture or video.
So I asked him why the city was accusing and fining the owner of a vehicle $166 which was photographed driving 25mph past Northwood elementary.
The explanation given was that the burden of proof is different in a criminal case and the traffic camera infractions are handled in civil court. Therefore, guilt can be determined by a preponderance of the evidence. It was why OJ was found not guilty in criminal court but guilty in civil court. I was told the State Legislature said the police can assume the owner was the violator with a license plate, IT WAS AS GOOD AS A FINGERPRINT.
So I took that argument one step further.
My car was damaged and I want someone to pay. I take the owner of the vehicle to civil court where those kind of issues are handled. I tell the judge my story and he asks me what evidence I have that the owner of the vehicle was involved in breaking into my car.
I tell the judge, "NO NO NO your honor, the State Legislature says I don't need any evidence, the license plate is GOOD ENOUGH." I want $250.
What do you think that judge would do?
So why does the city have so much respect for dirtbag car prowler's rights and none for aunt Ethel's?
There were 2,832,552 registered vehicles in Washington in 2022.
There were 5,868,509 licensed drivers in Washington in 2021.
That's a 48% possibility the owner was driving and in my father-in-laws case he never drove his truck, he had been blind since his mid 20's. Not one 16 or 17 year old can own a car in Washington.
Thanks for the help, if you have a spouse or friend who hasn't signed please ask them to help.