Remember the Ticket?

A few weeks ago I expressed my distaste for a ticket I got in a 'phantom' school zone. I did some research, which began with trying to find out what law I had broken. One thing I learned from my Criminal Justice class, is that there is no crime without Law, and no punishment without crime. So I asked the Lewisville Police Department what Law I had broken. There was a four digit number on my ticket, but it did not relate to any Law. The clerk's office told me that the four digit number was an internal code, and the actual Law would be in the State Statutes. I found it odd that the clerk could not find the Law.

Next, I searched the State Statutes for school zone laws and what I found was ironic. Each county or municipality shall hold a meeting, each year, to request a reduction in the state-set speed limit--35 mph--for any road they deem necessary, for the safety of others. There was another requirement I found interesting. The reduced speed limit must be within 500 feet of the school property.

To date, I have not been able to find any records that Lewisville Texas has held such a meeting as described above. However, I did measure the distance from the school, to the bridge--over interstate 35--where I was stopped by the officer. It was 1632 feet, thus proving the ticket was bogus.

The next time you get a ticket, do some research. You may not be guilty!