Radar Beats GPS In Court — Or Does It?

TechnologyResource writes "More than two years ago in California, a police officer wrote Shaun Malone a ticket for going 62mph in a 45-mph zone. Malone was ordered to pay a $190 fine, but his parents appealed the decision, saying data from a GPS tracking system they installed in his car to monitor his driving proved he was not speeding. What ensued was the longest court battle over a speeding ticket in Sonoma county history. The case also represented the first time anyone locally had tried to beat a ticket using GPS. The teen's GPS pegged the car at 45 mph in virtually the same location. At issue was the distance from the stoplight — site of the first GPS 'ping' that showed Malone stopped — to the second ping 30 seconds later, when he was going 45 mph. Last week, Commissioner Carla Bonilla ruled the GPS data confirmed the prosecution's contention that Malone had to have exceeded the speed limit and would have to pay the $190 fine. 'This case ensures that other law enforcement agencies throughout the state aren't going to have to fight a case like this where GPS is used to cast doubt on radar,' said Sgt. Ken Savano, who oversees the traffic division. However, Commissioner Bonilla noted the accuracy of the GPS system was not challenged by either side in the dispute, but rather they had different interpretations of the data. Bonilla ruled the GPS data confirmed the prosecution's contention that Malone had to have exceeded the speed limit."

Comments

Re:Sgt is an idiot

[black3d]

The judge who allowed the case to proceed in the first place is also an idiot. I see no good reason why the case wasn't thrown out immediately.

I can't quite fathom why the court system allowed "So what if the radar said I was going 62 at that point in time. I was going at 45 at two other completely different points in time." as an argument.

I can see how it happened though -
1. Stupid, dishonest, ignorant kid goes home and tells his parents "No, I wasn't speeding".
2. Parents get GPS data readout which shows he was going at 45 "around that time" in two different readings.
3. Parents lack basic knowledge of trigonometry and can't translate the speed over the distance travelled between readings.
4. Neither can the court. Case proceeds.

Seriously though, in every case like this where the defendant (the kid) lies to the court, they should be charged with contempt. If you don't want to lie, take the 5th. It sickens me daily that the majority of our courts time is wasted with dickless wonders who are too scared to accept responsibility for their actions.