Comedian Chris Rock has put out yet another video spoof on Youtube.com.  “How not to get your ass kicked by the police,” so far has had over 6 million views!  I am a Judge in the Civil Traffic Courts of Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit, but just when I thought I’ve heard it all….  The funny part of this video is not only the content, but the fact that it is so closely related to the truth.

Sgt. Matthew Koep of the South Plainfield, N.J., Police Department said “Citizens who are generally law-abiding are likely to come into contact with the police only under two circumstances: If you’re a crime victim or you get pulled over for a traffic violation.”

Respecting your authority should be the number one priority. The video mentions staying calm and it is another way to stay out of trouble. Your emotions run high with adrenaline and fear when the red and blue lights flash in your rear view mirror. Police are trained to expect some fear, lying and anxiety from drivers, but it  is all about how you react the officer. 

To help keep people in Cambridge, Mass. calm when they receive a ticket, the city is introducing photos of yoga poses.  While there may be some types of photos of yoga poses that may calm people down, I’m not sure that these will quite do the trick.  What do you think?

Finally, many women wonder what to do if they are skeptical about whether the cruiser pulling them over is really law enforcement, or a trap to get them to stop.  My advice is to either put your hazards on or wave to the officer, acknowledging that you recognize the flashing lights.  Don’t pull over on an isolated street.  Use your cell phone to call your local police station or 9-1-1, identify your location, and see if they can verify the officer pulling you over.

In all, honesty is the best policy.  Again, there is nothing worse than lying to an officer and ending up in the back of the car with handcuffs!

Filed under: Criminal Defense by Yau Jo-Anne Wednesday, October 6th, 2010