Each Wednesday, we’ll publish quick summaries of the articles from the last week on TheNewspaper.com. We’re doing this because these articles are often strongly connected to the issues that National Motorists Association members are interested in.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Tennessee Courts Crack Down On Cops Taking Blood From Drivers
The US Supreme Court’s McNeely decision has made it much more difficult for police officers to forcibly draw blood from motorists without a warrant. Last week, the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals became the latest to apply the precedent to discourage the practice statewide.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Texas Asks US Supreme Court To Rule On License Plates
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott wants the US Supreme Court to weigh in on the question of whether his state must offer license plates that some organizations consider to be offensive. In a filing to the Supreme Court last week, the Sons of Confederate Veterans urged justices to uphold the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit’s July ruling that gave the green light to confederate specialty license plates in the Lone Star State.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Chicago, Illinois Resists Short Yellow Refunds
Officials in Chicago, Illinois are doing their best to resist the increasingly loud calls for a refund of 77,000 red-light camera tickets issued at intersections where the yellow warning time was illegally short. Joseph M. Ferguson, the city’s inspector general, revealed on Friday that tickets were issued at intersections where the yellow time was 2.9 seconds, which falls before the bare minimum 3.0 seconds required under federal regulations.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
France, Germany: Traffic Cameras Bashed, Trashed
In Drennhausen, Germany vigilantes trashed a traffic camera last week. According to Kreiszeitung Wochenblatt, the automated ticketing machine was left a twisted wreck after being severely bashed.
Friday, October 10, 2014
ACLU Sues Delaware Town Over Flashing Headlight Ticket
Anthony Jackson is a thoughtful motorist. He noticed a police officer hiding behind a bridge as he drove past the bottom of a hill on Main Street in Smyrna, Delaware on April 19. To save his fellow motorists from the prospect of an expensive traffic ticket, he flashed his headlights, warning traffic in the opposite lane to slow down.
Thursday, October 09, 2014
Orange County, California Advances Ordinance Banning Red-Light Cameras
America’s sixth most populous county is fed up with red-light cameras, and the Orange County, California Board of Supervisors is determined to do something about it. On Tuesday, they unanimously approved to the first draft of an ordinance that outlaws the use of automated ticketing machines on roads within the incorporated areas of the county. This includes Coto de Caza, Ladera Ranch, North Tustin and Santiago Canyon. Board Chairman Shawn Nelson explained that the measure only affects ticket cameras.
