bdruggan10r Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Plus the PBA or FOP has got to know what this means to the state, and I'm sure they're pitching in..Neither the PBA or FOP will represent an officer, Deputy of Trooper in criminal proceedings. They stand this alone. Shamansky comes out of his own pocket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V4junkie Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 You are missing the point entirely. However way you slice it, 150MPH is a clear danger to public safety. Whether it's 80 over the limit or 70 over the limit, it doesn't matter. It also doesn't matter if the guy writes warnings all day or if he busts balls.Maybe it's just me. On a douchebaggery scale it does, but not in the grand scheme of things. Either way 150 isn't right, but the only reason I'm personally outraged that a cop did it is hypocrisy. I don't even think of police and public safety being linked any more, I just think tickets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Neither the PBA or FOP will represent an officer, Deputy of Trooper in criminal proceedings. ahh thats nice of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheech Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Maybe it's just me. On a douchebaggery scale it does, but not in the grand scheme of things. Either way 150 isn't right, but the only reason I'm personally outraged that a cop did it is hypocrisy. I don't even think of police and public safety being linked any more, I just think tickets.In reality, they aren't linked. The police and politicians would love for you t believe that they are. That's what makes the irony so delicious, you can now beat them over the head with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disclaimer Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 You beat cops over the head with irony? You're doing it wrong.I usually use a nightclub, preferably their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheech Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 You beat cops over the head with irony? You're doing it wrong.I usually use a nightclub, preferably their own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xz7bob Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 I got an email from the clerk of courts in licking county muni saying the court room will be open, but check the day before to make sure it is still on for 7/24.I may seem overly interested in this guy but have good reason... I got screwed by BMV and department of public safety once to the tune of a 3-month suspension. It was a technicality and they made no effort to cut me a break. I requested a hearing with the BMV and spent 1k on a lawyer to go with me and at the hearing they said they had to follow the letter of the law even though the suspension was extreme for my infraction. Unlike this guy, I can assure everyone that what I did would have in no way potentially killed anyone... This guy gets paid (well) to ensure public safety on the highway (opps, that is meant to say "write tickets"). I saw a newspaper article saying that the top state trooper wrote over 1,500 tickets last year in Ohio...WOW! I wonder how many stranded motorists they helped in comparison. You and I are just dipshits in the eyes of the OSHP...we need to be protected from ourselves. Well, when one one of them acts like a major-league dumbass yes, it is different then when one of us dipshits screw up... his training and experience SHOULD tell him that 150 in a 65 is VERY wrong. He should know how horrific the accident could have been if he had caused one as he has most likely seen this kind of stuff many times in his career! Like someone else mentioned earlier, kind of like the fox guarding the hen house. I know it was on his own time, but seriously...what in the hell was this guy thinking? That he wouldn't get caught? Did he realize how much attention he would attract at 150? Myself, I would claim "temporary insanity"... that's why I want to attend the trial, I am really curious as to what he will say in his defense!Should he be sentenced differently, NO. But would I want a convicted bank robber as a teller if I owned a bank? Well, it can be argued that everyone makes mistakes and we should give the crook a second chance, but I don't think I'd want the bank robber working at my bank... I know I am comparing apples to oranges (felonies to misdemeanors)... but this could have easily become a felony and feel there should be serious consequences when it comes to his continued employment as a trooper.So yes, this guy should get a minimum of a 3 months suspension in my opinion. Glad to hear that the legal bill will come out of his own pocket.Imagine going 150 in traffic that was doing 65-70. I'm running it thru my mind and one scenerio is chilling... old lady in slow lane wants to pull into passing lane...glances in left side mirror and sees bike coming up in passing lane but doesn't realize he is going a buck fifty... she changes lanes thinking she has plenty of room and the guy on the bike either trys to avoid her and wipes out, creating a 500 lb 150mph projectile... I used to race in WERA and can testify to how far something goes after a wipeout at 150. Bike crosses median (although I think there are concrete barriers on that section of 70) and hits someone head on.I realize not everybody agrees with me, but it is great that people can get on these forums to understand differnet points of view and I respect everyones elses... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdruggan10r Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 (edited) Maybe it's just me. On a douchebaggery scale it does, but not in the grand scheme of things. Either way 150 isn't right, but the only reason I'm personally outraged that a cop did it is hypocrisy. I don't even think of police and public safety being linked any more, I just think tickets.In reality, they aren't linked. The police and politicians would love for you t believe that they are. That's what makes the irony so delicious, you can now beat them over the head with it.For those of you that have met me and those of you that will meet me I hope you know this to be true. There is a distinct difference between the officer on the job and the officer off the job. Not a hypocrite, just a human. I will not betray may badge and would not risk losing it. Public Safety was a non issue as far as linking him as a LEO when he set out on that bike, just the same as when I do on my own time. Cop on duty, biker on the bike, etc etc. A cop who lives by the stressers of the job 24 / 7 will die within 1 year of retirement. So I take off my uniform and thus, I no longer go by the cop mentality. I don't know if that is what they were doing, but they are human. Dumb ones, but human. :violin::violin: Edited July 16, 2009 by bdruggan10r Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruit Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 10TV is reporting that the Gahanna cop was on their SWAT team (but was on worker's comp) and has been kicked off the team.http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2009/07/16/story_gahanna.html?sid=102 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shittygsxr Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 I just want to know what happened to the last 10 bikers caught doing 147. Take the average of their fines / suspension / jail, and that's the officer's punishment. No more, no less than the average citizen.I think his cockiness is evident in the video and he needs the max fine. There should be no doubt in anyones mind that he thinks he is above the law. The cop asked him do you have anything in your pockets I should know about and the guy answers no, just a couple of badges. He is a cocky prick and deserves more than the average citizen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jporter12 Posted July 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 I think his cockiness is evident in the video and he needs the max fine. There should be no doubt in anyones mind that he thinks he is above the law. The cop asked him do you have anything in your pockets I should know about and the guy answers no, just a couple of badges. He is a cocky prick and deserves more than the average citizen.It would be a different story if he had just given the trooper his license, and gotten a ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mellogsxr Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 HAHAHAHAHAhahaahahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unk Greg Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 (edited) so summarizing it is (?):http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/articl...speeding/19172/http://www.newarkadvocate.com/apps/pbcs.dl...ews01/907090362NEWARK -- An Ohio Highway Patrol trooper pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning to a 147-mph speeding ticket after he learned the judge intended to suspend his driver's license. Jason E. Highsmith, 35, was clocked at well in excess of double the 65 mph posted speed limit on the Licking Township portion of Interstate 70 on June 28.It gets better.....http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/articl...speeding/19172/He was riding with a Gahanna Police Department officer whose speed was timed at 149 mph. Christopher Thomas, 33, will appear in court next week. Both men were riding 2008 Kawasaki motorcycles.New the Gahanna police office is on disability......not for long I'll bethttp://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/sto...er.html?sid=102GAHANNA, Ohio — A police officer could have to deal with more than just traffic court after he was cited for allegedly riding his motorcycle at nearly 150 mph.Gahanna police Officer Christopher Thomas has been on disability since December, and now the Bureau of Workers' Compensation plans to join the investigation, 10 Investigates' Paul Aker reported.Last month, Thomas and Ohio State Highway Trooper Jason Highsmith were pulled over along Interstate 70. Troopers said the men were traveling nearly 150 mph on their motorcycles.SLIDESHOW: Images From Traffic StopAccording to records obtained by 10 Investigates, Thomas has been on paid leave since hurting himself in a fall on Dec. 20. The records say he slipped on ice and injured his chin and strained his upper back.Taxpayers have been paying his $34 an hour salary since, Aker reportedThen there is this...http://www.onntv.com/live/content/local/st...op.html?sid=102"I've got a couple of motorcycles; look like bullets coming at you," the pilot sad.One of the motorcyclists, off-duty Trooper Jason Highsmith, was traveling at 147 mph. The other man, off-duty Gahanna police Officer Christopher Thomas, was clocked at 149 mph, Hirsch reported.After they were pulled over, the men quickly pointed out that they were law officers."Either of you have anything on you I need to know about?" the trooper asked."No, sir," Highsmith said. "A couple of badges, some guns and (expletive) like that."A third rider was pulled over but was not cited because the plane's pilot did not record his speed, Hirsch reported."He's definitely guilty but I've got no watch times on him," the pilot said. "I've got nothing on him."The three motorcyclists continued to chat with troopers after being pulled over, even joking around about how fast they were riding, Hirsch reported.Then, for reasons unknown, one of the uniformed troopers did something the patrol called "unusual." The trooper shut the microphone to his cruiser camera off. Edited July 17, 2009 by littlecarbsbigsmiles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smashweights Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Just as an aside to consider:i drive a truck for Scotts and they have a policy of 6 points on your license gets you fired. I think the 147+ speeding and reckless op would not just be fines and suspension but I would lose my job too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jester851 Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 So maybe I missed it....does anyone know when the case against Highsmith goes to trial? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheech Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 So maybe I missed it....does anyone know when the case against Highsmith goes to trial?24th I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananas Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 Let them go....Let them go.... Let them go.... Let them go.....What the hell, we all ride like this, give them a ticket, mark there file, and let them go back to work. What they do off duty doesnt change how they do there job. If we were all judged for what we did while we were not working Half of you would be in BIG trouble and the other half, well maybe all of us would be in big troulble.... Jason, good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod38um Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 Let them go....Let them go.... Let them go.... Let them go.....What the hell, we all ride like this, give them a ticket, mark there file, and let them go back to work. What they do off duty doesnt change how they do there job. If we were all judged for what we did while we were not working Half of you would be in BIG trouble and the other half, well maybe all of us would be in big troulble.... Jason, good luck.Actually thats the best thing that could happen to us (the riding public)The problem is the sense of justice that we wont get when a cocky prick who obviously thinks the law applies to everyone but cops isnt punished. Personally I would like to see the cops that pulled him over and joked around with him about it, thrown off the force. The obvious difference in the way Highsmith was treated compared to the general public is absolutely pathetic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheech Posted July 18, 2009 Report Share Posted July 18, 2009 Actually thats the best thing that could happen to us (the riding public)Yep. It's basically carte blanche to go however fast you want. Go 100 in a 65 with minimal to no traffic in a safe (for public roads) area? Get charged with reckless op because the cop wants to make you an "example"? Spend a hour or two of your time in court, and those pieces of paper won't be worth the ink printed on them. As long as you can prove there were no aggravating circumstances like lane-splitting through 71 at rush hour doing 100 on one wheel, there's no reason that I can see that you won't get off.My question to any lawyers (armchair or otherwise) is that if a case precedent is set in one country (Licking), can you reference that case as defense in other counties? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xz7bob Posted July 19, 2009 Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 Actually thats the best thing that could happen to us (the riding public)The problem is the sense of justice that we wont get when a cocky prick who obviously thinks the law applies to everyone but cops isnt punished. Personally I would like to see the cops that pulled him over and joked around with him about it, thrown off the force. The obvious difference in the way Highsmith was treated compared to the general public is absolutely pathetic! I think this is really insightfull... the trooper turning off the mike CONFIRMS that the way troopers treat their own is different that the way they treat you and me! That guy should be in bigger trouble than highsmith... This guy was on tax payer time when he did thatTrial is set for 7/24 at 10am and I confirmed that the court room will be open for spectators... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smashweights Posted July 19, 2009 Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 I think if he hadn't flaunted the fact that he was a cop immediately after being pulled over, a lot of us would be more sympathetic. or if the officer that pulled him over had just ignored the remark about being an officer. OR if this was done on a back road. i think everyone on here is smart enough NOT to try and max out the speedometer on an interstate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheech Posted July 19, 2009 Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 I think if he hadn't flaunted the fact that he was a cop immediately after being pulled over, a lot of us would be more sympathetic. or if the officer that pulled him over had just ignored the remark about being an officer. OR if this was done on a back road. i think everyone on here is smart enough NOT to try and max out the speedometer on an interstate.In his defense, he really didn't flaunt the fact he was a cop. The ticketing officer asked them if they had anything he should know about, and being a police officer means that you are more than likely concealed carrying. Anytime you are stopped by police you have to by law declare to the cop that you are carrying a lawful firearm, and that's basically what they did. Now, if this were any civilian with a CCW, the cop would have disarmed that person immediately, stored the firearm in his cruiser, and completed the stop. That didn't happen here due to the fact that they were cops, and that's why they declared that right off the bat. I'm totally fine with this.And that is as far as the special treatment should have went given the circumstances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jporter12 Posted July 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2009 In his defense, he really didn't flaunt the fact he was a cop. The ticketing officer asked them if they had anything he should know about, and being a police officer means that you are more than likely concealed carrying. Anytime you are stopped by police you have to by law declare to the cop that you are carrying a lawful firearm, and that's basically what they did. Now, if this were any civilian with a CCW, the cop would have disarmed that person immediately, stored the firearm in his cruiser, and completed the stop. That didn't happen here due to the fact that they were cops, and that's why they declared that right off the bat. I'm totally fine with this.Didn't think of it that way. Makes sense, but the way things proceeded from there doesn't look good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruit Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 Anytime you are stopped by police you have to by law declare to the cop that you are carrying a lawful firearm, and that's basically what they did. That would be true of a citizen with a CCW. I didn't know that counted for cops too, their right to carry (even off-duty) is governed by a different set of laws.Now, if this were any civilian with a CCW, the cop would have disarmed that person immediately, stored the firearm in his cruiser, and completed the stop.Well, I've had a couple contacts with the police and they haven't taken my gun when I notifed. Granted, none of those were enforcement contacts against myself, but still. It's up to the individual officer's judgement based upon the totality of circumstances, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdruggan10r Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 (edited) That would be true of a citizen with a CCW. I didn't know that counted for cops too, their right to carry (even off-duty) is governed by a different set of laws. You are correct.Well, I've had a couple contacts with the police and they haven't taken my gun when I notifed. Granted, none of those were enforcement contacts against myself, but still. It's up to the individual officer's judgement based upon the totality of circumstances, I guess. Again, you are correct. Edited July 20, 2009 by bdruggan10r Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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