Pulled over and Arrested in Cocoa, Fl

[picklefish]

So the reality of cop prejudice finally hit home this week. After reading of Ron Bs ordeal I have decided to fight it in Brevard co court.

Monday afternoon I rode by a traffic stop where several county cop cars had pulled someone over. Seemed excessive but I decided it might be a drug related thing and motored past about 25 mph. Up and over the bridge I go and when I get to the bottom of the bridge I hear the blue lights and siren behind me. So I pull over and pull out my page of definitions from the 2011 Florida statutes with the appropriate sections highlighted.

Cops pulled out their reference booklet and decided I was illegaly operating an unliscenced motorvehicle while in possession of a suspended drivers liscence.

WARNING! If your liscence is suspended mail it to the DMV immediately, do not have it on you! Its a misdemeanor the dick cops will use against you.

So they booked me into the county Jail and the next morning the Pretrial release judge couldnt believe I was there and immediately dropped the $1500 bond to zero and signed the release order. I was let go more than 15 hours later at Midnight Wed morning, rediculous. Apparently if I am an inmate by Midnight, the jail gets to count me as a resident for another day and charge the state for it. Beware, Jail was not fun!!!

Anyways, will keep it updated.

 

[Dobzeh]

That sucks dude, theres allways some cops who care and then some cops who don't
you just got to be lucky at least the charges were drupes I still want to the the written answer best luck to you keep us updated

 

[JustAnotherBozoOnABike]

Florida LEO are all big juicy dung holes. ...Pigs with a capital bacon. ...they live to mess with people and love locking them up, ...that's why i don't live in Florida any more.

, bozo

btw, i'd bet dollars to donuts that your case is tossed out of court entirely but not without the hassle of you needing to go to court and deal with all the bs that that entails. ...don't buy a lawer, you won't need one and they are worse than cops, ...the slimey phucks!

 

[nightcruiser]

That really sucks, I hope things work out and the charges get tossed out of court for you....
I was in Cocoa about a month ago, did a lot of walking and ran across a couple motorized bicycle
s cruising happily. I was kinda surprised to see a motorized bicycle riding down the sidewalk there instead of in the street, here in IL thats a big no-no, you can't ride a motorized bicycle on the sidewalk. The motorized bicycles were riding appropriately in harmony with walkers, joggers and pedal riders, but I had to wonder if the rider was not informed of the law or if the law allows you to ride a motorized bicycle on the sidewalk in FL?
I really love Florida, but the gung-ho ready to ruin your day law enforcement there is a bit off the hook, I don't know if I could live there full time and deal with that....

 

[picklefish]

charges havent been dropped yet, have a court date end of May. I was just released on my own recognizance.

 

[picklefish]

nothing motorized on the sidewalks permitted, I saw a moped going down one the other day though, wrong direction too. Nothing suprises me anymore.

 

[nightcruiser]

nothing motorized on the sidewalks permitted, I saw a moped going down one the other day though, wrong direction too. Nothing suprises me anymore.

I saw the same guy riding his motorized bicycle down the sidewalk between the La Quinta and the town center a couple times while I was in Cocoa. He was riding appropriately slow, but it just didn't seem right to me. I would guess he's been "corrected" by LEO by now.... lol
Cocoa is a great place to ride if you can get away with it though.....

 

[picklefish]

You mustve been in Cocoa Beach, thats the only town I can think of with a La Quinta and has Cocoa in the name. Since I started riding I never had any problem with LEOs until Monday. I figure they were doing traffic stop training or something. Many times I passed or was passed by LEOs. On the beach its nice because they rent scooters everywhere, I imagine the LEOs are desensitized over there. Plenty of bike lanes to ride in also.

 

[hawaii_87]

Good luck with everything!!! What they did was absolutely unnecessary and excessive.

 

[nightcruiser]

You mustve been in Cocoa Beach, thats the only town I can think of with a La Quinta and has Cocoa in the name. Since I started riding I never had any problem with LEOs until Monday. I figure they were doing traffic stop training or something. Many times I passed or was passed by LEOs. On the beach its nice because they rent scooters everywhere, I imagine the LEOs are desensitized over there. Plenty of bike lanes to ride in also.

Yah, guess it was Cocoa Beach, not too familiar with the boundaries of the different towns down there. There certainly was a lot of bicycles and scooters running around and everyone seemed to be going happily on their way without any harassment, even the guy riding the motorized bicycle down the sidewalk! LOL

 

[Fast eddiee]

Jesus, some of these cops are out of control.
I got arrested once on my bicycle for "defiant trespass".
I rode through an open cemetery at night. Like 5 cops showed
up and sifted through my bike bag looking for Contraband.
They cuffed me and threw me in the back of the car, I was
laughing, I couldnt believe i was being arrested for riding through
an open cemetary, there was no no trespassing signs.
The cop kept saying, "not so funny now is it"?

They threw me in a jail cell for about 20 minutes with cuffs on.
Eventually they let me go, I showed up for my court date and
of course the coward cop did not and my fake charges were dropped.
The cops have way too much power, I know they have a hard job
but man, if they want to harrass you or if you question them,
look out.

 

[Desert Rat]

I found this pic awhile ago and I think it about says it all LOL

 

[Kioshk]

I never got around to posting this, but I was pulled-over for the first time on Saturday-night in Suffolk County, NY (Long Island). I'm a Connecticut resident and have a license. Legal in CT, not NY. Anyway, I motored through a red-light at about 25MPH with a car approaching...that car was way off, and I had plenty of time. That car was also far enough away for me not to see it was a cop. Sure enough...I see red-and-blue in my rear-view and hear *BWOOP* *BWOOP*. I pulled over immediately (was riding shoulder anyway) and cut engine. Cop pulled up next to me with passenger-window rolled down. He says to me "I coulda hit you back there...you totally blew that light!" (pissed off). Me:"Oh my! I'm sorry officer; I didn't see you. I'm sorry." Him (still POed): "Well, be more careful on whatever the H3LL that thing is!". Turns off lights and drives off. This is the 7th interaction I've had with Suffolk cops in the year I've been riding and the first where I've been "pulled over". They've been nothing but cool with me, and I think it's because I've been cool with them. If you come upon a cop...SLOW DOWN...make eye-contact...smile...and wave (or at least nod). They're just fellow humans doing a $#!+ty job and deal with $#!+ty people all day long. EXPECT cops to have "attitudes", don't be a dope. You pull out a book of laws with sections highlighted so you can tell the cop his business, you are just asking for trouble...even if you're 90% in the right (and most of the time you won't be). By the way, cops are just dudes too...they secretly LOVE our wonderful contraptions. Be compliant and agreeable when stopped; it's all about EGO...and the cop will ALWAYS win that battle...feed his EGO!

 

[Dobzeh]

I ride my motorized bicycle on the roads in my neighborhood and around but when i get to a main road i will ride on a sidewalk my whole city has a sidewalk about 2 times the width of a normal side walk enough room for city workers to drive golf carts on.I have driven by about 3 cop and all i do is i will cut the engine and ghost pedal till they leave i feel i will drw to much attention if i ride in the road with other cars.

 

[picklefish]

@hawaii 87- I believe its purposefully done to bully and intimidate us. The $262 I had to pay to get the bike out of the impound lot was absolutely rediculous. I absolutely believe its an abuse of power.

 

[Desert Rat]

I have never been able to conceive how any rational being could propose happiness to himself from the exercise of power over others.

“The policy of the American government is to leave its citizens free, neither restraining them nor aiding them in their pursuits.”

"If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so."

Thomas Jefferson

Just a few thoughts about our hobby and cops

 

[picklefish]

I have purchased a rear view mirror, I highly recommend them. Now I can see if I am being tailed by one and cut the engine. Yes cops have egos! the arresting officer was cool, bummed about taking me to jail. His supervisor was the dick that made him jail me. I was honest, courteous etc...I know enough not to intentionally provoke them. Like poking a tiger with a stick.

 

[RonB]

With consideration of your DL suspension you may want to consider hiring a traffic lawyer? should not be more than a couple hundred dollars, things will go smother for u if it does not get thrown out? Anyway if you go alone you may be given a paper when you go in and before court starts to sign and wave your right to appeal? DO NOT SIGN IT!leave it blank! if you intend to fight it? if you go alone and things go bad you can appeal and obtain a lawyer then" for pre -trial. anyway hope you better luck than I?

 

[picklefish]

definately, I know to plead not guilty to everything and request a jury trial. I am going to consult an attorney and if I do go it alone, I will use a paralegal service to draft all the paperwork.

 

[RonB]

definately, I know to plead not guilty to everything and request a jury trial. I am going to consult an attorney and if I do go it alone, I will use a paralegal service to draft all the paperwork.

sounds like a smart way to go!