NewCliche21 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 http://store.redskins.com/productinfo.asp?item=67&deptcode1=514&sn=5 That is illegal to have on your car. I have a $60 citation to prove it. I was at a corner in Columbia, Maryland and a cop pulled me over. He said that my license plate holder, as linked above, was illegal because it covered part of the plate. "Maryland", the website on the bottom, and my registration expiration dates were all visible, but I still got the fine. I asked him what he meant, and he made an analogy to crack pipes. I'm not joking. He asked, "You know how you can buy those glass crack pipes in Baltimore?" "Um, no? I don't smoke crack." "Well you can buy glass bowls and pipes in a store up there, and it's fine to own it, but you can't use it. That's like your license plate holder." I asked him about the holders you get when you buy a car, like "Jim Coleman Jaguar" or "Win Kelly Chevrolet", and he said those are all illegal, too. Fantastic. So, the warning is that if you buy that plate holder, or any Redskins plate holder, you're breaking the law. The question is to any lawyers/police that read this board: Is this seriously true? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandaceM23 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 I can't offer you any advice .... But that sucks. Hopefully someone on this board can give you advice or has knowledge on license plate holders in MD. Ridiculous .... Was the cop a jerk? Do you think that he was just having a bad day? I'm thinking that he had to have had a bad day to pull someone over for a license plate holder - or maybe he had to meet a quota for tickets? Either way ... sorry about what happened to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BraveWarrior Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 They pulled this crap here in NJ as well. Just more evidence that the state and local governments are using police forces as revenue collectors rather than to serve and protect the citizenry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Touchdown Redskins Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 That is ludicrous if true. It might just be Maryland thing, because I know all of my family's three cars have license plate holders similar to that and haven't gotten crap for them yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman#21 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Im sorry to hear,That really stinks and is major B.S., btw that may be the worse analogy ever! You should def fight this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veretax Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Maybe he was a "ravens" fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teller Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 I spent five years as a police officer, NC, and while he may be technically correct about the letter of the law, he's going overboard in its enforcement. I would usually only pull out the obscure laws if I was looking for a reason to stop a car that I had reason to suspect contained dope, or was involved in some other illegal activity. Don't take offense, NewCliche, but there are lots of things that can make up the "totality of the circumstances" for an officer. Make, model and condition of the car, the neighborhood of the stop, and yes, the appearance of the driver (not necessarily skin color), all play a role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewCliche21 Posted August 31, 2007 Author Share Posted August 31, 2007 That's the thing, he wasn't a jerk at all until I got the citation. I just don't get it, and maybe the plate holder should come with a warning so you don't end up paying 85 plus tax and shipping for something that you can't legally use. I'm still shocked about the car dealership ones being illegal. Find me a SINGLE car, not from Carmax, that doesn't have one of those holders when it's sold. And when it's on the lot, it's breaking the law? So Win Kelly can get literally $60,000 in fines every single day? Ludicrous. Just be careful, guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking Deadman Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 I think I'd be fighting that one in court. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewCliche21 Posted August 31, 2007 Author Share Posted August 31, 2007 I spent five years as a police officer, NC, and while he may be technically correct about the letter of the law, he's going overboard in its enforcement.I would usually only pull out the obscure laws if I was looking for a reason to stop a car that I had reason to suspect contained dope, or was involved in some other illegal activity. Don't take offense, NewCliche, but there are lots of things that can make up the "totality of the circumstances" for an officer. Make, model and condition of the car, the neighborhood of the stop, and yes, the appearance of the driver (not necessarily skin color), all play a role. Not to invoke White Privledge (which I think SUCKS and my job as a social worker is literally to fight), but I'm a 23-year-old white, clean-shaven, well-dressed male in a 2006 Cobalt, perfect condition, well spoken, polite and respectful, and in my Columbia, Maryland neighborhood doing social work. As much as it disgusts me that any of those should be an advantage, I really did fit the model citizen category. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkabong82 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 It says this about frames and covers for the state of Maryland: Permitted provided they do not obscure the numbers, letters or decals (MV and LE). Maintained free from foreign materials, including registration plate covers, and must be clearly legible (MV and LE). http://www.ncsl.org/programs/transportation/tranrev2.htm So long as your cover didn't obscure anything, you should be ok. Take a picture and take it into court with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrypticVillain Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Not to invoke White Privledge (which I think SUCKS and my job as a social worker is literally to fight), but I'm a 23-year-old white, clean-shaven, well-dressed male in a 2006 Cobalt, perfect condition, well spoken, polite and respectful, and in my Columbia, Maryland neighborhood doing social work. As much as it disgusts me that any of those should be an advantage, I really did fit the model citizen category. Man it don't matter who you are, paying a $65 ticket for that is bull****. I got a $200 speeding ticket in April, but at least I deserved it. Nobody deserves to go through this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewCliche21 Posted August 31, 2007 Author Share Posted August 31, 2007 It says this about frames and covers for the state of Maryland:Permitted provided they do not obscure the numbers, letters or decals (MV and LE). Maintained free from foreign materials, including registration plate covers, and must be clearly legible (MV and LE). http://www.ncsl.org/programs/transportation/tranrev2.htm So long as your cover didn't obscure anything, you should be ok. Take a picture and take it into court with you. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vainglory Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 I hate cops especially the ones in howard county maryland...we have had like 1 murder in 9 years and so they got nothing better to do with their time. Sorry you had to experience the azzhole cops i deal with on a daily basis...by the way if youre ever driving on route 29 don't speed cause you'll get a ticket 85% of the time. godspeed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scstand Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Yeah....If that were me I would have def asked him to show me that law in which he was trying to enforce....This would seem to open up lawsuits out the wazu unless something in a dealerships fine print covers this....wow...is all I can say! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G.A.C.O.L.B. Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 They pulled this crap here in NJ as well. Just more evidence that the state and local governments are using police forces as revenue collectors rather than to serve and protect the citizenry. No ****. We just started this bull**** civil penalty fines here in Va for driving offenses and as soon as it went into affect the police are out in full force. Making that money baby. That's what they do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Sick Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Go to court with the holder in your hand and the judge will drop the ticket. I almost got a ticket in VA for having a slightly tinted license plate cover. The cop sat there and watched me take it off, so he didn't give me a ticket. He essentially said the same thing, that just because you can buy something doesn't mean it is legal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teller Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Not to invoke White Privledge (which I think SUCKS and my job as a social worker is literally to fight), but I'm a 23-year-old white, clean-shaven, well-dressed male in a 2006 Cobalt, perfect condition, well spoken, polite and respectful, and in my Columbia, Maryland neighborhood doing social work. As much as it disgusts me that any of those should be an advantage, I really did fit the model citizen category. Like I said, it doesn't necessarily involve skin color, but you're right. You sound like the kind of guy who isn't worth a second look to a cop. It's entirely possible that this guy is just a jerk. We had one officer in my department who was absolutely infamous. As soon as people found out where I worked, people would ask, "Do you know Sgt. XXXXXX?" I'd say "yes" and invariably, question #2 was, "He's an ***hole, isn't he?" :laugh: Maybe you ran into their Sgt. XXXXX. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkabong82 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 New Cliche, if you can give me the code and title your ticket says you violated, I can double check under Maryland's code of law for transportation exactly what that law is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Sick Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Yeah....If that were me I would have def asked him to show me that law in which he was trying to enforce.... Most of the time, the ticket has the statute or whatever that they are writing you up for... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkabong82 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 No ****. We just started this bull**** civil penalty fines here in Va for driving offenses and as soon as it went into affect the police are out in full force. Making that money baby. That's what they do. Yeah. That **** is ridiculous, as well as unconstitutional. I'm glad I'm back at school in Tennessee so I don't have to worry about that garbage. There is an online petition you can sign though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scstand Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Most of the time, the ticket has the statute or whatever that they are writing you up for... Thanks for pointing that out....it's been 15 years since my last ticket...knock on wood/!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldysknzfn1 Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 I can almost sympathize w/you. I say almost b/c I didn't get a ticket, I corrected the no no on the plate holder. I have this plate holder.. Well..it's close to this anyway. I got it at Sport's Authority years ago when they had a clearance sale on them..Got 3 sets for .99/ea. SWEET!..oops..off topic. I put them on my car and a cop pulled me over shortly after b/c the holder was covering my expiration decals. So I moved them while he watched and he said.."have a nice day". I thanked him and was on my way. He said before leaving, you can't put things on your car that cover important info like that..and everything folks sell for cars is not legal in this state. I've not had a problem since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sikizler Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 They pulled this crap here in NJ as well. Just more evidence that the state and local governments are using police forces as revenue collectors rather than to serve and protect the citizenry. That's exactly what is it. Man that sucks NC. Given that it was Columbia though, I think it's highly possible that the cop wears purple on Sundays and has the Baltimore inferiority complex. And it's definitely not a MD thing. I've lived in Maryland and had a license plate frame on my car my whole life and unfortunately, I've been pulled over at least a dozen times (in 3 states and DC), even once for an expired registration and have never even had a cop mention this to me. Good luck if you take this to court. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sikizler Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Sorry to double post, but that's the one I have on my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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