On July 25 I was traveling home from work in Glen Allen, Virginia to Martinez, Georgia. It was about 1 AM on I-20 in Aiken County, SC.
I was driving a white 2004 Mercury Marquis with my speed control on 64 miles per hour. As I approached a transfer truck on my right I noticed a patrol car in front of the truck. I drove on by the truck and the patrol car. When I passed the patrol car it increased its speed and pulled in front of me. He then pulled back over in front of the truck; after I passed the patrol car again he pulled behind me and turned on his lights for me to pull over.
Office Blackwelder of the SCHP informed me that I was being pulled over because I had failed to dim my headlights. I told Officer Blackwelder that I did not know that I had my headlights on bright. I told him that if they were on bright it was by accident and I apologized for having them on, if indeed they were on. He informed me that he had taken a video of my lights on bright. He then asked me to put my lights on bright. When I complied by turning them on he asked me to leave them on bright and not go back and forth from dim to bright. I complied.
He then went back to the patrol car and returned several minutes later and handed me a ticket while informing me that the fine would be $155 and that I did not have to come to court I could just send the money in.
I arrived for my court date in Aiken on 8/19/08 at 1:15 for 2 PM court. Sometime after 2 PM, Officer Blackwelder called my name for me to speak with him in the hallway between the courtroom and the clerk's office. He informed me that because I had made the effort to attend court he could reduce my fine. I did not ask him how much and he did not say. I told him that I would still like to be heard by a third party.
He said ok, but I would have to wait until he had spoken to everyone else. I said ok and waited until close to 3 PM when Officer Blackwelder again called me into the hallway and offered to reduce my fine to $81. I told him again I would like to present my case to a judge. He then told me he had spoke to the judge and asked for a continuance until 9/30/08, because he did not know I was coming to court and that he would have to have the video of my lights on bright changed from a vhs format to a dvd disk. I asked him if I could have an earlier court date and he said no, because he rotates in 4 counties and will not be back to Aiken County until 9/30/08
I was back in court on 9/30/08. Officer Blackweider called in at the last minute and said he would not be able to attend court that day. The judge gave me the option of paying my fine or rescheduling again to allow Officer Blackweider to attend. The judge told me the court had the right to continue the case as often as the court needs.
I asked him if he could dismiss my charge and he said no, only the officer who wrote the ticket could do that. He did offer to reduce my fine to $30 if I paid it that day. I reluctantly agreed. He then turned on a recorder and had me answer his questions. He asked me was I pleading guilty of my own free will and accord with no coercion. I smiled and said yes. The judge looked embarrassed. He then asked me had I agreed to pay my fine with no inducement to do so. I smiled again and said yes. I paid my fine to the clerk near the waiting room. I asked her for the judge's first name and she said she was not allowed to give out that information. I have the judge's name somewhere, but I have not been able to find it.
I feel certain I did not have my lights on bright. To put my lights on bright I have to push the turn signal forward, which normally requires a conscious move on the drivers part.
No driver I approached on my 7 hour drive indicated I had my lights on bright.
I appealed for mercy and dismissal of this citation.
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