Caught on Camera

Fighting a traffic fine in court starts the moment you’re pulled over by the police (if in fact you get pulled over – these days unexpected penalty notices often arrive by post). At the roadside, whatever you say can have a significant bearing on what happens in court. It’s stressful, and you’re likely to feel out of your depth. But you need to get your ‘game face’ on because…

In many states anyone stopped by the highway patrol will be videotaped and the conversation will be recorded. Everything will be recorded and – potentially – subject later to scrutiny in court.

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Sgt Bill Lewis (not his real name) has been a Highway Patrol officer with the Victorian Police for 12 years. He says many drivers torpedo themselves in the legal sense virtually as soon as they speak