September 26, 2009 3:34 AM PDT
Hello, I was wondering if there were any rider/lawyers that could comment on this:
It was only this morning that I learned of the new law effective since September 1, 2009. And being ignorant on this new law, last night I was stopped by a local police officer for "riding without head protection." The officer specifically stated that was his reasoning in pulling me over. I was going under the speed limit, turn signals, lights, everything were lawful & used appropriately.
As such, the officer asked me to verify I had the required insurance for riding without a helmet, and I replied that I had let my policy expire. I showed him my motorcycle insurance, and license and he returned the insurance to me and returned to his cruiser.
A few minutes later he informed me that I was going to be arrested for an outstanding warrant resultant of an unpaid speeding fine from another county. The arresting officer gave me a minute to call a friend with a class M endorsement to come retrieve my motorcycle. I was unable to get ahold of anyone, and he allowed me to move the bike into a more concealed spot. I elected to leave it there rather than have it towed because I have heard bad things about towed motorcycles being winched up a wrecker on their side.
Regardless, after a few hours I was finally booked in and got someone to come pay the outstanding $560 ticket and was realeased. Which, all in all, is ultimately what a warrant will do to you. However, is there anything that I can do to inform the officers or the PD that they pulled me over unlawfully, and as such I endured a lot of frustration and humiliation as a result of it?
I'm not asking to recoup the $560, but I am looking to let them know that I shouldn't have been "detain[ed] as a person who is the operator of...a motorcycle for the sole purpose of determining whether [I was] covered by a motorcylce health insurance plan...]
I appreciate your thoughts & insights, as I'm a new cyclefish member!
