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Challenging Radar Evidence in Mecklenburg County Traffic Cases

The officers in Mecklenburg County use radars to measure the speed of vehicles on the highway. The way the radar works is that there is a screen on the radar that posts the speed and as the speed appears there is a number beside the vehicle as it enters the radar screen and a tone is heard by the officer. A higher pitch of tone indicates a higher speed. The radar is capable of measuring both vehicles at once when two vehicles are on the radar.

There is no print-out or read-out of the radar measurements. Sworn law enforcement officers are under oath to tell the truth when they testify about their observations from the radar gun, and that is the evidence that is used against the person when it comes to measuring their speed.

Fortunately, a skilled attorney could help you with challenging radar evidence in Mecklenburg County traffic cases. If you are facing charges, reach out to an accomplished traffic offense lawyer today.

Officer’s Testimony in Traffic Cases

In traffic cases, it is typically the driver’s words versus the officer’s, but the evidence will depend on the testimony of the driver and the officer. The officer is going to testify about measuring the driver’s speed using a radar gun and the driver, if the defendant says they were not going that fast, is going to need to present evidence as to how they knew they were not going that fast. Sometimes, that is a reading from the speedometer. Other times, it is a reading from a GPS device, and some people are using an app that keeps track of their speed or average speed during certain stretches of their travel.

Weight of Radar Evidence in Court

Radar readings are given significant weight in court because they are seen as reliable instruments that can regularly, accurately measure speed. The observations of the officer are given weight related to the radar because they are sworn officers. The radar instruments that are used in Mecklenburg County are considered to be very accurate. However, that does not mean that they are infallible. As with any other device, they are subject to human error. Therefore, it is crucial for defendants to obtain a seasoned lawyer who is experienced with challenging radar evidence in Mecklenburg County traffic cases.

Defenses to Radar Readings in Traffic Cases

The radar does depend on human observation. In terms of officers required to testify about their observations of the radar gun, anything that involves humans is subject to error. An inaccurate reading or evidence that the officer might have misremembered on their observations to the radar gun could be a defense against the radar reading in court. Additionally, if the tuning forks of the radar have not been calibrated in six months, or if the officer did not informally calibrate their radar before or after their shift, that could be a defense to the radar reading.

There are some issues that come up in speeding cases regarding traffic radar instruments. Very often, people insist they were not traveling that speed and they know that based on their speedometer, a measurement from a GPS app, or some other device. When there is a vehicle beside them in the lane, they may say that the radar locked onto the wrong car or experienced interference. The radars are not infallible and their measurement can be of an object other than the car but appear to the officer as having been the car that the person was driving.

Call today for more information about challenging radar evidence in Mecklenburg County traffic cases. Let a dedicated attorney advocate for you.

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