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Baltimore City council member’s ‘abated’ traffic ticket now in court system
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Baltimore City Council member Rochelle “Rikki” Spector, right, was ticketed Nov. 11 by a city traffic control officer.
A court date has not been set. The citation appeared after The Examiner sent queries to city Department of Transportation officials Monday regarding the status of the ticket. A March 10 article revealed the citation had not appeared in court records as required by law.
Previously, transportation officials said the citation had been “abated” based on an investigation of the actions of the officer who issued the ticket, after Specter complained the officer had been abusive when she tried to turn at a downtown intersection on the way to an awards banquet. But transportation officials said Wednesday that they were no longer abating the citation.
“The ticket has been forwarded on our end, however we cannot tell you when it will be processed with the court,” transportation spokeswoman Adrienne Barnes, who declined to elaborate, said in an e-mail.
State law requires traffic citations to be sent “promptly” to the appropriate court after being signed by the officer. Failure to do is considered “official misconduct” — a criminal offense under Maryland law.
Spector reiterated her claim Wednesday that she did not expect the ticket would be abated when she turned it over to Department of Transportation Director Alfred H. Foxx Jr.
“My motive was to get these people better trained and to do a better job. I always expected I would be in front of a judge,” she said. “These people need better training.”
Spector said reforms are need to ensure traffic officers deal effectively with motorists.
“They are ambassadors for the city.”
sjanis@baltimoreexaminer.com
lbroadwater@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
10:34 PM MST on Tue., Jul. 1, 2008 re: "Spector ruled not guilty for disappearing ticket"
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Examiner Reader said:
One thing I do agree with Spector on is the attitude of the traffic officers. They are some of the rudist people you ever meet. The officer not showing up to court is not vidication. It's called luck. Anyone who has been to traffic court knows that when an officer doesn't show up in court to testify, the defendant is found not guilty in the courts' eyes. This doesnt mean the defendant didn't do what they were charged with.
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Examiner Reader said:
The Examiner headline should have read, "Officer No-Show Results in Spector Being Found Non-Guilty." Hopefully soon the voters in this country will have enough of this crap of government officials thinking they are above the law and "working the system for their own personal benefit." I imagine the officer's no show was not solely on his/her own volition. If the voters don't stand up and demand change, we'll get more and more of this kind of injustice.
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Examiner Reader said:
the balt city council ---lets see---baggy pants bills, smoking bills and a bunch of other nonsense. most of the city is so filthy once you leave the tourist spot(inner harbor). all these people getting community service for these minor drug offenses-why arent they cleaning up this damn city? democrats have this place locked down forever and have done nothing! the party of the people! WHAT A BUNCH OF BULL!!!!
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Examiner Reader said:
Baltimore City = Culture of Crime
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Examiner Reader said:
Can anyone name one thing Rochelle "Rikki" Spector has done while in office? She is the longest serving member and I cant recall a single issue she has solved to improve this city. What a loo who ser.
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Examiner Reader said:
Damn she already had a court date for a ticket issued on November 11, 2007. It took me three years and numerous phone calls to get a court date for a ticket in Baltimore, she must know somebody! Rochelle "Rikki" Spector is commonly known as the dean of the city council, I would be embarrassed by that title myself, she is the longest serving member of a body that has made one stupid decision after stupid decision. A body that has stood idly by as a city has fallen apart. Make no mistake, the real estate boom has helped the city, not anything the city council has done, just look at the school system. Good job Rikki Spector. I love it when Rikki Spector says she never bucks the system, thats funny because in "the system" a city councilman is supposed to live in the district they represent--- Rikki Spector dont, she represent NW Baltimore but live in Federal Hill,-- common knowledge. But like Owe'Malley said "residency is a state of mind-- not an actual address" Yeah Owe'Malley
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Galt said:
O.K., so now, who's going to be responsible for discharging the officer for not showing ??
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Mark said:
There is no justice in Baltimore City. The corruption just goes on and on.
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Examiner Reader said:
The "Officer" not showing up does not vindicate the coucil member. The case was adjudicated on a technicality, not a finding of "not guilty". First Spector asked that the ticket "disappear" and amazing how when she does go to court the Officer disappears.
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Examiner Reader said:
Spector was found not guilty because the officer who issued her the ticket was told by his police captain not to show up in court after being pressured by the Mayor. It it amazing what passes for justice in Baltimore City.
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