A Rider in San Angelo was stopped for not wearing a helmet. He showed the officer his insurance card from work but the officer would not accept that as proof of coverage and the man received a ticket. The rider then took the ticket and insurance card to the judge for dismissal but the judge also refused to accept anything but the policy as proof. I spoke with the judge and he doesn't care how it is supposed to be, he sets the rules in his court. The man has chosen to go to court with a date being set for Feb. 23rd. I shall attend this trial and hopefully get to testify as a expert witness. The rider has said he is ready to take the case all the way to the top. I am proud to see someone willing to go that extra mile. We shall go all the way with him.
I shall ask one of our AIM Attorneys to accept the case but if necessary I will pay an attorney from Association funds to settle this issue. We knew when we accepted the Bill it would come to this. I expected I would be the test case.We also have a member who was ticketed in Pantigo and found guilty by a jury in spite of the fact that he has a one million dollar health insurance policy. The officer testified that a rider needs insurance, rider Ed. and the sticker - the DA testified a rider must have the sticker and the Judge charged the jury that if they believe the man was not wearing a helmet then they must find him guilty. Is this America or some communist country. How can an innocent man be found guilty on such a trumped up farce. I say again THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN and we must repair it. [Editor's Note:You broke it! Nobody else is gonna fix it!]
I contacted the office of the Attorney General on this matter and was told a ruling request must come from a committee chairman. I then contacted Rep. Pitts' office and Representative Pitts has sent a letter, on our behalf, to Chairman Alexander requesting that he ask for a Attorney General's ruling as to whether the officers have a right to even stop us for not wearing a helmet. I have received a copy of Chairman Alexander's letter requesting the ruling. We are required to have a license and Liability insurance to ride at all but stopping us just because we are riding to check our license and insurance has been ruled unconstitutional. I believe this Bill should carry the same protection. Time will tell. Just another day in the life of your chairman.