Police and prosecutors often work to take dangerous criminals off the streets in Oregon in an effort to keep people safe. However, these same police also spend a great deal of time charging people with misdemeanors and giving out traffic citations. While misdemeanors are not as serious as felony charges, they can still have serious repercussions including jail time.
Recently law enforcement officials from the Oregon State Police, Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office and the Portland Police Bureau teamed up to increase enforcement of certain traffic rules. During the operation, the offices were looking to find people who were not following seatbelt rules, speed limits and rules about texting while driving.
On Feb. 20, more than 30 officers were located on various roadways including Interstate 205, Interstate 80 and 82nd Avenue. During that day, these officers stopped more than 200 vehicles. Of these stops 125 citations were issued for cell phone violations, 14 speeding citations were issued and 58 seatbelt related tickets were issued. In addition to these, 71 addition violations were found that ranged from driving without a license or without insurance to more serious offenses including outstanding warrants.
For many of these people the traffic citations could just lead to a ticket and a fine. However, for those charged with more serious crimes, misdemeanor charges could mean court appearances including sentencing. Even for misdemeanor charges, people have the right to defend against the charges in court to minimize the damage. With the right help, people may be able to negotiate with prosecutors to receive lesser sentences. In some cases, people may be able to avoid a guilty verdict by presenting the right defense.
Source: Statesman Journal, "Multi-agency enforcement effort targets driving law violations," Joce DeWitt, Feb. 21, 2013
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