Kevin ACR
Enthusiast
Warning: an fyi to those of you that may be going to Woodward Avenue in Michigan. The Royal Oak police are being absolutely silly. Tonight my buddy and I went down in the Viper and his 911 and parked in front of a Pier One that happened to be open for half an hour more (it was 8:30).
Royal oak officers pull up in a Tahoe and ask us to move as we are blocking an open business and in the way of customers ( understood, though not really legitimate reason as there were no customers). Regardless, we respect the request and immediately pull out and move down the road to business's that were closed and parked in two spots thinking we had addressed the issue. Half an hour later he drove by and told us, as we sat at the nose of our cars in our lawn chairs, “you guys can’t sit here”. We stood up and put the chairs away and stood and just talked for about half an hour.
As we stand there, a group of 4 now, they pulled up and said "who owns the Viper", I said i did and was asked to show a license. I tried to explain our take on being in front of a closed business instead of an open business and also that we took sitting to mean not out by the road and had put the chairs away. He insisted that he had asked us 3 times in the same spot, I told him we had moved from down the street when he first asked us, he disagreed and said he wasn't going to argue. I told him, look, we're not drinking, smoking, careless driving, etc. He said we disobeyed him, I tried to explain our take on sitting in the chairs and he said he never said "sitting". It was clear there was to be no more discussion as he proceeded to issue me, and only me, a misdemeanor ticket for "failed to obey order of police officer to leave Woodward area", and noted "interfering with police".
As I started to attempt to politely communicate he said the fine could be up to $500 and was a mandatory court appearance. I asked if there was any way he could not write a ticket he said no, I immediately turned to my friend and said get out of here before you get the same.
Mind you there were many, many cars up and down parked in what amounts to miles of strip mall parking on the side of woodward. He then told me that the cruise was intended to be a one day event, had become 1 week and now as 10 days and they weren't going to allow it to happen,
I'm thinking I should get a lawyer, why not a civil infraction? Why a misdemeanor, a criminal offense? My whole night ended in disbelief, drive out to watch cruisers and get a ton of attitude, there was no way he was believing anything I was saying or listening to me.
Can I please get some opinions from my legal friends? Should I get a Lawyer, I don't need a criminal record for "disobeying a police officer"? The Police officer in driver’s seat of the Tahoe seemed more reasonable and said the ticket likely wouldn't be $500, and that I should talk to the city attorney. Hell, I don't know what to do, I'm at a loss so any advice would be greatly appreciated. No points on my record, not criminal offenses ever, no nothing. Disbelief
10 years of going to the Dream Cruise and this is a first.
Royal oak officers pull up in a Tahoe and ask us to move as we are blocking an open business and in the way of customers ( understood, though not really legitimate reason as there were no customers). Regardless, we respect the request and immediately pull out and move down the road to business's that were closed and parked in two spots thinking we had addressed the issue. Half an hour later he drove by and told us, as we sat at the nose of our cars in our lawn chairs, “you guys can’t sit here”. We stood up and put the chairs away and stood and just talked for about half an hour.
As we stand there, a group of 4 now, they pulled up and said "who owns the Viper", I said i did and was asked to show a license. I tried to explain our take on being in front of a closed business instead of an open business and also that we took sitting to mean not out by the road and had put the chairs away. He insisted that he had asked us 3 times in the same spot, I told him we had moved from down the street when he first asked us, he disagreed and said he wasn't going to argue. I told him, look, we're not drinking, smoking, careless driving, etc. He said we disobeyed him, I tried to explain our take on sitting in the chairs and he said he never said "sitting". It was clear there was to be no more discussion as he proceeded to issue me, and only me, a misdemeanor ticket for "failed to obey order of police officer to leave Woodward area", and noted "interfering with police".
As I started to attempt to politely communicate he said the fine could be up to $500 and was a mandatory court appearance. I asked if there was any way he could not write a ticket he said no, I immediately turned to my friend and said get out of here before you get the same.
Mind you there were many, many cars up and down parked in what amounts to miles of strip mall parking on the side of woodward. He then told me that the cruise was intended to be a one day event, had become 1 week and now as 10 days and they weren't going to allow it to happen,
I'm thinking I should get a lawyer, why not a civil infraction? Why a misdemeanor, a criminal offense? My whole night ended in disbelief, drive out to watch cruisers and get a ton of attitude, there was no way he was believing anything I was saying or listening to me.
Can I please get some opinions from my legal friends? Should I get a Lawyer, I don't need a criminal record for "disobeying a police officer"? The Police officer in driver’s seat of the Tahoe seemed more reasonable and said the ticket likely wouldn't be $500, and that I should talk to the city attorney. Hell, I don't know what to do, I'm at a loss so any advice would be greatly appreciated. No points on my record, not criminal offenses ever, no nothing. Disbelief
10 years of going to the Dream Cruise and this is a first.
would make me suspect that he had no legal basis for his request.
