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| Sting nabs drivers leaving court |
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| Written by John Saiz / Patterson Irrigator | |
| Wednesday, 09 April 2008 | |
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“I was just trying to do what they told me to.” — Megan Thompson
drove after her license was suspended for missing a court date MODESTO — Police suspect that most people drive away from traffic court, even if a judge tells them their licenses are suspended. On Thursday, Patterson Police Services sent several deputies to Modesto to catch people doing just that. In all, the suspended-license sting led to 21 citations and 21 towed vehicles. It is unclear how many drivers were from Patterson. With more manpower, police could have caught more than twice that, Patterson police Chief Tyrone Spencer said. Of the 58 people a judge instructed not to drive, only 11 drivers, 20 percent of the total, complied — meaning that 26 unlicensed drivers managed to drive off without citations. Most of those who did not elude the law pleaded and cried for deputies not to tow their vehicles. Their appeals did not convince the deputies. A handful of tow truck drivers were kept busy most of the morning. Megan Thompson from Ceres sat on a curb in a parking lot along with her 1-year-old son as tears fell from her eyes. A tow truck got her car ready to be taken to an impound yard while she waited for her grandfather to pick her up. “I was just trying to do what they told me to,” Thompson said. She said she was headed to the Department of Motor Vehicles, where the judge ordered her to go. “Then they automatically tow me,” she said. Her suspended license stemmed from a failure to appear in court about a year ago. “I missed the court date because I was having him,” she said, gesturing to her son. Patterson traffic safety Deputy Wagner DeFreitas said many people claim they are trying to follow judges’ orders. But a judge would never tell them to drive to do what is required, he said. On Thursday, all the people in traffic court were there to deal with failures to appear in court, which leads to a suspended license. Police nabbed nearly two dozen illegal drivers by having plainclothes cops sit in on the court. They warned nearby deputies, who were waiting in cars and on motorcycles. Other deputies got calls on their radios about who was driving away with a suspended license. At one point in court, the judge announced that police were monitoring the proceedings and would pull over people who drove after having their licenses suspended, Spencer said. Even after the heads-up, people continued to drive away. The sting was tied to a two-year $236,495 state grant. In November, Patterson Police Services received a new motorcycle as part of that money, with the stipulation that police must conduct several suspended-license stings. Because Patterson residents typically go to the Modesto traffic court, the deputies involved in the sting headed to Modesto. About a month ago, Patterson police participated in a similar Modesto sting that had similar results. Deputies are required to do two more stings before the end of the year, Spencer said. The dates are yet to be determined. To reach John Saiz at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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