I just received from my brother in Florida a copy of
the article in USA Today's January 30th issue.  He
didn't attach any note, just the article--because no
note was needed!!

In August 1968--yes 1968, almost 35 yrs. ago--we were
going to college and I got a ticket at around 1AM or
2AM in the morning when we were going down the main
street--4 lanes I recall.  We were going either 35 MPH
in a 25 MPH zone or 45 MPH in a 35 MPH zone, I can't
recall what the speed limit was--I think it was 25
MPH.  There were no cars around. 

All of a sudden I heard a police siren and we had to
go to a police station to settle the ticket.


Add this story to your list.  We have to be one of the
oldest stories!!

Jim


My woes happened in 1991/1992. I used to live in Galloway, right on the
other side of New Rome. A visiting student from NYC, I originally received a
summons from one of the many, and I say many, Streeter brothers, twins, or
whatever thing gave birth to their kind. He pulled me over on a
technicality, one of the never ending kinds, and when I showed him my NYC
license, he gave me ticket for driving with an out-of-state license. 

Ahoy! I say.  The Not Guilty hearing with none other but the fat mayor, "I'm a transit
student and there is a clause stating that in Ohio DMV rules I can drive
with this license". Case dismissed, as I ripped the ticket in front of
Streeter on my way out of the make believe station house of charlatans.


November 91 came about, after my car was recently hit in the rear, forcing
me to manufacture a make-believe wooden 3x3x50 inch attachment to the rear
of my Caprice Classic (couldn't afford a new car, was a poor student then).
Ah, that wooden bumper caught Boggs and Streeter's eyes as they pulled me
over right at the Galloway border. 

Confiscated my car, arrested me, bailbond was set for $300 (got bailed by my boss). Battle took 3 months, I hired a lawyer, after my plates and drivers license went missing from my New Rome file.  So I transferred the case to Columbus, who in turn dismissed everything, and almost filed felony charges against New Rome for losing plates/license. They eventually popped up, hand delivered to my door by yet another NR cop.

Could not get my car out, cause the crooks at New Rome towing and Police were sleeping with each other. That's not why, but probably pretty close. When I went to turn my car over to the towing place, I accidentally showed up with a copy of the title. Thinking that I wouldn't pay the impoundment fee of over $600, and that I
would come back the following day, my car was ransacked, and everything was
turned inside out before I returned.

 All in all, I lost a semester, money, and above all the belief that the judicial/justice system in this country isn't sometimes any better than a third-world country. Having traveled to many points of the world since then, I truly believe that systems like this exist everywhere, and sometimes can not be stopped. I also believe that the sub-human garbage that protects and conducts this process will eventually
get their share of grief, even if its just for 3 minutes before their last
breath, while dying of cancer, or whatever disease that can come upon them.
To prey upon innocent and take the law into their own hands, and do what is
not legal, and claim to be the law......

Alin


I was pulled over after playing music at a club on Georgesville Rd, headed to West Jefferson to meet a friend. They tested me saying I was 1.1%  and told me that I was swerving. It was obvious that they were randomly pulling me over after the bars close.  I went to court, paid $500.00 and it was over. When, later, I was pulled over again for  another offense in another jurisdiction, the DUI , did not,  and never has appeared on my record.  Should I be grateful or just feel ripped off?

Bill

[Michael says: You paid a bribe, not a fine.  Don't drink and drive.]


Here's a great one for you. I was driving through New Rome about three years ago and was stopped by NRPD. He checked my registration against the VIN plate in the front window. I had just bought a new truck and had put the plates from the previous truck on it. The cop said he was going to ticket me for fictitious plates. I explained to him that is was legal to use your plates in such a manner provided they were current and you had proof of the date of purchase and you were within 30 days. 

He informed me that I didn't know what I was talking about and he should take me in. At that point I informed him that I was the deputy registrar in London and I did know what I was talking about. I told him if he took me in I would file charges for unlawful imprisonment and personally sue him. At that point he decided to let me go.  What a joke.

Scott

[Michael says: Great story!]


How New Rome Ruined Valentines’ Day

While waiting at home (Galloway) for my fiancé to pick me up for our dinner reservations, I get a call from the New Rome Dispatcher, telling me to come to an address (about 100 yards from home) to take possession of my fiancé’s truck, or it would be impounded.  Tells me nothing else.  

I run out to my car, which is covered in about six feet of snow, and turn the corner to see lights blazing (in this quiet, residential neighborhood) and my fiancé cuffed in the back of the cruiser.  He was pulled over because the cop “couldn’t see his sticker”, and his plates were run.  We both moved here from Florida, and didn’t realize you could be arrested for not having your Ohio License.  The Florida one didn’t expire until ’05.  Well, according to New Rome’s finest, this was a crime punishable by arrest, and not only handcuffs, but shackles and a wall chain as well.  I’ve seen episodes of “Cops” where crack dealers caught in the act get less than that.   

He then asks to see my ID, since I am the one taking possession of the truck.  Mine is Florida too.  I wasn’t about to let him get double the money, so I went and got my poor neighbor to bring his VALID OHIO LICENSE to drive the truck back.  He then had the nerve to run a background check on my innocent neighbor before letting him drive away with the truck. The funniest part of it all was the cop explaining to me how to get to the “ New Rome Municipal BUILDING.  Ok- it’s a trailer.  Too funny.  His bond was $350 and he goes to the “trailer court” tomorrow.  This should be great.  (Oh yeah- Saturday morning I got my Ohio Driver’s License.  I took the detour around New Rome.)  

Courtroom Experience Update

The whole courtroom experience was HILARIOUS!  Fat ladies (employees) sitting around smoking (aren’t there supposed to be laws against smoking in “courthouses”?)  He got a fine of $250, which is the maximum allowable for a 4th degree misdemeanor in the state of OH.  The “judge” was an hour and 15 minutes late.  You know, my fiancé and I are educated, have good jobs, and the $250, although not pocket change, won’t affect our ability to pay the bills.  However, the majority of people in there just broke my heart- it was obvious that their situations were a little different.  One woman was there with two small children (in the smoke infestation), and two others didn’t even speak English.  People they can bully.  It made me want to be a public defender.   I just kept looking around, thinking there’s no way this is happening 10 minutes from the state capital.  It was more like Tijuana .  I WILL NEVER DRIVE THROUGH NEW ROME AGAIN.

Oh yeah- I found out something disturbing.  The magistrate I spoke with before the hearing told me that five years ago Ohio passed a “random run” law.  It IS legal to run someone’s plates for no reason.  Real police forces would have no time to do such a thing, but it is legal.  I had no idea. 

Thanks for the great web site.  Are you going to have a party when New Rome is dissolved?  We want to come!    

Susan


I have to drive through New Rome everyday.

I was pulled over for going through a YELLOW light.  I had my 4 year old daughter with me (IN a booster type car seat).  I turned off the road into a parking lot and shut the car off.  Anytime I turn the car off, my daughter takes her seat belt off (as any normal person would).  Sure enough the cop yells at me for not having her in a seatbelt.  He wouldn't listen to me when I tried to explain, he just said (in his "I have authority" voice) "YOU'RE responsible for her actions!"

In the SAME week, I had received a ticket for my license plate being expired one day (ok, that one's my fault).

(This is the best one) Just TWO WEEKS later, I get pulled over for the light bulb being out above my license plate.  (I had no idea why he was pulling me over, but for some reason I just knew he was as soon as I pulled up beside him.)  After he ran my license, he came up to my window and asked me to step out of my car, put me in handcuffs as he was telling me, "we have a problem".  He put me in the back of police car.  He told me that my license was not valid (but it was).  It wasn't suspended, revoked, not even expired.  He said my name didn't come up in the system as if I didn't exist.  (found out later it was an error made by the BMV).  

While I'm in handcuffs and in the back of the police car, my 2 children (a 6 month old and a 4 year old) were still in MY car with my friend and my brother).  Since I had the kids, he was nice enough to let my brother drive behind us to the "police trailor".  Took me inside, CHAINED my ankle to the bench, and kept me there for 2 and a half hours. (may I add, I'm a 27, respectably dressed mother of 2 children..I don't look like a hard core criminal) Oh yea, and may I also ad my brother and 2 children are still in the car waiting for me (wet diaper and all). He told me my bond was $350, but finally let me go on my own recognance.  I got things straightened out with the BMV before I went to court, but still got socked with an $83 fine for the light bulb being out on my license plate.

I had 4 fines to pay in a matter of 3 weeks.  That's a good chunk of the paycheck.  When I couldn't pay all the money by the required time, they called me telling me I have a warrant for my arrest. 

I finally got the fines paid and learned a valuable lesson....Don't drive through New Rome.

Thank you,
Bird


My husband and I were pulled over by new rome's idiots on Galloway Rd. on our way to pick up our son after a football game. It was later than usual, but Westland had just beaten our arch rival (Grove City) and the celebrations went later than usual.

For all of you from our area, new rome's idiots waited until we were on Galloway road to pull us over. They claimed that we had ran a red light in new rome.

My husband and I have never ran a red light, nor have had any traffic violations between the 2 of us. We were in no hurry to get to Westland, nor were we sleepy.

We both know that we had not ran any red lights. Look, we NEVER do or ever have. Yet this creep from new rome followed us into Galloway and then pulled us over. Remember, on the way to pick up our son after a football game.

I will never do business with anyone in new rome,and I have no need to ever use that part of Broad Street ever again.

And just to add a twist, I'll never go to that Wendy's either.

Surely someone with either money or power will finally get rid of that ridiculous strip of route 40.

Phil


I was once pulled over in New Rome for not having my back windshield defrosted enough. My son was followed home we do not live in New Rome. I went outside to check on my sons well being. The officer showed extreme disrespect and began ordering me into my home. If this police department is in existence to enforce the law, why is all that is accomplished is traffic violations. New Rome has no other crime? Since when do police departments only work till early morning? I do not object to officers doing their job, I do object to abusive actions and outrageous conduct.

Sharri


[Back windshield not defrosted?  That's a new one.  Way to get creative NRPD! Ya!]


This happened back in the Fall of '97, I got rained out from work and was just goofing off, and tooling around town, and I inadvertently drove into New Rome. It had a bad reputation even then, and I actually thought of turning around immediately, and stay the hell out of the town. But before I could, there was one of the cops pulling me over. I didn't have my front plate mounted because the bumper's mounting holes were wallowed out, so I had the plate on my dash. And I was not wearing my seat belt. Yes, I  know these are things that perhaps warrant a ticket. So in that I was not too mad when I received the ticket from the officer that could floss with rope.  He showed me the number to call to find out what my fines would be. 

I immediately left the town stopped at a gas station to make this call. The lady I talked to said that she couldn't tell me what the fines were until she got the original ticket, I was trying to be cordial and stated my offenses, I asked if she knew the fines for them, she pointedly said she knew but she wouldn't tell me.  I am no longer cordial but still a bit from downright rude,  I asked her if she was going to make me drive home and make a long distance call just to find out how much my fine was going to be? She retorted "Yes" and now I was not in the least bit pleasant and told her I wasn't going to call and I wasn't going pay ____! (I was not using pleasant words) She informed me that they would put a warrant out for my arrest. I had a few more words about how little I cared and what I thought of her town when she hung up on me.

A month later I get a letter saying if I didn't pay my $154 in fines there would be a warrant out for my arrest! Now, I know that I was a bit in the wrong, but $154 worth?, I don't thinks so. So I proceeded to say to hell with them, I am not going back into that town, and I am not paying.

Another month later, I am in a fender bender in Columbus. I know that there is a warrant out for my arrest, I am in the back of a Columbus cruiser thinking "I am going to jail" as they run my license. Sure enough the dispatcher says that there is a New Rome warrant out for my arrest. They ask me about it, I told them, they blew it off. New Rome holds a lot of clout with the Columbus PD.

Two months later I get a letter from OBMV stating that my license would be suspended if I didn't pay the ticket. I caved, I paid the damn ticket reluctantly. Thought that would be the end of it. Wrong.

Three months later my employer runs my driving record so I can drive company vehicles at this point I find out I have no driver's license. New Rome never acknowledged my payment to OBMV so I had to go to New Rome get proof that I paid the ticket. Fortunately, I was able to get into town, and back out without further problems with Ol' Toothless Barney. I waited in line for more than an hour to get my license reinstated.

Now the State has known how this town runs for a long time, they allow the town to over inflate fines to generate revenue. Then they support the action by revoking licenses and it is your responsibility to  prove that you paid a ticket, when New Rome should have reported the payment of the ticket. Officially, my liscense should have never been suspended but if I had gotten pulled over in the meantime for something that would have been a real pain for me. I think it is time for the State to step in and regulate some of these issues in New Rome, and dissolving the town could be a moot point

 

Andrew


I was at my son's t-ball game at the WYAA field and went to the store to get a drink.  My husband and I were in a 79 Chevy and we got pulled over.  The cop demanded my husbands ID and then went back to his car.

He then came back to our car and said we were getting a ticket for a loud muffler but he had a problem and didn't have any tickets on him.  He asked if we could follow him back to the station.  We had to because he had my husbands ID.  So we did and he gave him the ticket.  When it came time to go to court my husband asked that the hearing be bound over to Columbus and the judge got really upset and told him to pay 50 dollars.  The case was over we told him to bind over and we left.  For 10 years we heard nothing then one day a knock at my door.  It was the new rome police trying to arrest my husband.  He was rude and an ass.  We went down to the court house to get a record check to get a house and my husband was arrested.  When I went to pay to get him out the 50 went to 750.00.  He went to court and the judge let him off all charges and i got all my money back. I don't go through new rome any more. IT SUCKS

Jerry


I have a story about New Rome. Two years ago I was shopping at a local store, on the main drag through the wonderful little village of New Rome. It was a hot summer day. I parked my car around the other side of the building, where the parking lot was.  I noticed that a New Rome cop was sitting across the street from the video game store.  The way that my car was parked, there was no way he could see my plates.

The officer watched me go in the store, and watched me come out and get into my car. There was a little store next door, that I wanted to shop at, a small novelty store, so instead of coming out on W. Broad, I went through the alley.  No law against that.

I parked my car and was walking across the parking lot, and here comes this cop like a bat out of hell through the lot!  He has his lights on and all, and was shouting at me to stop where I was at. So, I did. He pulled up beside me, and wants to know if i have my registration and proof of insurance and drivers license. I said yes, and ask him why. He told me that my car was registered to a hatch back.  I told him that this was surely not a hatch back, I had a 85 Crown Victoria at the time.  He was very nasty with me and I just got nasty back.  I told him to call it in while I was standing there and listening to the radio check. I told him if he did not prove that to me right there that I was going to go shopping and he needed to harass someone else today, that I didn't have time for this crap! He had to call it in because I had a witness that saw everything that happened. So he had to let me go. No ticket today Barnie! He was so pissed. New Rome needs to go. I have lived here for eight years, and I have yet to see anything good from them. Thanks for listening  P.A


While driving through new rome, making sure I go 34 miles an hour and staying in one lane so I have no "real" movement, and thinking this would stop them from noticing me.  Wrong!  I had just got off work and still had my bandanna, so of course I was a "criminal".  Just when I think I'm out of the "woods", up flies a new rome cop.  Follows me for close to a mile then decides he's going to pull me over.  

So he gets to my window and says "do you know why i pulled you over?"..NO, I replied. "I know I wasn't speeding"

"No, you weren't speeding, I didn't see your license plate in the front", then he says "oh there it is in the window".  (Thinking to myself ,he didn't even see the front of my car )  So he asks for all my information and with my luck I didnt have my license on me.  But I gave them my social , and every thing checked out fine.  

So he tells me to stay in the car that he will be right back.  Well after 20 minutes passed another cop comes flying up beside me and runs to my car with a huge print out of my face (drivers license pic) as if I was lying about who I am. Then he proceeds to tell me that "if we weren't so busy i would take you to jail, for not having your license is grounds for taking you in". So they give me a citation to come to there "court room".

The judge was 25 minutes late.  When I finally got to have my "trial", it ended up costing me 158 dollars ..for not having my plate on my bumper (that I fixed that day) and not having my license on my body.



Disclaimer:
 The views and opinions posted are solely views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  Jim or anyone at newromesucks.com.