This is a second part to the recent Right-To-Know-Law requests I made for the single GHS radar unit GHS2730. In reviewing citations given with GHS2730, I came upon an interesting pattern with one particular trooper by the name of Richard S. Weinstock.
For approximately 2 months, Richard S. Weinstock issued 13 speeding citations that would never hold up in court. Not only would they not hold up in court, but nearly every citation for each month had the same clocked speed. I find that very hard to believe and it appears that Trooper Richard S. Weinstock was doing the dirty work to fill the coffers or just being some egotistical, power hungry asshole.
02/15/2010 – Citation No. T0019810-0 – 59MPH in 50MPH zone – Plead Guilty
02/15/2010 – Citation No. T0019811-1 – 57MPH in 50MPH zone – Plead Guilty
02/15/2010 – Citation No. T0039503-2 – 58MPH in 50MPH zone – Plead Guilty
02/15/2010 – Citation No. T0039504-3 – 57MPH in 50MPH zone – Plead Guilty
02/15/2010 – Citation No. T0039506-5 – 58MPH in 50MPH zone – Plead Guilty
02/20/2010 – Citation No. T0041161-1 – 58MPH in 50MPH zone – Found Not Guilty
02/20/2010 – Citation No. T0041165-5 – 58MPH in 50MPH zone – Found Not Guilty
03/09/2010 – Citation No. T0072238-5 – 53MPH in 45MPH zone – Plead Guilty
03/09/2010 – Citation No. T0072241-1 – 53MPH in 45MPH zone – Plead Guilty
03/09/2010 – Citation No. T0072246-6 – 54MPH in 45MPH zone – Plead Guilty
03/25/2010 – Citation No. T0087444-0 – 54MPH in 45MPH zone – Plead Guilty
03/25/2010 – Citation No. T0087439-2 – 54MPH in 45MPH zone – Plead Guilty
03/25/2010 – Citation No. T0087430-0 – 54MPH in 45MPH zone – Plead Guilty
Title 75 Subsection 3368(c)(4) of the Pennsylvania Vehicle code specifically states the following:
no person may be convicted upon evidence obtained through the use of devices authorized by paragraph (3) in an area where the legal speed limit is less than 55 miles per hour if the speed recorded is less than ten miles per hour in excess of the legal speed limit
All of the citations issued were less than ten miles per hour in excess of the legal speed limit which was less than 55 miles per hour. The actual citations also have no indication that they were in a school or active work zone, which is the only way these would hold up. Richard S. Weinstock surely must have known these were bogus tickets, so why was he issuing them? Perhaps he had a nice racket setup with Michael G. Dotzel to give out bogus tickets in hopes that those cited did not know the law and would just pay up? Not only does Richard Weinstock not no the law, but neither does Michael G. Dotzel of Magisterial District 11-3-07, who willingly convicted the cited. Certainly these tickets should have been tossed out along with Richard Weinstock. Only 2 motorists out of the 13 apparently new the law and were smart enough to challenge it. The rest paid the bogus tickets and most likely had their insurance raised due to it. In total, $1,384 in fines were paid and wrongfully collected.
BONUS: Not only does Richard S. Weinstock issue bogus speeding tickets, but apparently some think he is a sex crazed pervert who chose to sexually discriminate a female Pennsylvania State Police employee by the name of Laura Zelinski in 1999. Once, Weinstock put his hand on Zelinski’s leg and propositioned her. Another time, he described sexual acts in graphic detail. One day he told her he could see her underwear. And on another occasion he told her, “If I can see down your sweater, everyone else can.” After Zelinski complained to a supervisor, she was transferred shortly after and filed a sexual discrimination lawsuit. You can read all about it here in the court document: Zelinski v. PSP
How the hell is this guy allowed to be a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper with all of this blatant misconduct and why is Michael G. Dotzel allowed to run an illegal speeding ticket racket?