Maryland Judge Decrees Pontiac G8 GT Tail Lights Illegal

jpd80 · 18-07-2010, 08:51 AM

Wow, talk about a screwed up country, how can a new Pontiac G8 be sold in a state and then be declared illegal,
I'd be getting a lawyer if I was this bloke. Lots of other people in the same situation there.

Quote:

LINK Courtesy of Jalopnik.com

A Maryland judge issued an $85 fine to the owner of a Pontiac G8 GT for illegal tail lights, despite being factory-installed and approved by the US Department of Transportation. She's promised to keep fining him. Judicial activism, FTL!

Forum member "jackalope" at G8Board.com was ticketed by a Maryland officer who claimed he was sporting illegal tail lights. After amassing a healthy amount of evidence proving he hadn't modified his car and it was approved for sale by the Department of Transportation, he went to court confident the ticket would be dismissed, only to find the contrary. We'll let him tell you how it all went down:

Quote:

Originally Posted by "jackalope" at G8Board.com

Went to court for my clear tail lights on my car and was found guilty!

The judge actualy told me she didn't care what the manufacturer said, what the federal govt said, what the DOT # stamped onto my taillights said if the officer says my lights aren't legal then they're not legal. I took the G8 sales brochure in along with pics of my car and other G8 GT's and the VIN trace by 3 different dealers saying my lights were factory none of it mattered she found me guilty of failing to display or reflect red light on the rear of the car. Didn't matter the reflecters were in the bumper, didn't matter where the light is has that little red circle, the whole lens isn't red so they're not legal. Also where the back-up and turn signals are should be the reflectors according to the cop so the V6 cars lights aren't legal either.

Judge stupid went on to tell me that maybe I should consider trading in or selling the car since its not legal in MD and that I'm going to continue to get the $60 tickets till I get rid of the car.

So I contacted Pontiac's 1-800 # and I have an apt next friday to have my car looked at by them and see if they can help or at least repay me the $85.50 fine and court costs.

I honestly don't know what else I can do. The cop was ALL smiles afterwards and winked at me! WTF! Now I'm screwed! How do I go to work now? I drive right thru where he works!! So this *** nuget can make up **** randomly for any car he gets a hard on for and nothing can be done to fight it!

This is BS.

The problem centers around the clear lens tail lights and bumper-mounted reflectors of the Pontiac G8 GT model. Because the red area in the lenses is reduced in the G8 GT, there are reflectors mounted in the bumper to reflect additional light and bring the reflective requirements into spec. Th officer and by extension the judge considered them illegal.

Now, we can understand Mr. Jackalope's momentary lack of respect for the legal system above — this is B.S., but he's got legitimate cause to be ****ed. He bought a car he assumed to fall within the operations laws of all states and which was in reality approved for nationwide sale by the government. According to the Judge, the opinion of an Officer of the Law supersedes what the Federal government approved for sale and the design somehow doesn't jive with what the State of Maryland considers legal.

One of the other forum members has offered up legal service to fight the fine, but it makes us wonder if all the G8 GT drivers in Maryland now have something to worry about. Should motorists who've bought a car approved by the Federal government be worried about being arbitrarily fined by a Judge who seems to side with the opinion of an officer over the law.

Bucknaked · 18-07-2010, 09:01 AM

Interesting. You would think if it passess requirements in the US to be registered, that the law would apply to all states. We have ADR's here. They must have something similar? I think this guy has done something to **** the judge off.

**DJM83** · 18-07-2010, 09:30 AM

Spot on Buckie, there is something in this story that hasnt come out yet. If not he is being royally screwed

KR1STO · 18-07-2010, 09:31 AM

Was thinking the same thing...
but, you never know I guess.
surely we'll hear more..

Hords · 18-07-2010, 09:34 AM

If the cop winked him you'd think it's pay back.

Eu-GenixX · 18-07-2010, 10:13 AM

I had a similar story with a mate regarding his front head lamps...

They were the factory xenons... that had a slight blue tinge.... and he was fined for fitting blue lights to his car.... he tried to tell the police officer they were factory fitted... and he was having nothing of it... tho i beleive he did eventually win in court...

i agree... something is missing from that story... he must have done something wrong by the officer or the judge to have copped that...

burnz · 18-07-2010, 10:20 AM

yes a friend of mine had his car defect'd buy a police officer for having 19" rims and HSV brakes.
the car in question was a 2 week old senator with factory wheels and brakes

302 XC · 18-07-2010, 10:21 AM

Have just read about this else where
AND
Surprise surprise they werent factory taillights he was nabbed for
There are pics around and they have been highly tinted

deesun · 18-07-2010, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 302 XC

Have just read about this else where
AND
Surprise surprise they werent factory taillights he was nabbed for
There are pics around and they have been highly tinted

Yep, never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

jpd80 · 18-07-2010, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 302 XC

Have just read about this else where
AND
Surprise surprise they werent factory taillights he was nabbed for
There are pics around and they have been highly tinted

Quote:

I took the G8 sales brochure in along with pics of my car and other G8 GT's and the VIN trace by 3 different dealers saying my lights were factory none of it mattered she found me guilty of failing to display or reflect red light on the rear of the car.

Didn't matter the reflecters were in the bumper, didn't matter where the light is has that little red circle, the whole lens isn't red so they're not legal. Also where the back-up and turn signals are should be the reflectors according to the cop so the V6 cars lights aren't legal either.

The ones attached to the story are these:

JC807 · 18-07-2010, 10:41 AM

off topic, but s(light)ly related:

is it just me or are some newish cars factory fitted with indicators which are really hard to see in some light conditions?

GS608 · 18-07-2010, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 302 XC

Have just read about this else where
AND
Surprise surprise they werent factory taillights he was nabbed for
There are pics around and they have been highly tinted

Wrong. From G8board

Quote:

Ok this is getting out of hand and I'm tired of trying to post on Jalopnik only to have some of them get up. To set the record straight and shut the JR detectives up who THINK they know better, the pics of my car with the dark tinted tail lights were taken en-route to a car show!!!! Those lights were not, and are not currently on my car!!!! They are sitting on the shelf in my garage, so PLEASE stop as all you're doing is stiring a pot with nothing in it.

http://www.g8board.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35912

pics of said tail lights

**DJM83** · 18-07-2010, 11:29 AM

Seems he is the victim of something he has done to upset the officer in question in the past for him to be nabbed for a standard (If indeed the tinted lights werent fitted, i know he said they werent) part.
Im in no way hanging it on police of nowdays, BUT if they are to be pulling road users over for what they beleive is an 'unroadworthy' car they really need a better grip on car specification when it comes to FACTORY fitted parts.

jmack · 18-07-2010, 12:13 PM

refer the blinkers yeah coming into roundabouts it like a wheres wally comp trying to spot some of them especialy when they have those black and white arrow signs around a roundabout right at the same height

FordFalconBF · 18-07-2010, 12:43 PM

Only in America.

Streets · 18-07-2010, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmack

refer the blinkers yeah coming into roundabouts it like a wheres wally comp trying to spot some of them especialy when they have those black and white arrow signs around a roundabout right at the same height

Wait, someone used their blinkers at a roundabout?!

MNM96 · 18-07-2010, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM83

Im in no way hanging it on police of nowdays, BUT if they are to be pulling road users over for what they beleive is an 'unroadworthy' car they really need a better grip on car specification when it comes to FACTORY fitted parts.

Or here's an idea, catching murderers, rapists, child molestors, thieves, people who bash or rip off our elderly!

Stoney! · 18-07-2010, 01:22 PM

Don't see the problem, it has red lens on the brake/tail light and in the middle of brake/tail light there is also a reflector.

Stoney!

**DJM83** · 18-07-2010, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNM96

Or here's an idea, catching murderers, rapists, child molestors, thieves, people who bash or rip off our elderly!

Yes while that might be the case lets not turn this into a police bashing thread thanks

nstg8a · 18-07-2010, 01:25 PM

so theres a pontiac G8 GT? so how long before some sideways cap wearing VT holden owner fits gt badges to his 'dore?

302 XC · 18-07-2010, 01:39 PM

We will wait for the CORRECT answers,regarding this
Theres been to much of late people using the interweb for venting anger
IF the lights are the standard fitment when he was pulled over,then he has a case
And so to does GM regarding legalities
I do get sick of people who know they have done wrong (wether this joker did or didnt)
Get on the web and parade how wrong they have been done by
It seems their are pics of the said vehicle with the tinted lights,how would he or even the police know they were/werent on the vehicle at the time
Im sure the police record all incidents,there would be some evidence of the situation

prydey · 18-07-2010, 01:44 PM

didn't the vx commy have reflectors added to the bumper for the same reason - the tail lights didn't have reflectors??

as long as there is red reflectors somewhere on the rear, i thought it was ok.

having said that, its nothing new with cops suspecting something illegal and slapping a canary on the car. it seems the cops don't need to know the ins and outs of every car. they just defect it and get the relevent traffic authorities to sort it out. unfortunately the owners of these cars have to prove their own innocence (if they are).

Quicksand · 19-07-2010, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nstg8a

so theres a pontiac G8 GT? so how long before some sideways cap wearing VT holden owner fits gt badges to his 'dore?

There is also a GXR8 in Europe/UK...so we will probably see those badges around as well. I always wondered whether GM Holden were trying to steal Ford OZ badges overseas in case Ford OZ ever decided to export. Silly thought really.

burnz · 19-07-2010, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inducted_Breeze

There is also a GXR8 in Europe/UK...so we will probably see those badges around as well. I always wondered whether GM Holden were trying to steal Ford OZ badges overseas in case Ford OZ ever decided to export. Silly thought really.

yeah i think thats the other way around.

InfernoSR · 19-07-2010, 02:31 PM

another stupidity act from over there...

music189 · 19-07-2010, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JC807

off topic, but s(light)ly related:

is it just me or are some newish cars factory fitted with indicators which are really hard to see in some light conditions?

yea, some are impossible to see except at the last second

**kypez** · 19-07-2010, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by music189

yea, some are impossible to see except at the last second

usually are the ones that are in the headlight cluster. You gotta look into the lights to see what they are doing.

On topic, Surely this guy can just appeal to a higher court to have it overturned?! Wouldnt that be the case in Australia? Local court fails, go to the high court?

Conrad · 24-07-2010, 05:09 PM

funny, the ss police cars in australia have those taillights. they should all be defected!

GS608 · 24-07-2010, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Conrad

funny, the ss police cars in australia have those taillights. they should all be defected!

ummmm..did you miss the part where it says this was in the US?

iliov · 24-07-2010, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MNM96

Or here's an idea, catching murderers, rapists, child molestors, thieves, people who bash or rip off our elderly!

No that's hard work, don't expect our police (public servants) to do that....