Tennessee Court: Cop Testimony Beats Videotape Evidence in Speeding Case

You know what you can do with your videotape

Having video evidence backed up by an expert witness that contradicts a police officer's personal opinion that a car was driving fast would seem to be enough to beat a speeding ticket. Charles W. White, Sr was shocked when a Henderson County, Tennessee Circuit Court sided with the traffic cop's testimony over the videotape. On August 31, White was even more surprised that a the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals upheld the lower court decision.

The controversy began on July 5, 2010 when Lexington Police Officer Brad Wilson stopped White after receiving a phoned-in tip about White's vehicle. Officer Wilson was driving 42 MPH—which was above the 35 MPH speed limit—and he claims he observed White drive faster than him. Wilson did not pace White's car and followed it for less than two hundred feet.