I don't like the federal LEOs- (I do know one I like though). The few I have met I have considered to be a pain to deal with. I have no problems with the State Wildlife Officers here in Ohio, and all the ones I have met treat you like you should be treated-with respect. A couple years ago I went and got my hunting license on opening day of dove season. The clerk told me that the federal HIP certification had been done away with, and a call to the local state district wildlife office got me the same answer from one of the workers there. I went out dove hunting that evening, and an hour of dove hunting had landed me 8 birds. At this point I see a truck coming back the lane toward me. The county wildlife officer steps out and asked to see my license, and then says that I have a problem-I have no HIP cert. on my card. I told him that the store clerk I bought the license from had told me it had been done away with, and then I got the same answer from the district office when called. He just told me not to worry about it, and took the name of the store and said he'd make sure the employees at the distict office got corrected. I of course thanked him for not citing me, and he told me to just be glad that a federal officer hadn't checked me because I would have been cited no matter what I said. Some of these federal officers seem to have a problem with over size egos, and that's why I will be going to work with one of the local law enforcement offices when I get out of the academy.
There ain't much that can be done about the ticket. It will probably cost more to fight it than to just pay it. I don't know how the federal judges are, but I fought a speeding ticket here in county court a few months ago and got the fine reduced to ten dollars+court costs from just a fine of 100 dollars+court costs. The deputy that cited me said he had clocked me at 73 in a 55 at such and such intersection. I told him he had the wrong guy. He cited me for the violation-I knew he was wrong because I hadn't driven through that intersection, but I had entered onto the state highway farther down (I figure I matched the vehicle he was after) and was pulled over 2.5 miles down the road. I appeared in court on the date written on the citation, but found out that I was assigned the wrong date-2nd mistake, then the court clerk told me the deputy was supposed to have contacted me to tell me about the screw up-that of course never happened. At that point I was pretty mad, but kept my composure during my actual court appearance. I figure the deputy was mad at me for 'arguing' my case on the side of the road. The lesson I learned out of that case is to just take the ticket, and go fight it in court.
I don't know if your buddy deserved the ticket, but it sure stinks to get when you were not breaking the law-well I was driving just under 60 though, and if that would have been what I got cited for I would have just paid the ticket.
ZP
