How a Louisiana speed trap could be a constitutional crisis

April 20, 2024 3:00 AM
By Matt Haines

NEW ORLEANS —
Texas nurse Nick Nwoye had never heard of Fenton, Louisiana, before their police pulled him over. It’s how a lot of people first learn about the town.

"I was driving home to Houston a few years ago and had to pass through Fenton," he told VOA. "The moment I saw the speed limit had changed from 65 mph to 50 mph [105 kph to 80 kph], I began to slow down. But it was too late."

Nwoye says a police car was waiting behind a tree. The officer turned on his lights and pulled him over.

"He said I was driving 77 mph in a 50-mph zone [124 kph in an 80-kph zone], and there’s no way I was," Nwoye explained. "The officer had this big smile on his face like, ‘I got you,’ as if this was a game the police played."

Deciding to challenge the ticket, Nwoye called the town’s court to speak to the judge. That’s when he realized how difficult it would be to appeal the Louisiana fine.

"You know who the judge was?" he asked, exasperated. "It was the mayor. The mayor was his own town’s court judge. So on one hand, he’s deciding whether or not I should have to pay, and on the other hand he’s incentivized to have me pay because this is the money he needs to run Fenton."

More:
https://www.voanews.com/a/how-a-louisiana-speed-trap-could-be-a-constitutional-crisis-/7576404.html



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