Wisconsin police requiring thumbprints for traffic violations

[Echo In Light]

Roll over on command....

Wisconsin police requiring thumbprints for traffic violations
By Sarah Thomsen

If you're ticketed by Green Bay police, you'll get more than a fine. You'll get fingerprinted, too. It's a new way police are cracking down on crime.

If you're caught speeding or playing your music too loud, or other crimes for which you might receive a citation, Green Bay police officers will ask for your drivers license and your finger. You'll be fingerprinted right there on the spot. The fingerprint appears right next to the amount of the fine.

Police say it's meant to protect you -- in case the person they're citing isn't who they claim to be. But not everyone is sold on that explanation.

"What we've seen happen for the last couple of years increasing use of false or fraudulent identification documents," Captain Greg Urban said.

Police say they want to prevent the identity theft problem that Milwaukee has, where 13 percent of all violators give a false name.

But in Green Bay, where police say they only average about five cases in a year, drivers we talked with think the new policy is extreme.

http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?s=2776926

[Trillo]

1. Just curious. If a traffic ticket is taken to court with a plea of 'not guilty,'

and the ticketing officer shows up to testify, what kind of evidence does the prosecutor use to prove the testifying officer is in fact the ticketing officer?

[AZ Criminal JD]

3. The ticket is signed by the officer

[Trillo]

4. Why is a signature sufficient for the officer,

but not the citizen ticketed?

edited to add: It seems the bar for what constitutes identifying evidence was just raised by the traffic police in Wisconson. It remains to be seen whether the courts will require reasonably equivalent evidence identifying the ticketing officers.

[tuckessee]

6. Because they are altruistic, brave-hearted, honorable heroes

and we, the public, are just perps who have yet to be caught.

[Trillo]

7. Perhaps.

If the courts do not require reasonably equivalent ID evidence for the police, then the traffic court's impartiality could be called into question.

[dembotoz]

2. perhaps next month a semen sample because of open rape cases

just in time for the nfl playoffs.

[tuckessee]

5. And Americans just keep dropping to their knees before the almighty Police State. n/t

[PeaceNikki]

8. Citizens DO have a right to refuse.

However, we all know how cops love us "uncooperative" people.

[PeaceNikki]

9. Also, the title of your OP is misleading. It's just Green Bay not ALL of WI

Green Bay is a community of about 100k, this is not something being done in the whole state.