my friend of about 8 years got pulled over for the FIRST time yesterday. He was going 150kmh in a 100kmh zone (highway)
the officer only caught him going 130. So okay, whatever
cop ran his license, car is paid, insurance is paid, yada yada yada. he let him off without a ticket. no court date, no mandatory 7day impound, not even a suspension. 'Drive save, Mr. B'
I get it, my city just had a terrorist attack, and there's murders and gun violence, BUT JESUS CHRIST, COP.
and no, my friend wouldn't tell me the officer's name. for obvious reasons.
meanwhile, me, a caucasian female looking wayy too young for my age, would get tickets for not stopping long enough at a damn stop sign.
i quit.
I've been pulled over often. I've never paid full price on a ticket. Often they will let me off with a warning, other times they just reduce the fine. I also have family in law enforcement. So I know the 'tricks'.
Fines are entirely up to the cops discretion. They have no legal obligation to hand them out, even if they see a violation in action. If the person being pulled over is friendly, honest, and prepared, they will rarely get a full value ticket. I never have.
It has nothing to do with race or gender, most of the time. Anecdotally, I have heard that women are more likely to be cold/angry, or to try and flirt.
If you're a woman, never try to flirt your way out of a cop encounter. They know what you are doing and will be forced to give the full fine to avoid repercussions.
There are a number of other factors that range from quotas (that supposedly don't exist, but they do), a bad day, training, and many others.
They are people, some good some bad, and all make mistakes.