Irving, TX asked in Traffic Tickets for Texas

Q: Can an officer issue a ticket for running a stop sign if he didn't witness you running it?

This is my question. A while back I was in an accident and poeple told the officer I was speeding. The officer said he couldn't issue a ticket because he didn't witness the speeding. Now involved in another accident many years later and was given a ticket for running a red light. The officer wasn't present at the time of the accident but issued the ticket based on the testimony of witnesses. I claim that the other person was at fault. Is the officer right in issuing a citation for something he did not see? City of Grand Prairie Texas

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1 Lawyer Answer

A: An officer can issue a citation, which is just a notice of when and where to appear at Court, regarding events she/he did not witness. The officer, however, would not be able to testify to any facts he did not personally observe, and the question would be what evidence the State could produce to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.

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