# Tint ticket question



## Guest

Ok, this is after the fact since I just got denied on my second/judge appeal, so I guess I'm looking at this for future reference. 

The story:

Got pulled over in Westborough, early June. Vehicle is a Chevy Caprice 9c1, ex-NC DOT car. Bought it like this about 5 years ago. Officer tells me my front windows are to dark, and writes me a 250 dollar ticket. I ask if I can appeal and remove the tint, officer says sure. 

The officer never ran a tint meter on the car, simply stated it was "to dark" and wrote the ticket. 

First appeal: Didn't get a chance to remove it, honestly spent so much time working on my MHD plow truck that I didn't get around to the car. Car had busted powere windows anyhow, couldn't get them down till I fixed that. Don't drive the car much. Magistrate says I can appeal further if I need more time to comply, and that if I do so I should be fine. The officer present at this meeting reinforced this, and when I asked him what the tint law was, he couldn't tell me, flat out answered "i don't know". Pay the court fee, get my date, and move on.

Second appeal: Removed the front driver and passenger window tint per the orders of the magistrate, drive the car to the appeal. Cop is called up, he states I was driving a "small sedan", mispronounces my name after the judge said it correctly in front of him, and just states that he observed me with dark window tint. I stand up, and as much as I wanted to start in on everything that I felt was wrong, I didn't. I simply stated to the judge that I removed the tint and complied as I was told to do. 

Judge finds me responsible, with a 25 dollar fine. 

Question 1: Exactly what grounds is something like this still levied against me on? I complied, the car is legal, and yet I'm paying a fine? I asked 3 different officers, including a state trooper what the tint law is - none could actually tell me. 

Question 2: So......am I supposed to pay higher insurance rates now, because of some 25 dollar fine because my windows offended somebody?

Question 3: Exactly who can I write, or contact, to suggest that perhaps we re-evaluate some of the laws we have in this state that really don't make much sense to me? 

Ok, I know I'm about to get blasted, but I'm sure there will be some good information to be had here as well.


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## CJIS

Unregistered said:


> Ok, I know I'm about to get blasted, but I'm sure there will be some good information to be had here as well.


MGL C90 S9D
http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/90-9d.htm

Also do a search on this site this has been discussed before
http://www.masscops.com/forums/archive/index.php?t-21397.html

Now let the blasting begin


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## GreenMachine

Tinted windows present an Officer safety issue.


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## Kem25

Dear unregistered guest

dear unregistered guest

Stop your crying about your tinted windows fine because you will not pay a surcharge on your step 29 insurance. Also I am so sorry that you felt things were unfair and set up against you. I totally understand that it was not your fault and you bought the car that way (I mean who would know that pitch black windows are illegal in Mass). Its too bad that you were so busy in the three plus months it takes for a magistrate hearing to come up to remove the tint. On a final note I would like to thank you for appealing the citation to a judge because I know some officer took joy in making four hours OT.

Signed
Officer who wished he caught you driving


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## Dazy5

I don't get how if you remove the tint after the fact of the ticket, you could be found not responsible. Not in this case, but I'm sure some people get off.

If I get a ticket for a headlight out and fix it, can I be found not responsible? If my inspection sticker expired 6 months ago but I get a new one AFTER I get a ticket, can I be found not responsible?

Doesn't make sense to me that if I comply to the laws after the fact, that I should be found not responsible. ...just my thoughts....


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## Bug_Juice

having been given tickets in the past (not in MA) for "defective equipment" I can say that YES

*some agencies will throw out the ticket if you fix the deficency within a pre-determined amount of time

*some agencies will NOT even ticket you, they will write a warning

*On the tint*: 35% is darkest you can go in MA unless

1. you have a doctors letter due to a medical condition

2. your vehicle is excempt because it came from the factory with the tint (i.e. mini-vans, SUV's and station wagons) such as Ford Explorers, Dodge Magnums ect..

*MY Personal Experience*:

you will NOT get a ticket for illegal tint if your two front windows are 35% or more. I have 20% on my rear doors and back glass, but my front doors are 35%. I've been in MA since 2003 and have NOT gotten a ticket.

*Side note:* I know some LEO's who don't like tint because they say it poses a saftey hazard to the polfice; however, is it any different than a mini-van or SUV with 20% tint from the factory?


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## PatrolDB

Either way this subject is just a waste of time. I can't recall anyone on my department writing a ticket for a 9d violation in quite a while and I don't know why the fuck this guy is complaining about a JUDGE taking $225 OFF of his tab..

You only got charged $25 for a $250 law you were in violation of... be thankful instead of wanting to bust out the pen and pad and write letters that will never reach a reader's eyes about how angry you are.


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## Irish Wampanoag

First appeal: Didn't get a chance to remove it, honestly spent so much time working on my MHD plow truck that I didn't get around to the car. Car had busted powere windows anyhow, couldn't get them down till I fixed that. Don't drive the car much.

Good, now you can just drive your plow around for now on





Second appeal: Removed the front driver and passenger window tint per the orders of the magistrate, drive the car to the appeal. Cop is called up, he states I was driving a "small sedan", mispronounces my name after the judge said it correctly in front of him,

Did he wear his hat when he cited you???


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## Bug_Juice

sorry, no edit button here. should have read:
"I know some LEO's will say it's a safety........."
"you probably will NOT get a ticket if..........."

i guess it must get those guys out in the stix who have nothing better to do. my car has a bright interior, so you can easily see inside it, even with the illegal tint. as far as the safty hazard, yeah, again, it's fairly easy to see inside my car because of the light color interior.



LawMan3 said:


> What makes you so sure that "*you will NOT*" get a ticket if your front windows are 35% or more and your rear windows are less than 35%?
> 
> What is not clear about this??
> 
> Oh and you know some LEO's that SAY it is a safety hazard? Well they say it because it is a safety hazard! The dark factory tint is not going to be on the front two windows, and it is USUALLY possible to see through the rear windows even with factory tint.


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## SinePari

Bug_Juice said:


> sorry, no edit button here. should have read:
> "I know some LEO's will say it's a safety........."
> "you probably will NOT get a ticket if..........."
> 
> i guess it must get those guys out in the stix who have nothing better to do. my car has a bright interior, so you can easily see inside it, even with the illegal tint. as far as the safty hazard, yeah, again, it's fairly easy to see inside my car because of the light color interior.


Hey Big Douche, people write window tint in Boston, and out west on the NY border. I guess they never have anything better to do everywhere you go. There are over 1300 violations in Chapter 90, and more m/v violations scattered throughout the other MGLs and CMRs. Not everybody gets stopped for speeding you idiot.


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## kwflatbed

*Bug_Juice* splat


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## Irish Wampanoag

Hey I write for window tint when I have nothing else to do. I figure I cant have it you cant either bitch!!!!:bat: same with missing front plate.


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## Killjoy

> i guess it must get those guys out in the stix who have nothing better to do. my car has a bright interior, so you can easily see inside it, even with the illegal tint. as far as the safty hazard, yeah, again, it's fairly easy to see inside my car because of the light color interior.


I'm one of those guys who likes to use capitals and punctuation correctly.

Because having a "bright interior" is not a mitigating factor for having darker than 35% tint, you'll have to come up with something better than that if I ever pull you over, flapjack.


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## Goose

Bug_Juice said:


> *MY Personal Experience*:
> 
> you will NOT get a ticket for illegal tint if your two front windows are 35% or more. I have 20% on my rear doors and back glass, but my front doors are 35%. I've been in MA since 2003 and have NOT gotten a ticket.


Please immediately post your license plate so we can add it to the database of vehicles allowed to have darker than legal tint in Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and to ensure that you continue to not have any issues with the popo 'harassing' you for your illegal tint.

Thank you!


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## MVS

Wolfman said:


> So if I go over to your house and kick the shit out of you, then when I go to court argue that I'm not kicking the shit out of you anymore, does that mean that I don't have to answer or accept any responsibility for my previous shitkicking of you?
> 
> Scenario for illustrative purposes only. I really don't plan on kicking the shit out of you. Literally, that is.


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## Crvtte65

I write fines for tint quite a bit. Not one has gotten to a judge's appeal nor has anyone paid them. Oh yea... and they still have the tint on their cars, at least the ones that live in the city... way to go Mr Magistrate... way to go... you're the laughing stock of the city not to mention dragging us with you


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## OfficerObie59

No one spelled this out yet Barney style, so I though I would.



Unregistered said:


> Second appeal: Removed the front driver and passenger window tint per the orders of the magistrate, drive the car to the appeal....I complied, the car is legal, and yet I'm paying a fine?


Wrong. The car _still_ isn't legal. The tint limit of 35% applies to the entire car (except of course the windshield), not just the front side windows. How did you not have time to take it off in time for the first appeal? Appeals take about 2 1/2 months to come around. Sure beats the 20 days if you just paid the cite by mail.

Oh, and you're getting all bound up between why factory 20% is legal but film isn't...it's all in the word "affixed" in the first sentence of 90/9D.

10% of the initial fine sure sounds good to me. Pick up ur marbles and go home.


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## SinePari

Note to all masscops members: DON'T respond to ticket questions by unregistered posters. They cannot come back to post for more flaming.


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