Why did the officer fail to show up at Spector’s trial?

By Stephen Janis
Examiner Staff Writer 8/26/08

BALTIMORE – The first time Baltimore City Councilwoman Rochelle “Rikki” Spector (5th District) was scheduled to appear in court to face charges stemming from a controversial ticket issued to her last November for failure to obey a traffic enforcement officer, she failed to show.

Spector said she was not informed of the court date and the court promptly agreed to reschedule her trial.

During her trial Spector was found not guilty because the officer who issued the ticket failed to appear in court.

Now sources inside the city’s traffic enforcement agency said the officer never received a summons to appear.

Court officials said a summons was mailed to the officer at the downtown address of the traffic enforcement offices on 500 East Baltimore Street.

Department of Transportation officials declined to comment and the officer could not be reached for comment.

Spector, who repeatedly said she wanted her day in court to tell her side of the story, called the agent's absence a “mixed blessing.”

“I knew I would prevail when I had asked for my trial to be re-scheduled,” Spector said. “But honestly I didn't miss either one of you,” Spector said, noting the absence of both the press and the traffic agent at her rescheduled court hearing.

sjanis@baltimoreexaminer.com

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