More Scanning and Surveillance Technology
The city of Gaithersburg, MD is considering a proposal to add street surveillance cameras and automatic license plate scanner technologies to monitor and identify ongoing criminal activity, and identify cars with drivers with suspended licenses or outstanding criminal arrest warrants. Both of these high tech policing methods are widely employed in Baltimore, and in other Maryland cities and across the country.
The license plate scanners are video cameras connected to police cars that are able to scan the license plates of any cars, either while the police cruiser is driving down the road, or while other cars pass by. The tags are instantly cross checked with police, criminal court and MVA records to identify cars and drivers with issues such as stolen cars/stolen plates, criminal warrants for the driver, or revoked or suspended driver's licenses.
Even a warrant that is decades old, from another state, could somehow show up in a database and cause you serious problems today.
If one of these situations is flagged, the police officer is instantly alerted and instructed to pull over the vehicle to investigate.
It's a simple fact that it is becoming increasingly impossible to avoid any mistakes of the past without serious risk of harm. The wise course of action is to find out if you can solve the problem now, without being arrested and losing any leverage you may have in negotiating with the courts about a past problem. If you are already charged and in jail, the prosecutors may not be willing to work out a reasonable deal.
However, in many cases, we can make old warrants go away with minimal problems, if we get to them beforehand. Please contact our Maryland criminal defense law offices to find out what we can to do to help.
