Got a ticket yesterday at Barren..

Ok,

So I got a ticket yesterday down at Barren.

[URL]https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=210529148602232945688.0004ddd19fc4ce1e3966b&msa=0&ll=36.924371,-86.029043&spn=0.01139,0.027273[/URL]

I was coming from the Narrows and swung by Beaver Creek between the Island and beach. This area is marked by buoys as indicated on the map. I swung in close to the island and proceeded to make my way past the swimming area, and finally around to the other side of the island. I was not at WOT by any means, I was actually looking for a place to pull up and grill out some dogs and burgers :)

Boom, as soon as I come around the other end of the island, I hear the Law Enforcement boat behind me. He pulled up and asked me if I knew why I was being pulled over. I replied to him and told him that he was just probably doing a safety check, WRONG. He told me that I had just blown through a no wake zone past the two buoys.

I then told him that I thought the area to the right of the buoys (by the island) was not included in the no wake zone due to the fact that there was a line of sight to buoy 2 and 3 (see map). I guess not, as he proceeded to dismiss my claim and write me a ticket. I've watched enough Cops to know that arguing with Law Enforcement doesn't earn you any points, so I took the ticket and actually chatted them up for another 10 minutes or so. Nice guys, but what's up with the no wake zone there?

At first I was just going to pay the 50.00 fine and court costs, which was 154.00, bringing the grand total to 204.00.. ?? WTH?

Ok, so here are my questions, as I assume some of you have had similar experiences or maybe even the same experience on this part of Barren. Maybe I made a bad assumption when I thought the area was marked of like the rest of the no wake zones or other boating hazards, with a clearly defined perimeter. I guess this does not apply to the Beaver Creek area?

If I'm wrong, then I'll gladly pay the fine, and go about my business, but it seems that maybe they are patrolling this area, which in my opinion is not clearly defined and raking in 200 bucks a pop for each citation.

Any advice or suggestions?

i got a ticket in 1986 , for fishing without a license , i had my leave papers on me but the officer said that was not good enough. i got mad threw the ticket in the water and wrote the state a letter. the best christmas card i got that year was from the state . they said we are sorry and let bygones be bygones . the moral is sometimes it pays to fight when you are right, as much as these guys think they are perfect they make mistakes just like everyone else.

You have a couple of options, show up on the court date and hopefully come to a resolution there. This will probably require two court dates, the arraignment and then the actual date. Depending on your record and the disposition of the county attorney you may end up with a warning or a reduced charge. It's hard to say since I don't know the Barren County prosecutor. Another option is to go or call the county attorney's office and see if they will talk to you about the citation before court.. If you have a spotless record they are often very cooperative. It's worth a try.

I got a ticket for fishing without a license about 20 yrs ago. I told the CO I had a license but had left my billfold in my truck when launched my boat. He wrote the ticket and said to take my license and the citation to my local circuit clerks office as the citation as prepayable and with proof of a license the charge would be dropped. The fine of $25 for fishing without a license was dropped but I had to pay $62.50 for court cost. He didn't tell me that part!!!

Judging from your overhead shot it seems pretty clear that the entire channel between land and the island is no-wake. But when you are on the water you don't have that perspective. A lake map may show the entire area to be no wake.

Kentucky is the only state that I know of that charges you court costs even if you don't go to court. Even if you get them to drop the charge you are going to end up having to pay court costs.

You could try to talk to the prosecutor before the court date and see about getting everything dropped. I would print out the satellite view of map you linked, draw a box connecting all the buoys, explain you never crossed the outline of the box, and see what they have to say.

It is confusing at best but the CPOs don't care. Reminds me of a "fishing without permission" ticket I got. Not a single no fishing allowed sign or barrier preventing me from walking where I did but somehow I was supposed to know that no fishing was allowed. I believe that ticket was closer to $80, there was 2 of us, so that was around $450 in fines with court costs.

I'd pay it. By the time you drive back and forth from Louisville, you wasted that much gas. According to that map, you're guilty. 'Possum Cops are always thick on the water around Memorial Day, and I've just come to expect it.