Ticket for no license

[sirmissalot]

He was seventeen he knew he needed a license.  Stop making excuses for people who break the laws.  So cop lets him off that tells the kid that he doesn't need a license cause the warden will just let him slide. Anytime someone gets caught they make up some story to sound like they are the victim and the officer is the big meanie.  Boo hoo follow the rules and you won't have these problems.  This want some twelve year old kid.

He wasn't fishing is the thing. He held a pole for a couple minutes while his friend used the restroom. If you went hunting with a friend and didn't have a license and held his gun while he went under a fence would you be hunting? Law officers need to practice some common sense. Go after poachers and people with excessive limits. These kids didn't have any fish and only 1 pole.  When the officer arrived the kid that was cited wasn't even holding the pole at the time.

Would it have been that difficult for the kid who needed to go to the bathroom to just reel the line in? It would be one thing if the kids were young, but 17 years old is old enough to know better, and old enough my suspicion is there is more to the story, whether you know it or not. Obviously some of you just have a thing against LEO's, and especially gamewardens going by several of the comments, but you guys seriously think a game warden sat and waited for some minuscule infraction to happen to write this kid up? Come on. He was doing his job and the kid was in the wrong. 

[HUNT-HARD]

I am glad he got a ticket! The right thing to do would have been the friend reel in his line and then go to the bathroom period. There is no grey area here from what your saying. The kid was in control of the fishing rod why the line was in the water.

[Bullkllr]

I am glad he got a ticket! The right thing to do would have been the friend reel in his line and then go to the bathroom period. There is no grey area here from what your saying. The kid was in control of the fishing rod why the line was in the water.

Right!  Because here in Washington fishing is so important there is absolutely no room for interpretation of the law by an experienced law enforcement officer. 

It amazes me how many people will in one breath complain that "kids" now-a-days wont get outside and do something, yet here are two 17 year old kids doing just that and they get a ticket for not reeling in when one goes to take a leak. 

Good job there to the WDFW COP who wrote that one, making a difference, we should all feel safer.

I agree. LEOs interpret application of every law. If the situation is as described, I believe this was an extremely poor application. I would like to read the warden's report.

Gone 61 MPH in a 60 zone lately and not gotten a ticket? If you have, maybe you should turn yourself in if it's all that black & white.

That said, there really isn't much of a defense in court, but I might go anyway to explain the circumstances (might get it reduced?).

[Oh Mah]

There are defenses but the person would have to lie.Im sure he wasn't fishing for Crawfish or carp was he?

[cbond3318]

  sorry he got cited.

[singleshot12]

I am glad he got a ticket! The right thing to do would have been the friend reel in his line and then go to the bathroom period. There is no grey area here from what your saying. The kid was in control of the fishing rod why the line was in the water.

Way too many people trying to get away with crap,especially teenagers. Gamewarden was just doing their job. The other kid should feel fortunate he wasn't cited also for not tending "his" own rod. Hope they learned.

[Widgeondeke]

I am glad he got a ticket! The right thing to do would have been the friend reel in his line and then go to the bathroom period. There is no grey area here from what your saying. The kid was in control of the fishing rod why the line was in the water.

Way too many people trying to get away with crap,especially teenagers. Gamewarden was just doing their job. The other kid should feel fortunate he wasn't cited also for not tending "his" own rod. Hope they learned.

if the "other" kid was cited for NOT tending his rod, then the no license kid should not be cited for fishing w/o a license   
but if one can get a ticket for not tending their line, it would seem that a many sleepy fisherman are breaking the law 

[bigtex]

17 years old. Comes from a great family and has always followed the rules. I just hate to see him have to pay for something so petty. Due to not wanting to miss school he will probably just pay it.

So apparently if you come from a great family you shouldn't be cited?

"Officer I am a good person and come from a good family don't cite me. Go cite the guy with no dad from Compton..." 

[MarkTrail]

Bigtex, what is the maximum fine for an Leo that doesn't know his own rules that he pledges to protect and gives permission to someone too poach a large bull elk in a closed unit?  Perhaps he or they should lose their jobs if we are so inclined to uphold the law. I don't expect an answer because I already know you don't have one.
  For those of you who thinks the kid deserves the ticket I would love to follow your perfection around for a week or so. I bet I would discover a large amount of hypocrisy.

[Oh Mah]

no hypocrisy,like i said before he got caught.if any of us were to get caught for something we would have to accept it also.about 5 percent i would guess get caught.you talk about what they are bound to do.................well this is one of them.

[buglebrush]

I am glad he got a ticket! The right thing to do would have been the friend reel in his line and then go to the bathroom period. There is no grey area here from what your saying. The kid was in control of the fishing rod why the line was in the water.

Right!  Because here in Washington fishing is so important there is absolutely no room for interpretation of the law by an experienced law enforcement officer. 

It amazes me how many people will in one breath complain that "kids" now-a-days wont get outside and do something, yet here are two 17 year old kids doing just that and they get a ticket for not reeling in when one goes to take a leak. 

Good job there to the WDFW COP who wrote that one, making a difference, we should all feel safer.

I agree. LEOs interpret application of every law. If the situation is as described, I believe this was an extremely poor application. I would like to read the warden's report.

Gone 61 MPH in a 60 zone lately and not gotten a ticket? If you have, maybe you should turn yourself in if it's all that black & white.

That said, there really isn't much of a defense in court, but I might go anyway to explain the circumstances (might get it reduced?).

Exactly.  SMH...

[Oh Mah]

I often wonder where so many people in this state buy the blinders.I really didn't know that there were so many liberals on this site,Next thing you know people are gonna start talking about letting criminals out of prison because there is to many in there,Unequally to. What part of no ones perfect and if any of us get caught going 1 or 2 over the speed limit pay up don't you understand.If i get caught over i got caught and pay.Where is the hypocrisy at?

[Duckslayer89]

Meanwhile while petty tickets are being issued, they are opening up safe shoot up zones for heroin addicts!

[Ridgeratt]

17 years old. Comes from a great family and has always followed the rules. I just hate to see him have to pay for something so petty. Due to not wanting to miss school he will probably just pay it.

So apparently if you come from a great family you shouldn't be cited?

"Officer I am a good person and come from a good family don't cite me. Go cite the guy with no dad from Compton..." 

While the forum full of Barrister's are pleading this with nothing more than hearsay. Perhaps the warden's attitude was reflective of what he was greeted with.

[skipjack]

This is amazing.. When I was young if I came home with a ticket my parents would have punished me and absolutely taken the side of the officer. I can't imagine coming home and them saying oh it's not your fault it's just a bad officer. When you hear people ask why kids feel so entitled now this is your answer.. It seems wierd that respecting authority and your elders is no longer a thing... Sounds like alot of people in line to become law enforcement (if you don't like the way it's done do it yourself)...