Altee TenPenny in trouble with the law

gman4tide

All-SEC
Nov 21, 2005
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Flint Creek
"To protect and serve"...stopped him because HIS LICENCE PLATE LIGHT wasn't functioning. God forbid had he drove around any more with said light out...oh, the humanity! Now, i understand that nothing really good comes from driving around at 0221 hours...but c'mon. That ain't serving and protecting. I'm also not advocating smoking weed and driving around. But c'mon, an alleged blown licence plate light? Don't even know if my car has one??
 

CullmanTide

Hall of Fame
Jan 7, 2008
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Cullman, Al
"To protect and serve"...stopped him because HIS LICENCE PLATE LIGHT wasn't functioning. God forbid had he drove around any more with said light out...oh, the humanity! Now, i understand that nothing really good comes from driving around at 0221 hours...but c'mon. That ain't serving and protecting. I'm also not advocating smoking weed and driving around. But c'mon, an alleged blown licence plate light? Don't even know if my car has one??
Funny thing is all the cars on the road without a license plate at all. Apparently that goes unnoticed.
 

gtowntide

All-American
Mar 1, 2011
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I'm 65 years old and I've certainly done things in my past life that I don't do anymore. I have participated in pot smoking and drinking alcohol in my younger days. Here is the difference with today's college students.

A lot college aged kids smoke weed and drink. We can argue all day the long term ramifications of doing drugs. However, pot is illegal in most of the country. If you participate, you're rolling the dice that you won't get caught. Here's a thought, when you're out in a car, don't do it! It's just not worth the risk for a high that won't last anyway! This is especially true if you are a college athlete on a scholarship. Use your head, don't feed your head!
 

Ole Man Dan

Hall of Fame
Apr 21, 2008
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So is THE LAW.
Yeah... Smoking Pot is commonplace, it's also against the law in most states.
Yeah... Driving w/o a tag light is pretty small stuff, it's also against the law.

Wonder if something else caught the LEO's eye? Maybe an ALABAMA sticker?
Wonder if Altee was recognized?

If an officer is looking for a reason, a violation like an improper tag, or light out is reason enough to justify their stop.
Notice I didn't say it was a good reason, but it is a legality that has been employed.

When will our guys learn that there is a target on their back?
They can't afford to do some of the things other kids do.

When I was a kid I did lots of the same things kids do today. Difference is I wasn't caught,
and I was a nobody. If I had been arrested I wouldn't have made the news.
 
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TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
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Huntsville, AL,USA
I'm 65 years old and I've certainly done things in my past life that I don't do anymore. I have participated in pot smoking and drinking alcohol in my younger days. Here is the difference with today's college students.

A lot college aged kids smoke weed and drink. We can argue all day the long term ramifications of doing drugs. However, pot is illegal in most of the country. If you participate, you're rolling the dice that you won't get caught. Here's a thought, when you're out in a car, don't do it! It's just not worth the risk for a high that won't last anyway! This is especially true if you are a college athlete on a scholarship. Use your head, don't feed your head!
Well, he did smoke privately, with his brother, so we have no way of knowing how impaired he was. The PR doesn't mention a field sobriety test. Having it in his car was dumb. Some states require license plate lights. Some don't. I find no evident Alabama does. In fact, here is an excerpt from the FAQs of what state your vehicle must be in for a drivers test. It's not mentioned...

"The equipment required for the examination includes rear view mirror, horn, windshield wipers, two separate methods of applying brakes, muffler, headlights, rear tail lights, valid license plate, stop light, and directional signals. This equipment must be in good operating condition. The license examiner may refuse to give the road test in event of hazardous weather or road conditions."
 

gtowntide

All-American
Mar 1, 2011
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I think a tag light burned out would not get you pulled over most of the time. This is the first time I've ever heard of it.


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MOAN

All-American
Aug 30, 2010
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Well, he did smoke privately, with his brother, so we have no way of knowing how impaired he was. The PR doesn't mention a field sobriety test. Having it in his car was dumb. Some states require license plate lights. Some don't. I find no evident Alabama does. In fact, here is an excerpt from the FAQs of what state your vehicle must be in for a drivers test. It's not mentioned...

"The equipment required for the examination includes rear view mirror, horn, windshield wipers, two separate methods of applying brakes, muffler, headlights, rear tail lights, valid license plate, stop light, and directional signals. This equipment must be in good operating condition. The license examiner may refuse to give the road test in event of hazardous weather or road conditions."
I know several people who have been pulled over at night for no tag light. One of them got a DUI because of it. While DUI is certainly a crime he was committing, otherwise his driving was fine and had no other violations pertaining to any reason for being pulled over. How did the cop know he had been drinking? This was in Arab, and they were going to Wal-Mart for something. The cop told him he looked suspicious because they just circled Wal-Mart and headed back out. His wife had left her money at home and they were headed back to get it, they stopped him about a block from his house.

So yes in this state they will pull you over for no tag light, especially if you look suspicious. :)
 

chris

All-SEC
May 17, 2001
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loxley,al. 36551
back in the '80's while living in bham i was pulled over by city p.d. for not having a light for my tag on the '67 chevy i owned. he gave me a verbal warning. i later had it repaired.
 

pigsinspace

1st Team
Jan 26, 2011
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I have been pulled over for no tag light. I was driving home from the lake on a Saturday night. The LEO was honest about the reason. He was looking for drunk drivers, and the tag light was the excuse to make the stop. He said that he had bagged close to one hundred drunk drivers already that summer using that tactic. Since I don't drink, there was no reason to keep me, so I got off with a warning. Cops will often use issues like tail lights to make the initial stop in order to look for something bigger, especially in target rich environments.
 

Airborne Tider

All-American
Aug 2, 2008
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Fort Benning
I have been pulled over for no tag light. I was driving home from the lake on a Saturday night. The LEO was honest about the reason. He was looking for drunk drivers, and the tag light was the excuse to make the stop. He said that he had bagged close to one hundred drunk drivers already that summer using that tactic. Since I don't drink, there was no reason to keep me, so I got off with a warning. Cops will often use issues like tail lights to make the initial stop in order to look for something bigger, especially in target rich environments.
Spot on. My step-father is a retired DUI officer. It is very common for a cop waiting for a car to leave a bar, or in drug stops a known drug neighborhood, and wait for them to make a mistake while running the camera. A tag light out is an easy way to get the car to stop so you can talk to the driver and see if he may be impaired.

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AlexanderFan

Hall of Fame
Jul 23, 2004
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I have been pulled over for no tag light. I was driving home from the lake on a Saturday night. The LEO was honest about the reason. He was looking for drunk drivers, and the tag light was the excuse to make the stop. He said that he had bagged close to one hundred drunk drivers already that summer using that tactic. Since I don't drink, there was no reason to keep me, so I got off with a warning. Cops will often use issues like tail lights to make the initial stop in order to look for something bigger, especially in target rich environments.
This is what I think happened .

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Ole Man Dan

Hall of Fame
Apr 21, 2008
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I think this is the most well-written police report I've ever read. Kudos to you, Officer Coburn.

Officer Coburn knows what he's doing, very professional... Well written report with very little for a lawyer to attack.
IMO: This officer probably has a very high conviction rate.
Altee Tenpenny will likely either make a plea, or be found guilty in court.

HOPE ALTEE LEARNS FROM HIS ARREST.
 

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