Couple says trooper tacked on traffic charges after October stop
After driving off with an improper passing citation in October, Willie Cain and his girlfriend were stunned to learn of numerous additional traffic charges against them.
Posted — Updated"Not even a quarter-mile, I was pulled over," Cain said recently, recalling his encounter with State Highway Patrol Trooper Jason Benson.
After the typical license and registration conversation with Benson, Cain drove off with a citation for improper passing.
Weeks later, Hood, who owns the car but wasn't driving that night, was stunned to learn a letter had been sent to her parents' home regarding a court date for her on charges of failure to surrender her registration, operating without insurance and other infractions.
"Nothing at all," Hood said when asked if Benson ever discussed citations against her. "He asked about transferring of insurance, and he looked it up and said, 'OK, that's good. He asked for my registration, that was it. He was very polite. I never thought anything."
Although the Harnett County District Attorney's Office dismissed the infractions against her, Hood said she worries the situation could have turned out much worse.
"I could have had a warrant. I could have gotten in real trouble for something I didn't receive offhand," she said.
WRAL Investigates researched traffic stops in the county and found Benson and Trooper Christopher Carter each has more than 230 cases pending in court between now and September. In dozens of cases, drivers were charged with eight, nine, even 10 infractions.
Three drivers were charged by the troopers multiple times on the same day, in some cases with the same offense.
Benson is no longer with the patrol, and Carter is on administrative leave pending investigations by the State Bureau of Investigation and the Highway Patrol.
Court records show some of Trooper Benson's tickets have been dismissed, but WRAL Investigates went to court this month and found prosecutors had asked that several cases involving the two troopers be continued until the investigations into their actions are complete. District Court Judge Paul Holcombe agreed to the continuances to October, but in some cases, he warned prosecutors it would be the last one.
Cain said he didn't realize Benson hit him with six infractions until WRAL Investigates told him.
"It's kind of like a painful thing to have to go through to know that someone out here who's supposed to have been working for the government, who was supposed to be willing to protect, is out here placing fictitious charges on people," Cain said.
Reckless driving was added to the improper passing citation, even though Cain wasn't clocked for speeding. He also found the very same registration counts tacked on that blindsided his girlfriend, even though the car wasn't his.
"It's totally not fair for people to have to go through that," he said.
The Highway Patrol insists troopers don’t have ticket-writing quotas, but Hood said she feels something was going on.
"I believe he may have some pressure from his commanders or his sergeants, and I believe there is a quota," she said.
Cain and Hood don't spread blame to all law officers, but they said troopers accused of tacking on charges must be held accountable.
"I've heard people tell me before, 'They just added on these charges to me.' I've heard the stories, but I wouldn't think they'd add on four or five charges or give you charges after you leave," she said. "This should be like an eye-opener."
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
