An Florida cop who had driven over 100 MPH countless times while off duty is finally under scrutiny. His reckless behavior has placed dozens of motorists in extreme danger. Hit the jump for the full story.
DM – Florida’s most notorious speeding cop walked free from court on Thursday, after being told the offense will be spared from his record.
Miami Officer Fausto Lopez pleaded no contest to accusations that he endangered the public by speeding on Florida’s Turnpike on an October morning.
He was driving in excess of 100mph while off duty, something he had done at least 100 times, according to Broward County prosecutor David Schulson.
Schulson had asked the judge to find Lopez guilty, citing a Sun Sentinel investigation published in February that found he was a habitual speeder, as were almost 800 other officers who drove faster than 90 mph in a 13-month period while off-duty.Â
The report claimed Lopez was the most frequent speeder, routinely driving above 100 mph on his commute from Coconut Creek to Miami, slowing to near-legal speeds only after video of his traffic stop made national headlines.
Lopez, 36, appeared in court for the first time since being charged with misdemeanor reckless driving.Â
His lawyers described him as a loving family man and respected police officer, presenting the court with 45 letters of support from friends and family, describing the cop as hard-working and conscientious.
They said it was unfair to consider the newspaper’s findings in sentencing the officer since he was charged with only the one incident in October.
‘This incident is an aberration,’ Lopez’s lead attorney, William Matthewman, told Broward County Judge Melinda Brown. ‘It’s something that shouldn’t have happened but it did.’
Brown said she had read all the letters and considered Lopez’s history, deciding against imposing a fine and instead ordering him to perform 100 hours of community service.
He took a $3,300 cheque to cover prosecution costs to the Fort Lauderdale courtroom on Thursday.
The judge accepted a request from Lopez’s lawyers to keep the case off his record, adding ‘I do take into consideration that this is your first offense, that this was a lack of judgment.
‘I am hopeful that Officer Lopez has learned something from this ordeal and that all officers who’ve read about [him] and read about the circumstance have curtailed this conduct.’
Outside the courtroom Saucedo said to the Palm Beach Post: ‘Every law enforcement officer has a great responsibility to conduct themselves appropriately on and off duty.
‘The message has to be sent to all law enforcement officers that they need to follow the law just like everyone else. They need to obey the speed limit.‘
Lopez still faces discipline from his bosses at the Miami Police Department.
According to Saucedo, police chiefs in Sunrise, Margate and Plantation have taken away officers’ take-home cars after confirming the Sun Sentinel’s investigation that they drove at excessive speeds for no valid reason.
