A Vermont State Police trooper has paid a $1,000 fine for driving at an excessive speed while on duty last October, according to the office of the state's Attorney General.
A state police investigation recently concluded trooper Michael Studin drove an unmarked, high performance vehicle on Interstate 91 in the town of Rockingham on Oct. 29, 2008.
He was clocked at 133 mph while on duty, but not responding to an emergency at the time.
Assistant Attorney General John Treadwell said the office was asked to review the initial investigation to make a determination on how to proceed.
The Vermont Attorney General's Office issued Studin a ticket for the maximum statutory penalty.
"This certainly suggests that people driving at excessive speeds will be held accountable," said Treadwell. "Clearly, there are reasons why (troopers) may need to respond to emergencies at high speeds," he said, but the law states it is only in these crisis situations.
"Law enforcement officers by law are authorized to exceed the speed limit on duty; however this exemption did not apply in this case," said Public Safety Commissioner Thomas R. Tremblay in a statement. "The speed that I witnessed in this matter was extremely unsafe and the trooper's judgment was not in line with the high standards expected of a Vermont state trooper."
A normal fine on a speeding ticket for traveling 133 mph in a posted 65 mph zone on the highway is $638.
"Trooper Studin has been held accountable and has accepted responsibility for his actions; he has my full support as he works to put this mistake behind him," said Tremblay. "In our country, more law enforcement officers are killed in traffic crashes than by armed adversaries. The safety of our troopers and the traveling public is obviously a high priority in our important public safety mission."
In a press statement from the state police, the VSP requested the Attorney General's office to conduct an investigation, and concurred with the issuing of a Vermont traffic complaint.
"While Vermont law allows police to exceed maximum speed limits, those exemptions did not apply in this case. The trooper's actions during this incident did not conform to the core values expected of a Vermont state trooper," said Major John Filipek, commander of the Field Force Division, in the press release.
The speeding ticket was paid Friday.
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http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2009/05/08/vt_trooper_fined_1000_for_133_mph_trip/
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