Dan Casey’s column in Sunday’s Roanoke Times makes it clear.
Bob “Law and Order” Goodlatte agreed to a legal fiction: that his April 12 speeding violation in Nelson County– for driving nearly twice the speed limit– was the result of a “defective speedometer” when in fact it was the result of a heavy foot on the accelerator. If Goodlatte expects the rest of us to respect the letter and spirit of the law, he should be willing to do so himself, even at the cost of some points on his driving record.
The amended charge simply requires everyone to pretend something happened that did not in fact happen. It’s unfortunate that that judge, the commonwealth’s attorney and the congressman colluded in such dishonesty, even if it is supposedly standard practice.
Goodlatte Watch 
Amen, Mr. Casey. Thank you.
It’s not like Goodlatte has never driven on US29 through Lovingston before (where the posted speed limit is 45), and not like he doesn’t know exactly where the high school is (he’s appeared there before). And it’s not like you wouldn’t feel yourself going that fast, speedometer working or not. He lied, plain and simple.
Why couldn’t he admit it, take the points, apologize publicly, and show up in court himself — instead of sending his well-connected “attorney” in his place?
The court also acted astonishingly unjustly in letting him get away with this.
Poor show, all the way around.
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It would be great to see so-called public servants hold themselves to a higher standard so as to deserve respect, instead of trying to get out of simply being accountable to the laws their constituents have to abide by.
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The rest of us would have been in jail on a reckless driving charge. Thank God (whatever that means to a Christian Scientist) that no students were killed. At 70 mph death is a certainty
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This is a sad commentary on Bob Goodlatte and the Nelson County court. In Bob’s case it shows a willingness to be dishonest to avoid the penalty any other citizen would face. Like his hero DTJ he evidently feels that the law is for “us other people”, he is above it. The Nelson county court system should all hang their head in shame. How could anyone respect this entity after such an awful disregard for the rule of law. I will promise you no ordinary citizen would get this kind of preferential treatment. This is just a symptom of what is going on in our country where the elites on both sides of the aisle think they are a special class with privileges not permitted for us “other people”. Shades of “let them eat cake”.
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