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UPDATE: HPD responds to report of woman who said she was ticketed for driving 2 mph over speed limit

The 66-year-old had never been ticketed for speeding until earlier this week when she was clocked driving 37 mph in a 35 mph area along Richmond Avenue.

HOUSTON — A Houston woman says she was ticketed for going just two miles over the speed limit. 

Cindy Nguyen, 66, said an HPD officer cited her for going 37 mph in a 35 mph speed zone. Now, her family is questioning whether this was the best use of police time and resources.

Nguyen had gone her entire life without a speeding ticket until she got a citation on Richmond Avenue between Gessner and Chimney Rock.

"When I looked at the citation, 'Speeding 37 mph in a 35 mph zone,' I started scratching my head, how could this be possible," said her husband, Omar Sharif. "My biggest concern is this is just a misuse of the resources and taxpayer money not going to the right place. Crime is skyrocketing in Houston."

When he took a closer look at the ticket, he noticed something odd. His wife got the ticket on Jan. 3, but it was dated 12-31-2023.

"It's in the future, it's almost a year ahead of us," Sharif said. 

In Texas, ticket quotas are illegal. It's written into state law, but KHOU 11 legal analyst Carmen Roe said there are specific times of the year when traffic citations spike. 

"You're more likely to be stopped for going 1 or 2 miles over the speed limit during this time of year, albeit frustrating to those just out there doing their shopping and things," Roe said. 

Roe said driving anything over the speed limit is considered breaking the law. 

"An officer has the discretion to ticket you for any amount over the marked speed limit, even one mile over," Roe said. 

She advises folks in these situations to hire an attorney or fight the ticket themselves. The good news is most of the time you can win. 

"Oftentimes, cases like this, particularly just a few miles over the speed limit, they go away the first day you show up in court," Roe said.

UPDATE, 1/5 AT 12 P.M.

Before the story aired, KHOU 11 reached out to HPD for comment on the particulars of this ticket, HPD had nothing to add at the time.

On Thursday morning, HPD reached out to KHOU 11 to release more information on the traffic stop. Per an HPD spokesperson, after reviewing the body cam footage of the January 3rd, 2023 traffic stop, HPD says the driver was traveling 15 miles over the speed limit at the time of the traffic stop. The officer says he clocked Mrs. Nguyen at 50 mph in a 35 mph zone along Richmond Avenue. Per HPD the officer wrote 37 mph on the ticket to give Mrs. Nguyen a break. 

In regards to the date error on the ticket, HPD says it's a glitch with one ticket writer in their system. HPD has since fixed the glitch.

KHOU 11 News has requested the body cam footage to review it as well. We will pass along updates and share it with you once we receive it.

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