Even if we assume that, at some level, pretty much every elected official sucks and will find some way to take unfair advantage of their position while in office, you still hope the people who make up your government have at least the minimal amount of intelligence to not be stupid about it. That’s clearly not the case with Arizona state House representative Paul Mosley (R-5th District), who used “legislative immunity” to get out of speeding 97 mph, then bragged to the cop about speeding much faster. Idiot.
Not surprisingly, the officer’s body cam video of the whole exchange was released via a Freedom of Information Act request by Parkerliveonline.com, and now you can cringe and seethe at the whole infuriating exchange:
So, to clarify some things, yes, Mosley got away with it, all thanks to this clause in Arizona’s State Constitution:
“Members of the legislature shall be privileged from arrest in all cases except treason, felony, and breach of the peace, and they shall not be subject to any civil process during the session of the legislature, nor for fifteen days next before the commencement of each session. (Article IV, part 2, section 6.).”
Before we even get into if that clause should even cover speeding at all, we have to address Mosley’s response to the cop. Instead of doing what any sane, reasonable person would do in this case (thank the cop, and get back on the road and drive the speed limit for at least a little while) Mosley, so drunk on his own legislative immunity, goes on to brag to the officer about how he usually speeds even more than this, and thanks to his sweet-ass second-gen Lexus LS 400, he can now go way faster than in his old Prius, even up to 140 mph:
“Yeah, I go 130, 140, 120. I come down I-10, I was going 120 almost, you know, if there was no traffic.”
The reason he gives to the dumbfounded cop is that he wants to “surprise his wife,” and that he doesn’t “even notice” he’s going so fast because of his Lexus’ “nice wheels, nice, you know, suspension.”
Easy, Speed Racer, dumb it down a little with all the technical talk.
The blind arrogance on display here is incredible. As is the stupidity. Did he not think this could cause a shitstorm? This is like elected officials sending pictures of their junk to people; what exactly do they think is going to happen?
Plus, I’m sure every single other elected Arizona official who has been quietly enjoying the perk of being able to get out of speeding tickets is wishing they could slap the shit out of this blowhard who, while trying to impress some random cop, may have just ruined the sweet deal for everyone.
Look, I know we’ve all sped at times, and that’s not going to stop. But 140 mph down a highway not designed for such speeds and with traffic not expecting cars traveling that fast is of course dangerous as hell. I don’t trust that this guy knows shit about driving, even if his car has “nice, you know, suspension” and he’s not the sort of moron I want hurling down the road at 140 mph.
Because, as he just demonstrated, he’s an idiot.
Mosley issued a statement about speeding and bragging about speeding more on his Facebook page:
I would like to apologize to my colleagues and constituents, as well as law enforcement, for my conduct on March 27th, 2018, which is shown in the recently-released video. My desire to get home to see my family does not justify how fast I was speeding nor my reference to legislative immunity when being pulled over. Legislative immunity is a serious responsibility and should not be taken lightly or abused. In addition, my jokes about frequently driving over 100 miles per hour during my 3-hour commute to and from the capitol were entirely inappropriate and showed extremely bad judgement on my part, for which I am truly sorry. I have no excuse for any of this, only regret of my actions, a hope for forgiveness and a commitment that it will not happen again.
Dude, those weren’t “jokes” about speeding—you were straight-up bragging about driving 140 mph on a public highway. You can tell the difference between that and a joke because in a joke, the punchline is a series of words you say, and not the dumbass saying them because he doesn’t know when to shut up.
Keep in mind, this is the same guy who once proposed that we end mandatory education for all children, presumably in a bid to get the coveted 7 to 9 year-old vote.
Remember, our own editor-in-chief once did three days in jail for speeding, four mph less than this jackass here was going. And he had the decency not to try to impress the cop with tales of how much faster he’s driven on the track.
The Arizona Fraternal Order of Police has dropped their endorsement of Mosley, and their president, John Ortolano, said of the event:
“Rep. Mosley’s recklessness, his demeanor and his utter disregard for the safety of the public represent the exact opposite of what the Arizona Fraternal Order of Police looks for in an elected official. Potentially lethal speeding isn’t a joke. We will not stand with those who think it’s acceptable or funny to risk the lives of others while behind the wheel of a lethal weapon.”
There doesn’t appear to be any plans to pursue the incident legally, at least not yet. Statements to Parker Live from Cochise County Attorney Brian McIntyre suggest the matter is being reviewed:
“A complaint has not yet been filed. I do not believe the ethical rules permit me to say whether I intend to charge the matter or not, however. I am able to say that it will be reviewed consistent with our ethical obligations and a charging decision will be made as time and resources permit.”
Mosley is up for re-election later this year, so good luck with that, dummy.
(Thanks, Geoff!)