Misdemeanor or Felony?

My first day on the job as a patrol officer -- I was assigned to a veteran officer. We set out to begin our evening shift on Friday evening.

The lead officer,  my partner, tossed me the keys to the unit. Saying “You drive.”

I drove along the bypass route of Highway 59 through the south side of town. 

A careless driver made an illegal turn right in front of our car.  I hit the siren and turned on the overheard red lights, stopping the car within a block.  I contacted the driver, who turned out to be a gorgeous young woman.  I let her go with a verbal  warning.

Back in the patrol car, I was rebuked by my partner.  It was within the duties of the lead officer who is riding with a rookie to provide guidance in procedures, so I listened respectfully.

His rebuke was not for letting her off —  but for stopping her immediately.

“You should have followed along for a few blocks, to see what else she might do.”

The next night, he was driving when a vehicle sped past our marked unit in a grossly disrespectful  display of arrogance.

I expected an immediate pursuit and stop, but my partner followed at some distance — finally stopping the motorist about four blocks later.

I sat in the unit, watching, mystified, while he wrote ten tickets.

I demanded – no, I requested an explanation.  Respectfully.

“Why did you write so many tickets.”  

He explained that he wrote a ticket for each crosswalk that the driver drove across at an excessive speed while we were following him.  

 “But why?”

He said

               “Well, his name was Donald J Thump.”