Rader wins reckless driving trial

Attorney Amy Rader won a trial on February 13, 2025, in Clark County District Court for a client charged with reckless driving.

Her client was arrested in June 2024 after a resident called 911 to report that drivers were racing along Waterfront Way in downtown Vancouver. The witness said the driver of a Camero was going faster than the speed limit of 25 mph and other vehicles were following. The driver was doing burnouts, the witness said.

A responding Vancouver police officer observed tire marks in the area where the witness described the reckless driving. The 911 caller said the only offending vehicle remaining was a car with "blue lights" and told the officer that his patrol car was next to that car, which belonged to Rader's client; however, his car is a blue Mustang. Rader's client insisted he did not do burnouts. The officer told the client that he had "a perfect video" of him committing the crime. The client asked the officer to see the video, to which the officer responded that he could see the video in court. 

Our pre-trial investigation determined the officer never had a video of the client and the officer was bluffing to get him to confess. The client implored the officer to obtain surveillance video from surrounding buildings to prove that the police officer was arresting the wrong driver. Instead, the officer arrested Rader's client and booked him into the Clark County Jail. 

Rader was assisted at the trial by Lee Coffin. She argued to jurors that her client was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. She said the police officer did not make any effort to make sure he had the correct driver, such as asking any owners of waterfront stores to review surveillance video.

The jury deliberated 30 minutes before returning the verdict of not guilty.

Reckless driving, a gross misdemeanor, carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail.