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Selma, Tx. Refunds Fines

The city of Selma, Tx., long known for tough traffic enforcement, has stopped its police from ticketing trucks for being overweight — and has refunded nearly $100,000 in fines.

“We were not allowed to do what we were doing, so we gave them all their money back,” said City Administrator Ken Roberts, stating that he signed 125 refund checks that were mailed in late October.

Two Selma officers had obtained certification last year through the Texas Department of Public Safety to cite overweight commercial vehicles using portable scales. But in August, city officials concluded the town in northeast Bexar County is too small for its officers to enforce that provision of the state transportation code.

“It was a mistake and it was corrected,” said Municipal Judge John Hrncir, adding, “I really think Selma police have a bad rap from years ago and they're doing a good job these days.”

Area truckers cheered the move. Some operators said Selma’s decades-old reputation as a speed trap was well-deserved.

“You’d better slow down here,” said Pearl Sanchez, manager of Bob White Express, a Selma trucking firm, said she had complained because several suppliers stopped delivering goods after their drivers were cited by local officers.

“They could’ve put us out of business because we couldn’t receive deliveries,” Sanchez said.

At least they are refunding fines. Most of these towns would just stop collecting fines and keep the money.

Back in the 70's, in the years of 55MPH speed limits and "CB Mania", Selma had a nationwide reputation for it's strict enforcement of traffic laws along it's small stretch of IH35. Selma City Hall was on the northbound side of I35, and there was Mexican restaurant and tavern on the southbound side, and that was about it. The restaurant/tavern is still there, and the old Selma City Hall is now a "Hooters" sports bar.

Over the CB, it was called "Hemorrhoid City". The city's police chief/police officer/city manager, Tom Holland, wore a gold helmet, and writing speeding tickets was his vocation and avocation. He was actually very capable, but he was forced to resign after being convicted of DWI. IIRC, that was in the late 1970's.

Now, Selma is fairly indistinguishable from it's neighboring suburban towns. It's been swallowed up by suburban sprawl.

There were a lot of small towns across the country that made their living off unsuspecting truckers and out of towners traveling through during that time. There was a small town in Tennessee that had THP escort some through the town due to the corruption. If you had an out of state tag on your vehicle, you could expect to be stopped and ticketed. That was before the freeways were completed. I find it funny when those who are involved in this type of behavior get caught breaking the law themselves.