should I pay my traffic ticket or fight it in court?
I got a speeding ticket more than 3 years ago (maybe 5). I never kept a record of it. I went to pay off the speeding ticket. I went to court and they gave me traffic school. I did not have a lawyer or public defender. That was my first time for a ticket. I got pulled over again on 9/27/08 around 1:00am for supposedly running a stop sign. My defense is I thought i had stopped, because it was an intersection and there were trees in the way. There was also no white line in the road at the end of the yellow marking. Supposedly they chopped off some of the tree limbs the next day. The officer told me there was some issues about speeding in the neighborhood and people not stopping at the stop sign. Ok late a night, come on, not many cars are around and people are usually a sleep. He told me he to me was enforcing the stop sign and had had gotten 5 people already. However, I am not sure if that was all for "running the stop" sign or if it was just for speeding. I also don't know when his shift started. Actually I think it happened around 1:00am on 9/28. All I know is that I wanted to deliver some slices of cake. I would have probably gotten in trouble if I tried to offer the officer any cake, or he would have taken it, but wouldn't change my ticket because of it.
Also, what if he was getting me for speeding, I had actually stopped at the stop sign" but he says I didn't just because he knows that not stopping at a stop sign is a 3 point infraction instead of a two point infraction. Is it normal for a cop to get 5 people for not stopping at a stop sign in a short amount of time? Could that be held against him in the court, if a lawyer asked something like "How many people did you have to stop for what you considered to be running the stop sign?" According to Ms .... had you stopped 5 people before that night? What time frame did you stop these people?" Were they all stopped strictly for "running a stop sign", "speeding only" or both?
Is there a chance I can find out who cut the tree limbs and use them in trial?
I have two conflicting views about paying the ticket. My ticket does not require me to go to court, but I can if i want to testify or what ever. Person A is telling me I should fight it off because of insurance. Person B told me if its my 2nd violation in a certain amount of years the points would go on my record of course, but it should not affect my insurance. He said because his was not affected. I told him that person A told me I needed to try and fight it, because he couldn't afford a lawyer to fight it, so he goes to court(even though I don't know if he was required to) and gets points put on to his record, causing his rates to go up . Guy B explained the reason why that Guy's A ticket went up was depending on when his last traffic offense was, any other criminal violations, he has a sports cars, and he uses his car for work purposes as a delivery driver. So that is why, his might have gone up. Guy B told me just to pay the ticket, is saying that it is better to do that than to to worry about the court cost, lawyer cost, ticket cost, etc.
Should I try to get off my parents umbrella policy in case something does happen? Somebody told me that everybody could be affected. However I don't think that is fair to them if they were not driving the car. I read somewhere its best to change policies/providers before your insurance expires or rolls over to the next year. Is this true?
So in every body's opinion should I fight it off just in case or am I safe just paying it?
I have been reading on the internet about fighting tickets. These things include asking for a continuance because there is a chance If I ask for a different court date that the officer might not be there. There is also something called discovery where I can ask the officer for his notes to prepare my defense. Is this true, and do a lot of officers given away their evidence to the accused and/or has anybody reading this ever asked for discovery? Has any of this help you win a case?
How many of you try to fight your ticket every time you get one? How often do you win? Did you fight your first one to every one after that, or only when it seemed to matter? Is it good to fight it, if more than one car or person is on your insurance, just so it wont affect other people?
ok to me there is innocent in the fact that I actually did stop at the stop sign. However not guilty or guilty with justifiable causes would be that ok I might not not stopped at the stop sign, I stopped but not in the right place, I did not stop because I could not see it because of such and such?
Ok first of all this was at a night, but at 1:00 am when not a lot of cars on the road. There was a police vehicle the next day up the road. My friend said he saw the police car again driving one night and just tonight he saw the police pull somebody over in the same area I was pulled over, but he wasn't sure if it was for the same thing. It seems like that cop is just trying to get anybody he sees.
August 13th, 2009 - 23:14
Its not going to cost you anything to go to court.
If you were given a ticket it should clearly state what the ticket is for. Speeding or running a stop sign. You seem confused about that. Look on the ticket. Also, the court date should appear on the ticket.
The officer issuing the ticket should be appearing if you are pleading not guilty. He’ll have to give his side as well. Most of the time, for such small infractions an officer may not show. The judge most likely will defer your ticket if no other violations are received in x number of months. Go ahead and go to court, you have nothing to lose by trying. If you believe you stopped, say so. Also mention the trees and how they obstructed visibility. Mention that the next day they were trimmed and you are happy about that.
In most cases, I believe officers are trying to curtail lazy drivers from rolling thru stop signs at night just because there is very little traffic. I know sometimes I’m more lax when there is (seemingly) no one around. Officers are people too and I suspect they commit some of the same minor offenses from time to time. Life is sooo.. as it is.
August 13th, 2009 - 23:14
Generally speaking, it’s always a good idea to go and fight any traffic ticket. You’re probably not going to get rid of it completely, but most departments will at least offer some kind of deal for a no contest plea. It saves them time, and you’re ticket is usually reduced. Worst case scenario, you get the same fine with the same points, and just a little more time to pay it.
August 13th, 2009 - 23:14
I would pay it. Your gonna pay more in courts cost then the ticket in the end. So just cut your loses and pay it. And FYI, 1/3 of the general public works 2nd and 3rd shift. There is a good bit of people on the road at night. Im sure hes not making stuff up. Plus there is probably no way to prove your innocents from what you told me so just pay it and forget about it.
August 13th, 2009 - 23:14
Fight the ticket.
August 13th, 2009 - 23:14
Sounds like you ran the stop sign and are trying to make excuses. And if he did write 6 tickets that night it indicates people in that area need a reminder of how to drive and obey laws. Thank him for that next time you see him.
Edit- Fel 123- He said his defense is he "thought" he had stopped"… on the other hand, the officer is sitting at a standstill, his only job is watching the intersection and seeing if the vehicles stop or not. Most drivers are likely thinking about their job, family, what they are going to order, what song is on the radio, texting, making a phone call etc etc… So he never said he was certain he stopped, just that he thought he did..He also infers its 1 am in the morning, not many cars around..so stopping really shouldnt even be necessary..then there were trees in the way… etc etc. The chances of winning this one in court are slim
August 13th, 2009 - 23:14
Jesse B: But the poster DID stop. The only one making excuses here is the cop by trying to say that the poster DIDN’T stop. Also, cops run stop signs all the time. I know this. Finally, why in heck should the poster thank the cop for writing a false ticket and making a false pullover? The officer should be reprimanded. NOT THANKED!!! You are like many who think "cops are always right, and civlians are always wrong." That is false. Take it from me. I know. Don’t believe me? Do your own research and see for yourself.
Original poster: If you are not guilty, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS plead not guilty. The system is set up to deal with not guilty pleas. Don’t just plead guilty for convenience or money reasons. Plead what REALITY dictates. If the cop lied on the ticket, force the cop to commit purjery after your not guilty plea. Make the courts deal with reality.