I got a ticket for failure to yield and it is going to be 4 points on my license. I did not, however, intentionally pull out in front of anyone. The gear shift on my car got stuck and I was stalled in the road. Could I get this ticket reduced??
2007-01-28 13:33:43 · 5 answers · asked by Cortney L 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
Did you explain your vehicle problems to the officer who cited you. My experience has been that most police officers are actually pretty reasonable and, if you had a verifiably mechanical problem that caused you to stall in the roadway, I suspect the officer would not have ticketed you for failure to yield.
If you came up with this defense as an afterthought, remember that when you go to court the officer is going to testify to his observations and the officer's testimony will be considered by the court.
The judge always has the discretion to reduce or dismiss your ticket but it is unlikely that this will happen without some sort of evidence to support your claim about what happened.
2007-01-28 17:56:04 · answer #1 · answered by James P 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
One of the hardest pills to swallow in driving is: yes, it was your fault. You are very blessed not to have been involved in a serious accident. Four points is no big deal, forgetting a court date - even if it isn't your fault - is a big deal when a warrant is issued for your arrest and you get pulled over for speeding a little on your way to school the day of a big test and they haul your butt to jail and impound your car. Pay your ticket as soon as possible (and get a receipt), go your way and violate no more.
But if you want to go to court, you might just luck out and show up on a day when the officer who wrote you the ticket is not available, and the prosecutor just might dismiss the ticket or reduce it to a warning. Or the judge might just accept your argument. JUST DON'T MISS THE COURT DATE if you decide to go that route. They will not accept any excuses, and they will not call to let you know about the warrant they WILL issue for your arrest. It will just float around out there in the system until one day, probably at your least convenient moment, it will catch up with you. Oh, and by the way, they will also suspend your driver's license, also without notification, and if you are pulled over while driving under these circumstances - yes, you can and most likely will be charged with driving with a suspended license as well as being taken to jail for the warrant. I'm not making this up, it happens every day.
2007-01-28 22:24:40 · answer #2 · answered by rumplesnitz 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You will need to plead this before the Judge. however your charge might be changed from a moving violation to a equipment violation. Lower points but higher fine.
2007-01-28 21:46:10 · answer #3 · answered by JAMES H 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You might if you go to court. The judge has complete discretion to do whatever he wants. Just understand that you are still at fault, as it is the duty of every driver to be in control of his vehicle at all times and to only operate vehicles which are in good working order. In other words, be humble about it. Don't go in there saying, "it wasn't my fault....". (it was)
2007-01-28 21:42:15 · answer #4 · answered by normobrian 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
plead no contest and see what the judge thinks
2007-01-28 23:46:58 · answer #5 · answered by glamour04111 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋