I got pulled over a couple months ago for going 38 in a 25 I still don't believe I was going that fast.. anyways my dash lights were all burnt out when I went to the dealership they told me it was some switch and it would cost about 300 to fix I couldn't afford it so i put it off. well the night I was pulled over I was on a very very dark road no other cars were on that road at the time I could not see any of the dash. .Since then I have gotten the lights fixed and I have a receipt it was actually my bulbs and I got it done for way less than what the dealership quoted. I can't get this ticket I have a pretty bad driving record and if I get another moving violation dmv will suspend me for 45 days and I'm a single mom who works fulltime and I take my daughter to school everyday..
please tell me what you think I should do I'm so nervous about court and I really believe I'm not guilty help!!!
2007-04-05 15:26:07 · 6 answers · asked by kiahleigh 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
If you're really lucky, you might get it reduced to an unsafe vehicle violation rather than a speeding ticket. I can't see you getting off completely because it is your responsibility to upkeep your car so that all things are working on it... I know that's hard because you don't have the money and I really don't know what the law expects us to do... but traffic violations are strict liability, meaning it doesn't matter why: the fact that you did it means that you have to pay for it.
A couple years ago I got a red light ticket because there's a traffic light on a road with a 50mph speed limit and it doesn't stay yellow long enough to stop, so i pressed hard to break and my car started to slide on the water on the road (it was raining really hard for a few hours), so I let off the break and went through the light after it was red... and they didn't care in the slightest that there was nothing else I could do... I did get it reduced to an unsafe vehicle violation (which was still complete BS because there was nothing my car could have done better either), but I didn't get it taken away completely... and that was my only ticket ever: no prior record or anything to justify giving me a punishment.
Go explain your situation to the judge... be respectful, be sincere. Tell the judge that you didn't have the money to fix it because you're a single mom and take your documentation to prove that you've had it fixed since then. I'm not sure if you'll get off because of your prior record, but that's the best advice I can give you. good luck.
note... after reading other responses there's something I should address... my plan in my ticket was to look around and see if my officer was there... but that wouldn't help because of the structure of the system... on my first court date I was in the court room with bunches of other people and the judge was just taking pleadings. if you pled guilty, you got fined and you left. if you pled no contest, you got fined and you left. if you pled not guilty, you got another date to come to court and you had to come back. But when I came back, instead of a real trial, there was a meeting with a prosecutor... and the prosecutor will discuss options with you about which punishments you can have: there's always one option to pay more money and get less points on your license and an alternative to pay less and get more points. I know my system used to be different because my dad told me to look for the officer because he got out of a ticket because the officer didn't come to a trial... but at some point they must have changed the system and you meet with a prosecutor because it probably saves money or something... i think it's a great injustice because a prosecutor is necessarily against you, but i guess it's like the equivalent of a civil settlement. Anyway... my point is not to rely on looking for the officer who gave you the ticket because it might not work at all.
2007-04-05 15:43:59 · answer #1 · answered by kmnmiamisax 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Explain what has happened, and that you have corrected the situation. I doubt that he will drop the ticket, you may get it reduced some, but I think they'll make you pay. This ticket would be for Defective Equipment, I do not believe that is a moving violation, however, they might make issue of it, because of the fact that you stated it was real dark, and you couldn't see how fast you were going, so that would bring it back into the Safety/Defensive Driving area, and most courts are stiff about putting others in danger, and fine drivers accordingly. You are guilty, you were speeding, and worse than that, you didn't know exactly what your speed was because of the darkness in your dashboard. Maybe to save yourself some money and court fees, you should take a class on general auto maintenance. Changing fuses and bulbs should be second nature to you if you own a car. Quit making excuses as to why the incident happened, grow up and take responsibility for your actions.
2016-05-18 01:55:17 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi Jessica,
First of all, if you tell the police or the judge that your dash isn't working (or your speedometer), you can be cited for that! It is the driver's responsibility to make sure that the car is passing the standards for a well-working car, and a properly working speedometer is one of the requirements. So, don't mention that.
Secondly, if the ticketing police officer doesn't show up, you'll probably have the ticket overturned. They need to show up. A lot of times they don't because they are too busy. So, maybe you'll luck out. But, this is all I know.
Good luck!
2007-04-05 15:36:07 · answer #3 · answered by Hillbilly Girl 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is all a money game. I've been to court as a witness for a case against something else but saw nothing but traffic ticket cases, fines being made out to all kinds of people for the exchange of no insurance points or lesser charges. If you don't comply, they charge you for the court fees anyway and you get nada. It is horrible to drive through cop-towns...
2007-04-05 15:54:33 · answer #4 · answered by LuckyD 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you walk into the court room, look around, see if you can find that $50 ticketmaster lawyer, and hire that lawyer.
Chances are you get pled out on a nolo contedere with a small fine and 4 hours of driving school.
2007-04-05 15:33:42 · answer #5 · answered by krollohare2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Relax.
Before you even have to present a defense, they have to make a case against you. The only evidence is the issuing officer. If he doesn't show up for any reason at all, it's over.
If he does show, be sure you have proof that it was fixed, and why it was broken to begin with.
2007-04-05 15:33:16 · answer #6 · answered by open4one 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋