A friend got pulled over and was arrested for an old warrant. The cop didn't ticket him or anything, just arrested him. Now come to find out, there's a ticket on it. He ticketed him, but didn't tell him he was going to, didn't have him sign it or anything. Is this legal? Can cops give you a traffic ticket with out telling you, or having you sign it? He just found out now, 6 months later bc he got a letter in the mail about it. Thanks
2007-07-09 10:15:25 · 20 answers · asked by yourmama 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
The letter he got wasn't about him just getting the ticket, it was about a warrant was issued for failure to appear or pay it.
2007-07-09 10:20:21 · update #1
In America cops can give you tickets without telling you. They also can arrest you for any reason. Wake up, you are in The United States of America!
2007-07-09 10:40:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, someone can be arrested if they have an outstanding warrant, even if they are not given a ticket for whatever the cop pulled them over for.
And yes, a cop and issue a citation of violation (a ticket). Like any other citation, you must be formally notified -- that's the whole point of the signature, by the way, proof that you know you got the citation.
If he was not notified at the time of the ticket, then the effective date of the ticket is when he was formally notified. That means for purposes of challenging it, how long he has to pay, etc. -- the clock starts when he was notified. But he may have to argue that in court, based on a due process claim.
2007-07-09 17:27:02 · answer #2 · answered by coragryph 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Absolutely. You can receive a ticket without your knowledge. You can also be recorded as arrested and jailed for an offense on your permanent record even if the officer merely holds you for a few minutes questioning and then lets you go. He should have asked the booking agent or the police officer about the original reason he was pulled over, the officer is not going to let a speeding ticket slide because of an arrest warrant.
2007-07-09 17:21:06 · answer #3 · answered by Joe L 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ok this is the deal. The traffic ticket is a sort of contract signed by the person who commits the offense. When you sign the ticket you are agreeing to the terms of resolving the ticket, not to getting it in the first place. If you disagree with the ticket you sign it and elect to go to traffic court. If you refuse to sign the ticket all together. then the police have the right to remove you from your vehicle and arrest you for failure to comply with a traffic citation, so you have a choice, but you don't.
Now in the case of your friend.....if the ticket was served by the red light camera (mentioned above) then no you do not have to sign it due to the physical evidence suggesting that you committed the crime. But, when the police explain all that mumbo jumbo about why you're getting a ticket they are explaing the contract to you. If none of this happened then the citation was improperly issued and can be thrown out in traffic court. or in this case, by the judge responsible for the case. The police office basically slipped on this one and forgot to have him sign.
2007-07-09 19:28:24 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
A parking ticket is an example of a ticket that you are issued without the officer ever telling you or even meeting you.
He should have been given a copy of the ticket, but it would be rather difficult to prove that he wasn't. Best way to handle this is to just follow the instructions of the letter and appear in court or pay as necessary.
2007-07-09 17:19:20 · answer #5 · answered by Diminati 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
i dont know but im sure he would of told him about the ticket. Maybe he did not tell him bc it was going to be in the mail. Just like traffic light tickets with the cameras you do not know if you are going to get a ticket or not until it is mailed to you. So i guess it is legal.
2007-07-09 17:20:18 · answer #6 · answered by knowssignlanguage 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If you are arrested at the time when the ticket is written it could've just been linked onto the same charge but filed as a separate ticket. Got to love the law!
2007-07-09 17:18:25 · answer #7 · answered by ramon f 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
i think they can.
when they make you sign the piece of paper you are signing that the handed you the ticket, you don't acknowledge guilt, you acknowledge that you received the ticket.
some traffic light have cameras on them, and if you run a red light you will get the ticket mailed to you
so yes, they can ticket you that way
2007-07-09 17:20:33 · answer #8 · answered by thereturnofveveritzaproasta 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
As far as I know, A cop cannot give you a ticket without telling you.
2007-07-09 17:20:34 · answer #9 · answered by greencoke 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not sure, kind of confused. I will say this though, in California they can mail you a ticket for not coming to a complete stop, or running a red light ($375), so it wouldn't shock me in the least if they could legally do what you said....
2007-07-09 17:20:15 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋