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December, 2024

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Fighting a traffic ticket in court

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anti_bunk
Posts: 2629 - Karma: 329
Today it snowed and the roads were slick, taking my buddy to work and get an orange light, I go thru because i didnt want to slam my brakes and slide into the intersection, plus it stayed orange until i crossed into the intersection, or so my passenger and I thought.  I get pulled over and get a ticket from an unmarked cop who says i blew a red light.  2 points on my liscense and $135 fine.  If i take it to court and lose it goes up to $160.    Its pretty much going to be my word vs his on whether the light was red BUT, the cop marked my car as black on the ticket when it is really dark red. Plus i have a clean driving record, no tickets or anything and im 24 which is pretty damn good if i must say.  I'm a very safe driver and I really thought going thru the intersection was the safer choice in the 1/4 second i had to choose.  Anyone here fought a bullshit ticket before?  how'd it go? what should i be prepared for if i go to court with this pig?
Dec 19 2012 4:20PM
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JakeAssBeatClap
Posts: 6673 - Karma: 2,537
Wut.
Dec 19 2012 4:21PM
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anti_bunk
Posts: 2629 - Karma: 329
yellow.  FFS.
Dec 19 2012 4:24PM
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JakeAssBeatClap
Posts: 6673 - Karma: 2,537
Also you're 24, you should know by now the world is fucking unfair. That doesn't seem like a bullshit ticket, if you weren't past the intersection and the light goes red, that's illegal and you ran a red light. Also for being a 24 year old calling a cop a pig is fucking stupid, you and everyone else know he was doing his job.

Pay the money, get the points taken off your license. Why waste your time going to court when you can just pay it online and be a mature individual.
Dec 19 2012 4:25PM
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Zone
Posts: 206 - Karma: 322
Seriously, some cops are just high school assholes who only joined the police to keep being an asshole. IMO
Dec 19 2012 4:26PM
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49566738265
Posts: 0 - Karma: 7,704
WTF is an orange light?

Sounds like a reasonable claim on both sides, but the fact is that in inclement weather it's the driver's responsibility to drive slow enough that they can stop before hitting a car in front of them, nailing a pedestrian, or running a red/yellow light. I asked a cop (not a pig, because I'm not a cynical asshole) about this once and they recommended 25 miles an hour in relation to a 50 mph zone we were discussing. Just FYI, and I highly doubt the red vs. black argument holds any water to be honest. $135 isn't bad, not sure if I'd waste a day and risk it without a rock solid reason to be there.
Dec 19 2012 4:28PM
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anti_bunk
Posts: 2629 - Karma: 329
its funny you say he was doing his job because literally one block away was a railroad crossing that had jammed and was causing a huge line of cars filling into other intersections, much more dangerous than what i did.
Dec 19 2012 4:29PM
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49566738265
Posts: 0 - Karma: 7,704
I could replace the word "cop" with just about any position of marginal authority in existence and that sentence would still work.
Dec 19 2012 4:30PM
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Kcin
Posts: 1845 - Karma: 58
what weird laws. when you go to court in washington and dress nice and just be polite you are almost guaranteed to have the ticket reduced. not completely taken away but definitely reduced
Dec 19 2012 4:31PM
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JakeAssBeatClap
Posts: 6673 - Karma: 2,537
It's easy to make excuses for a personal mistake it's much more difficult to be accountable so I understand why you're making excuses.
Dec 19 2012 4:31PM
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anti_bunk
Posts: 2629 - Karma: 329
this. I was very courteous to the heroic law enforcement official while he cited me.  My plan is to wear nice clothes be nice and politely present my side of the story.  hopefully my record, plus the fact that it was a new car i was driving, im used to a SUV with much longer stopping distance and still have those instincts, will get the points off my liscense at least.  im not worried over 135$ but i dont want my insurance to go up especially when i believed i was making the safer move.
Dec 19 2012 4:39PM
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CartelCrew
Posts: 46 - Karma: 37
I got a ticket for "throwing missiles from a vehicle" It was a penny. Cop did not show up to court, so it was thrown out.
Punk Kid: 1
Lame Cop: 0
Dec 19 2012 4:45PM
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PeppermillReno
Posts: 4815 - Karma: -709
Yes take it to court. You have a good case. The Cop may not show up either.


In regards to speeding tickets (not what this thread is about) always go to court and NEVER take the first deal offered. Let all the other suckers there fighting their tickets take the deals they offer. Once the court clears out they will deal with you and offer you a better deal (something like parking on the curb) which won't fuck your insurance. Usually I take those deals but you can still call their bluff and try to get off completely, but at that point you are dealing with people who love going head to head with someone trying to get off and they'll trot out the lidar shit and say the cop is 5 minutes away.
Dec 19 2012 5:12PM
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Casey
Posts: 7887 - Karma: 24,831
Yep, continuances are your best friend, and never mitigate, always contest
Dec 19 2012 6:41PM
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Lt-Aldo-Raine
Posts: 2309 - Karma: 120
I agree, try to make a deal to plead guilty. If you dont like it plead not guilty but in the end you might get butt fucked by the prosecutor.
Dec 19 2012 6:51PM
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Blake.P
Posts: 9894 - Karma: 3,585
i would first bring up the color point. when cops make mistakes writing tickets, its grounds to have them dismissed. i've seen it work before, so its not impossible.

definitely go to court though. if the cop doesnt show, it will most likely get dismissed. if he does show, try to get it lowered to a nonmoving violation (essentially a parking ticket) or get a defered sentence.

remember, dress professional, impressions to the judge can be a big deal in situations like this
Dec 19 2012 7:08PM
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Jewschoolers
Posts: 1785 - Karma: 1,142
you make a fair point but to be fair i have met several cops who were huge cocksuckers. that job just has a way of turning people into assholes. its understandable with the shit they have to go through but still
Dec 19 2012 7:24PM
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fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
I've met a few ns members who are shit heads...does that mean all nsers are terrible people?
Dec 19 2012 7:26PM
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JakeAssBeatClap
Posts: 6673 - Karma: 2,537
Bingo.

I have a fucking ticket for skateboarding down a hill for 265 dollars. This kid thinks his ticket is bullshit, try that one on for size. I wasn't even street skating just literally skating down a hill to get to my bike, so I could ride home after class.

It was illegal where I was riding, I didn't know that that was the case. I can bitch all I want doesn't change the fact I broke the law. I have met plenty of cops who are cock suckers and I have met plenty of cops who were really great people. Just like every other profession. There are cock sucker doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc etc. It's just when put in a position of authority people seem to think that they're a heightened cock sucker because they hold power above you.


Dec 19 2012 7:35PM
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anti_bunk
Posts: 2629 - Karma: 329
well that ticket is bullshit too, its hard to imagine how just skating got you that big of a fine when running a red light was half that. What was it for? Did you try to fight it? because I definitely would.  unless the cop thought you gave him an attitude or something. cops love harassing skaters tho i think we all know that.
and my cop wasn't a cocksucker at all he was very nice and explained exactly what the rule is about red lights (its just like football BTW if you cross the plane at all when its yellow, your'e good)  and things to consider before running a yellow light.  I wasn't calling him a pig in a negative, immature way rather just sort of lightly joking about it and it probably sounded bitchy of me because it had just happened i was still upset.  I was really nice to him too so hopefully it all bodes well for me in the end.  I actually agree with everything you said about making excuses and shit but you hopped all over the fact i called him a pig when really its a pretty harmless term. I just want the points off my ID because i turn 25 soon and can get a lower insurance.  130 bucks is alone not a big deal.
Dec 19 2012 8:13PM
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