62 replies to this topic

[chris v]

Because this is America, you are innocent until proven guilty. And because fighting it is your right, and it's to your advantage. And because running a red light is not actually worth three hundred bucks, and fighting it is free. The ticket and fallout from the ticket is going to cost you at least hundreds and possibly thousands by the time you are done. So fight, fight, fight!

And because you shouldn't lie down and take it in the butt just because the cop made you feel guilty.

Umm dude, don't you think taking time off work and all that other crap to go to court costs money??? She knows she was wrong and now shes doing the right thing. It's not about exercising your rights, it's about maning up and taking responsibility.

[Dave Burrell]

I like your attitude, jen.

I bet you wouldn't take home a case of soda/water that another shopper mistakenly left in his cart in the Sams Club parking lot!

+100

[Dave Burrell]

Because this is America, you are innocent until proven guilty. And because fighting it is your right, and it's to your advantage. And because running a red light is not actually worth three hundred bucks, and fighting it is free. The ticket and fallout from the ticket is going to cost you at least hundreds and possibly thousands by the time you are done. So fight, fight, fight!

And because you shouldn't lie down and take it in the butt just because the cop made you feel guilty.

but dude, she WAS guilty, the cop didn't do anything bad

[ChipShot]

I like your attitude, jen.

I bet you wouldn't take home a case of soda/water that another shopper mistakenly left in his cart in the Sams Club parking lot!

Sure she would, and you would, too.

You're just afraid to admit it here on this forum....

[Sandman]

It's not about exercising your rights, it's about maning up and taking responsibility.

Exactly! I guess Darth just doesn't have the cahones to man up.

[Darth Lefty]

Everyone who's gone on in this thread about "taking responsibility", do you go to the courthouse and volunteer to pay a fine every time you make a harmless mistake in traffic? Or only for the ones the a cop sees, and chooses to chase you down for, because he's bored waiting for a real problem?

I've paid one ticket in recent years because it would have cost more to fight it. That one was in the Navajo reservation and they don't report to the national DMV/police/insurance scam, nor do they offer traffic school, so there's no points or insurance cost either way. Nor do they really care, it's just a way to make money off people passing through. In California, where the scam is in full effect, fight, fight, fight. Filling out a trial by written declaration takes one evening. If that's worth three hundred bucks to you then you're richer than I am.

[forumreader]

Sure she would, and you would, too.

You're just afraid to admit it here on this forum....

You're probably just joking, Chip. But, no, I would not!
In fact, over the past 3-4 months, my young son and I have been trying to do at least one good deed in the parking lots that we go to (i.e. returning carts that other shoppers have left unsecured in the parking lot). -- I strongly feel it it important to teach our children that even small good deeds are important. There is great value in doing the right thing simply for the sake of building virtue.

I apologize for the tangent --- Back to red lights.

[Sandman]

Now your just rambling on looking for a way to make yourself not look so bad. Red light accidents do not discriminate betwen those who purposely run them, and those who accidentally run them. Duh.. Either one can take a life....You seem to be more concerned about the effects on your pocketbook, then whether or not your actions (intentional or not) have the ability to take ones life. IF these are the kinds of values you are instilling in your children I feel for them...

[Agent_007]

you should not pay the ticket outright but secure a traffic court date with a judge. the ticketing officer has to be present at your trial for the charge to stick.

the strategy is to secure a court date and see if the officer shows up. if he fails to show the ticket will be dismissed.

part two of the strategy is to request a delay on your first court date. basically a reschedule of the date. in doing so you again increase the possibility of the officer not showing. again if the officer fails to show the case is dismissed.

if you actually do get to court you can plead with the judge that while you admit guilt you would like to request the court charge you for a lesser offense (cost wise) due to economic circumstances/hardhsip. some judges will accommodate you on such a request if you are reasonable, sincere and honest. plead your clean record and never having a ticket.

finally, you must make sure you negotiate and secure the right to attend traffic school so any offense is masked on your motor vehicle record. doing such will keep your insurance rates as they currently are.

having a ticket on your driving record will affect your insurance rates, substantially, for three years.

as you go through this exercise be reasonable, honest and respectful. they all go a long way in the courts.

don't flat out pay the ticket. you are cheating yourself out of opportunities to manage your driving record and cost of this ticket.

[sat]

I'm not sure where exactly on Iron Point that Jen got caught running a red light, but I know that the stretch near Costco has many red-light runners. When I take the kids to school, I turn left on the Serpa stop light, up on Iron Point. I literally wait five seconds when my light turns green, because many times, a car comes speeding down the hill and can't (or won't) make the red light.

[old soldier]

you should not pay the ticket outright but secure a traffic court date with a judge. the ticketing officer has to be present at your trial for the charge to stick.

the strategy is to secure a court date and see if the officer shows up. if he fails to show the ticket will be dismissed.

part two of the strategy is to request a delay on your first court date. basically a reschedule of the date. in doing so you again increase the possibility of the officer not showing. again if the officer fails to show the case is dismissed.

if you actually do get to court you can plead with the judge that while you admit guilt you would like to request the court charge you for a lesser offense (cost wise) due to economic circumstances/hardhsip. some judges will accommodate you on such a request if you are reasonable, sincere and honest. plead your clean record and never having a ticket.

finally, you must make sure you negotiate and secure the right to attend traffic school so any offense is masked on your motor vehicle record. doing such will keep your insurance rates as they currently are.

good sound advice. its been my experience that when the policeman pretends to blow smoke off his pen like it was a colt 45 and jams it back into his pocket protecter like richard widmark put his piece in his holster.....you probably have a cop that will show up in court.

even worse if when he came up to your car and said "you are in a heap of trouble"

having a ticket on your driving record will affect your insurance rates, substantially, for three years.

as you go through this exercise be reasonable, honest and respectful. they all go a long way in the courts.

don't flat out pay the ticket. you are cheating yourself out of opportunities to manage your driving record and cost of this ticket.

[jen]

I know all about how to fight a ticket, but I did it so I can't imagine trying to get out of it on a technicality. I would have accepted it if the officer had let it go with a warning, but he didn't. He was very polite and didn't try to make me feel worse than I already did. I'll take the traffic school option to minimize insurance issues (I haven't had a ticket in about 15 years).

And no, I would not take the case of water. I would assume that the person who left it would go back looking for it so I'd give it to the people at the door.

[folsom500]

I know all about how to fight a ticket, but I did it so I can't imagine trying to get out of it on a technicality. I would have accepted it if the officer had let it go with a warning, but he didn't. He was very polite and didn't try to make me feel worse than I already did. I'll take the traffic school option to minimize insurance issues (I haven't had a ticket in about 15 years).

And no, I would not take the case of water. I would assume that the person who left it would go back looking for it so I'd give it to the people at the door.

I personally would take Agent 007's advise - If you can take a day to go to the traffic court- it often pays off. Not sure in Folsom though as the cops don't have a lot to do ...

One item before admitting guilt is to ask yourself- were your front tires over the white line before the light turned red ? If you think NOT- then you did NOT run the light as that is the the point where it is still legal ( although not always safe) to pass through the intersection on a red light.

[stacycam]

I've been to traffic court many times - and never, not even once, did the officer not show up. Also, I never won or got the charges reduced, even the time I was actually, truly innocent. The rest of the times I deserved the tickets, and I was just following advice that maybe the cop wouldn't show up.

I'm pretty sure they are very strict on red light runners, so I'd be very surprised if the cop didn't show up.

[mylo]

I've been to traffic court many times - and never, not even once, did the officer not show up. Also, I never won or got the charges reduced, even the time I was actually, truly innocent. The rest of the times I deserved the tickets, and I was just following advice that maybe the cop wouldn't show up.

As a teenager, I had a ticket thrown out simply because it said '35 in a 35'. What the Judge failed to read was that it was cutting the corner of a parking lot. I didn't even make it up to the stand before the Judge dismissed it.