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Cost Of Red Light Running?


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#31 awood

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Posted 22 May 2008 - 11:26 AM

QUOTE(mylo @ May 22 2008, 11:39 AM) View Post
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.


In my one trip to traffic court I got a $51 fine and 1 pt. on my record for doing 76 in a 30!! Judge had a dinner party to go to and a stack of cases to get through. You plead guilty (regardless of the charge!) you got $51 fine ($1 fine + 50 "court costs").

#32 Darth Lefty

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Posted 22 May 2008 - 12:42 PM

Trial by written declaration first, then day in court. If you do each step right before the deadline, it'll be 4-6 months before you see a courtroom and you've given them every opportunity to let you slip through the cracks. If they still find you guilty at the end of all that you are still eligible for traffic school.

This is not immoral. These are your rights in a free country and state, which all you guys go on about protecting.
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#33 Redone

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Posted 22 May 2008 - 09:12 PM

QUOTE(Darth Lefty @ May 22 2008, 12:56 PM) View Post
Because this is America, you are innocent until proven guilty.


Americans I hang around with accept responsibility.

#34 Darth Lefty

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Posted 22 May 2008 - 09:37 PM

If the Americans you hang around with roll over and "accept responsibility" whenever an authority figure points a finger at them, maybe they don't deserve the freedom they're offered.
"I enjoy a bit of cooking, and this has always worried me. But it's OK. I only like it because it allows me to play with knives." - James May

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#35 Robert Gary

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 07:46 AM

QUOTE(jen @ May 22 2008, 08:15 AM) View Post
While listening to discussion of high gas prices one of those many Iron Point lights clicked over very early this morning. I didn't want to slam on brakes and went through. Sadly for me the only other car on the road was one of those police SUVs. How much will this mistake cost me in Folsom? I haven't had any tickets for many years. Sigh!


The ticket is about $400 when you add fees. You have two options to fight it.

1) Ask for a trial by declaration. Its a totally awesome way to fight a ticket. You just write out your statement, the officer writes his and the court reads both (without you showing up) and mails you their decision. (about 1/2 the time the officer doesn't return a statement and you win by default). Then if you don't like it you can still request a hearing. Its the only time in law where you can have a decision thrown out because you don't like it!!!! The only downside is that you give up your option to automatically go to traffic school, however you can ask for traffic school if you lose.

2) If you lose the trial by declaration I highly recommend getting an attorney. A traffic attorney will charge you around $500. That's less than the cost of 1 year's extra insurance. Most of the time when the DA finds out you have an attorney they drop the case.

-Robert (never had a ticket on my record)


#36 Dave Burrell

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 07:56 AM

QUOTE(Darth Lefty @ May 22 2008, 10:37 PM) View Post
If the Americans you hang around with roll over and "accept responsibility" whenever an authority figure points a finger at them, maybe they don't deserve the freedom they're offered.


well, um, isn't the authority figure right because you broke a law? I do believe in what your saying about fighting injustices....but when already guilty, is it worth creating a false innocence to try and weasle out of paying what you owe? Thats also wasting tax payer dollars in the courts on trying to prove yourself innocence when you already know you are guilty.

...accepting responability is a good thing

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#37 Dave Burrell

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 08:02 AM

QUOTE(Robert Gary @ Jun 10 2008, 08:46 AM) View Post
The ticket is about $400 when you add fees. You have two options to fight it.

1) Ask for a trial by declaration. Its a totally awesome way to fight a ticket. You just write out your statement, the officer writes his and the court reads both (without you showing up) and mails you their decision. (about 1/2 the time the officer doesn't return a statement and you win by default). Then if you don't like it you can still request a hearing. Its the only time in law where you can have a decision thrown out because you don't like it!!!! The only downside is that you give up your option to automatically go to traffic school, however you can ask for traffic school if you lose.

2) If you lose the trial by declaration I highly recommend getting an attorney. A traffic attorney will charge you around $500. That's less than the cost of 1 year's extra insurance. Most of the time when the DA finds out you have an attorney they drop the case.

-Robert (never had a ticket on my record)


I fully understand that you guys want to fight the law so you don't have to pay the fines for the infractions you were busted for...

but don't you think you are wasting lots of tax payer dollars when creating these lies to try and get out of your tickets? It costs money for the judge, the court, the officer etc to be there to drag this out in the courts, when the bottomline really is that you are guilty and you know it but you're just trying to get out of paying the ticket

for your first suggestion (1) - how do you come up with good enuf bs to state you were in the right when you were caught speeding or running a red light etc? Thats gotta be some very creative writting involved there... or the only hope is that the officer doesn't spend hours writting one too

for (2) its amazing the bs that lawyers can pull - to get the guilty freed from being responsible... ah well, as long as they are making mega bucks, they dont' need to care about morals or being responsible for your actions...

No offense guys, but I don't get it why you try to get out of being responsible and paying for your actions - in this case committing traffic infractions

there is also the idea of just following the traffic laws and thats the best way to never ever end up in court

the last time I got a speeding ticket, I just paid for it and did traffic school - why fight it - I was in the wrong, I got caught, end of story, time to pay the man...

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#38 Darth Lefty

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 08:11 AM

Let me put it to you again: When you speed, and realize you are speeding, do you then drive to the courthouse to turn yourself in?
"I enjoy a bit of cooking, and this has always worried me. But it's OK. I only like it because it allows me to play with knives." - James May

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#39 chris v

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 08:17 AM

So it's ok to break the law.... until you get caught?????

#40 ChipShot

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 08:17 AM

The failure of people to maturely take responsibility for their bad actions is one of the reasons this country is in the sorry shape it's in.

Take responsibility...own it...admit it...Learn from it...

Quit pointing your finger at someone else...quit making excuses...quit whining...

It's all about growing up..
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#41 Dave Burrell

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 08:18 AM

QUOTE(Darth Lefty @ Jun 10 2008, 09:11 AM) View Post
Let me put it to you again: When you speed, and realize you are speeding, do you then drive to the courthouse to turn yourself in?


Nope, I just hope that I don't get caught, but actually I try not to speed very often - that way I NEVER have to worry about getting caught because I wasn't doing anything wrong.... thats the best way to avoid getting tickets. Its also less stressful when riding and a cop drives up behind you - I have nothing to worry about so I know he's not going to hassle me... there's something to be said about obeying the laws and having that peace of mind

Now as for speeding and paying...its after the getting caught part that I then would have to drive to the courthouse to pay my fine, actually I dont' have time for that so I just send in my payment and then sign up for traffic school

Knock on wood I've only had a few speeding tickets in all my years of driving - the only bad ones were when I lived near Santa Barbara and used to drive a remote twisty road over the mountains to get to work - there was a time when i used to really like flying thru those curves at full throttle and like a dummy.... I got busted not once, but TWICE in the same week for doing it d'oh!

Those were some expensive tickets, unfortunately I found they don't offer two for one discounts hehe so I just paid the man and that was that....

needless to say, after that I rarely sped on that road anymore

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#42 old soldier

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 08:25 AM

here is a theory a friend of mine had. for a minor infraction he would praise the cop for his powers of observation, his pull over technique and the safe approach he made to the vehicle (in case of a bad guy)

he said that cops are so used to the negative reaction they could give a break. He said cops sometimes have low self esteem which makes them feel good when they give tickets and they would rather be doing the cop things we all see on TV

I asked my friend if he had ever tried it and he hadn't but it is a novel approach. Heck old soldier might go so far as ask the brand of his sun glasses causes all policemen have super glasses

#43 Darth Lefty

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 08:47 AM

It's not a matter of getting caught and taking responsibility for the crime. The cops watch you break the law in inconsequential ways all day long. What's the difference between all the times they don't pull you over and the one time they do? Is that difference worth three hundred bucks to you? Why is it worth three hundred bucks to the state?

It's my opinion that unless the offense is egregious and clearly a hazard to other people who were actually there, traffic tickets are a moneymaking scam. So yes, she spaced it. Yes, the cop can pull her over for it. She should have gotten a warning, maybe even a scolding. "Just think how awful it would have been if you'd hit someone!" But what she did does not entitle the state to a car payment worth of her money.
"I enjoy a bit of cooking, and this has always worried me. But it's OK. I only like it because it allows me to play with knives." - James May

Genesis 49:16-17
http://www.active2030folsom.org

#44 Dave Burrell

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 09:12 AM

QUOTE(Darth Lefty @ Jun 10 2008, 09:47 AM) View Post
It's not a matter of getting caught and taking responsibility for the crime. The cops watch you break the law in inconsequential ways all day long. What's the difference between all the times they don't pull you over and the one time they do? Is that difference worth three hundred bucks to you? Why is it worth three hundred bucks to the state?

It's my opinion that unless the offense is egregious and clearly a hazard to other people who were actually there, traffic tickets are a moneymaking scam. So yes, she spaced it. Yes, the cop can pull her over for it. She should have gotten a warning, maybe even a scolding. "Just think how awful it would have been if you'd hit someone!" But what she did does not entitle the state to a car payment worth of her money.


I appreciate your opinion on this, its good to hear views from all sides..

the way I see it - if you're breaking the law all day long (speeding, running red lights, etc) then you are lucky you aren't being pulled over each and every time.

My guess as to the difference in why they don't pull you over one time versus another is the circumstances at the time.... if all traffic is going the same speed, it'd be tough to single you out.... maybe he's there just to try and help people make the right decisions when driving - you know when you see a cop and instantly you slow down, that kind of thing..... or maybe he's looking for someone..... or maybe you weren't speeding as badly as the next guy...

whatever the case, just consider yourself lucky you didn't get pulled over each time you broke the law, because sooner or later, those hefty fines and or jail time would start to hurt and make a big impact on your life, hopefully enough to convince you its worth obeying the traffic laws.... now don't get me wrong, I'm no saint either, but if I get caught I just own up to it since I was at fault and I pay my restitution.... that and I hate to think about all the tax payer dollars wasted on frivilous court cases

but hey I'm no expert and this is also just my opinion.... I kinda feel bad for cops, they get such a ration of crap from people who insist they did no wrong, I bet cops hear that a hundred times a day....but the bottomline is that the cop wouldn't be pulling you over and giving you a ticket if you were doing nothing wrong

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#45 ChipShot

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Posted 10 June 2008 - 09:17 AM

Just obey the traffic laws and you have nothing to worry about.

Go with the flow of traffic, keeping in mind not to exceed the speed limit by 10 MPH.

That's usually the 'safe zone'.

If you arrive at your destination 24 seconds later than usual, big deal...You'll get over it..
I have opinions, you have opinions. We'll just call it even...is that OK ??




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