The Ugh Thread

[sig]

Sweet thanks. She's got nothing for points. I can live with the F'ing fine I guess.

I always negotiate with the prosecutor at traffic court. they usually increase the fine but lower or remove the points. the town wants its money and will usually change the violation that puts more money in there pocket and less in the states. my kids are bad drivers. have had lots of practice. live and learn. i am sure your daughter will be an excellent driver.

 

[JTG]

Same. I always plead not guilty, if showing up at court is a reasonable option. I think I recall I got a ticket in Keene once and I handled the whole not guilty thing remotely. Never any guarantees, but usually stuff gets knocked down. Last time in court was for a 90 in a 65. DA knocked that down to the same equipment violation everyone else was getting offered that day.

I’ll be in Vestal Town Court on Friday, plead not guilty to what I believe was a bullshit improper lane change violation. We’ll see how it goes. I know I’m biased, but I think the lanes here are really poorly marked.

Two hours each way to fight it. However, I’ll pick my son up and he and I will stay in Callicoon Center and spend Saturday fishing.

 

[Milo Maltbie]

I don't know how it works in Jersey, but in NY the judge always lets you plead down to a parking ticket. That's because the town has to share the speeding fine with the State but it keeps the whole parking fine. There's no chance of losing your license or higher insurance, so it's a win-win. Sticking you with a fine plus $500 insurance costs is an inefficient way for the town to collect $100.
Maybe not treating the police and traffic safety as a profit center might be a better answer.

mm

 

[jamesdeluxe]

the town has to share the speeding fine with the State but it keeps the whole parking fine.

Wow, who knew? That explains a lot.

 

[Milo Maltbie]

Wow, who knew? That explains a lot.

Everyone knows, and if you don't the judge will tell you. I was in traffic court once when I guy pled guilty, and the judge made him change the plea and talk to the ADA. It was pretty funny.

mm

 

[Low Angle Life]

I got nailed by staties on the Taconic in Milan a few years back, showed up to court and witnessed the dog and pony show you all are describing. What really surprised me was that you don't even have to show up to fight the ticket, there was one lawyer fighting 4 separate speeding tickets for 4 different individuals without them present. The judge seemed very accustom to the whole process, everyone was in and out in less than 5 minutes, everyone there had their tickets successfully plead down.

 

[jamesdeluxe]

Everyone knows, and if you don't the judge will tell you.

The last speeding ticket I got was in the mid-00s on Route 28 in the Catskills. Drove up and had it reduced to a broken tail light. The judge didn't tell me.

 

[Harvey]

The last speeding ticket I got was in the mid-00s on Route 28 in the Catskills.

Mine too. I was with you.

 

[x10003q]

In NJ, the officer who wrote the ticket gets paid for showing up in court. If they can plead a case down and all parties agree, the judge will hear that case first and the officer can go home and still get paid for the balance of the day.

 

[JTG]

Just another piece of (probably bad) advice. When you send back your ticket with the not guilty plea…..I never check the box requesting a supporting deposition from the officer. For a garden variety traffic ticket it doesn’t seem like much good can come from forcing the officer to document every detail, which might complicate things for the DA you meet with.

Once upon a time in NY you did actually meet with the officer who gave you the ticket to try and negotiate a lesser charge. The good thing at that time was that if the officer didn’t show up your ticket got thrown out. That was incentive enough to always plead not guilty. Taking that process out of play and running things thru a DA who has to be there seems more effective for a parties.