Our new Indie Games subforum is now open for business in G&T. Go and check it out, you might land a code for a free game. If you're developing an indie game and want to post about it, follow these directions. If you don't, he'll break your legs! Hahaha! Seriously though.
Our rules have been updated and given their own forum. Go and look at them! They are nice, and there may be new ones that you didn't know about! Hooray for rules! Hooray for The System! Hooray for Conforming!
[LAW] Contesting a Ticket
Desert_Eagle25
Registered User
Registered User
I'll try to make this as brief and skimmable as possible, so here are the facts:
1.) I attend the University of California, Santa Barbara. It is my first year here (going on second)
2.) I was in Isla Vista (the neighboring web of party-streets)
3.) I got a ticket for "Vehicle Tampering," but I feel I got off lucky considering I was inebriated (not drunk though)
4.) Circumstances of the tampering ticket: I supposedly punched a side-view mirror, breaking it. Immediately after I tapped the sideview mirror, a cop pulls me to the side, with me being stunned of course.
5.) The truth: the sidewalk was packed with my friends, there was a brick wall to the left, cars on parked on the right of the sidewalk. It was a tight fit. The side-view mirror was already broken, and I merely hit it with my hand because there was no room.
6.) I have two witnesses who are willing to corroborate, and I took pictures of the sidewalk, the car, the sideview mirror, etc.
7.) Can I fight this ticket? It's $500 and I am piss poor AND in debt.
8.) If I go into court and contest the ticket, what happens? Also, will I need to pay bail? If so, how much is it usually?
My court date is on the 24th of this month, but I might reschedule it for a later date. Any help would be phenomenal. Thanks, PA.
1.) I attend the University of California, Santa Barbara. It is my first year here (going on second)
2.) I was in Isla Vista (the neighboring web of party-streets)
3.) I got a ticket for "Vehicle Tampering," but I feel I got off lucky considering I was inebriated (not drunk though)
4.) Circumstances of the tampering ticket: I supposedly punched a side-view mirror, breaking it. Immediately after I tapped the sideview mirror, a cop pulls me to the side, with me being stunned of course.
5.) The truth: the sidewalk was packed with my friends, there was a brick wall to the left, cars on parked on the right of the sidewalk. It was a tight fit. The side-view mirror was already broken, and I merely hit it with my hand because there was no room.
6.) I have two witnesses who are willing to corroborate, and I took pictures of the sidewalk, the car, the sideview mirror, etc.
7.) Can I fight this ticket? It's $500 and I am piss poor AND in debt.
8.) If I go into court and contest the ticket, what happens? Also, will I need to pay bail? If so, how much is it usually?
My court date is on the 24th of this month, but I might reschedule it for a later date. Any help would be phenomenal. Thanks, PA.
Desert_Eagle25 on
Posts
I very much doubt it. Sorry man, that sucks, but I think you did get off kinda light considering.
I'm assuming the court date is an arraignment? You go in, plead not guilty, then you get a trial date. Then you find a lawyer...
However, check your local laws. I found out recently in some parts of Florida, the cop gets a free day, which means they get one free reschedule.
Which means you get to take the day off from work. Drive downtown to the court house. Find out the cop didn't show up, and then reschedule and do it all over again. After the second time it gets thrown out.
Basically, cities want to make it hard enough to where the cost of fighting it is equal to or greater than the actual ticket.
Your mileage may vary.
Also. This wisdom tends to apply specifically for speeding tickets.
You basically have a he-said/she-said case where you admit you were inebriated. That's not going to look fantastic in court.
Please tell me where you find a lawyer who only charges $50 to go into court to protest a misdemeanor. This isn't a traffic ticket. It's a criminal offense.
True. Problem is that he didn't test me or anything. Now I was sober enough to talk to the officer, explain to him my night, give him my ID, and he never applied a sobriety test. Will this matter in court? Now, if they ask me, I'm not going to lie - purgery is a whole other thing. I'll admit I had a beer, but in all honesty, that's it. A beer, I don't drink hard liqour. Will my two witnesses mean anything?
I have the make, model, and license plate number. How do I contact the owner?
I know there are license-plate reverse lookup services, but they all look shady. Any light on the subject?
Once again, you're into lawyer country. And lawyers mean $$$. Honestly, fighting this is going to cost you more than $500.
That I don't know, might ask the court, I can't think they can charge you with battering someones property without telling the guy his shits been hit up.
It couldn't hurt
Going to court over this may cost you a couple of work days, but generally you will receive a lower fine.
Thank you, Rubacava!
It's probably worth a shot to contest it but I would look into the offense a bit more before I wasted a day at the courthouse.