Failure to Appear in Court

trixtah

Okay, so I fucked up and placed my trial date on Google Calendar one week later than it actually was. I was planning on going in and paying my ticket in full and requesting traffic school but like mentioned before, I'm a big dumbass. My Mom called me telling me that she had received a notice that had tacked on the $300 failure to appear charge and now my ticket is $695 big ones. Can I get the $300 deducted in some way? Should I just pay the $695 now because my license is apparently on hold? Talk to me!

DrZiplock

Best bet before they put a bench warrant out for you?

Pay it.

Sorry dude. Were I you? After all this is done go to defensive driving and get some cash knocked off your insurance and the points off the license.

It'll make up for the 300 in a bit of time.

blaklaw

Contact the clerk's office at the court you were supposed to appear in. Many jurisdictions allow you to file for an excusable default. What you may have to show to get one can vary. For example, some jurisdictions require you to have both a reason you didn't show and a meritorious defense. Sounds like you were going to settle the case- which isn't really a defense.

But at any rate, contact the clerk's office.

trixtah

Will do, but if I pay this, am I still allowed to go to traffic school so my insurance doesn't rape me? I'm planning to pay this electronically.

trixtah

Sorry again, here's the courthouse--which is the Clerk's office?
http://www.lasuperiorcourt.org/locations/ui/location.aspx?loc=LAW&tab=2&d=Directory

bowen

Just call them and explain that you thought it was next week and ask if there was anything you could do to get that fee gone. Apologize profusely. You may get lucky and just get the date changed and the fee dropped.

Thanatos

You just want to call up the traffic division at the courthouse, tell them what happened, they should help you work it out. Odds are, they'll just bump the date for you.

Food

I missed jury duty once. I drove up to the courthouse once I realized, and after dealing with some mildly irritating bureaucracy I was let off the hook completely. If it hasn't been too long, you might be able to get the same results.

Bionic Monkey

trixtah wrote: »

Okay, so I fucked up and placed my trial date on Google Calendar one week later than it actually was. I was planning on going in and paying my ticket in full and requesting traffic school but like mentioned before, I'm a big dumbass. My Mom called me telling me that she had received a notice that had tacked on the $300 failure to appear charge and now my ticket is $695 big ones. Can I get the $300 deducted in some way? Should I just pay the $695 now because my license is apparently on hold? Talk to me!

Jesus, what state are you in? In Oregon, failure to appear at a traffic court date just gets a $15 fine, and a new date a month out.

trixtah

Bionic Monkey wrote: »

trixtah wrote: »

Okay, so I fucked up and placed my trial date on Google Calendar one week later than it actually was. I was planning on going in and paying my ticket in full and requesting traffic school but like mentioned before, I'm a big dumbass. My Mom called me telling me that she had received a notice that had tacked on the $300 failure to appear charge and now my ticket is $695 big ones. Can I get the $300 deducted in some way? Should I just pay the $695 now because my license is apparently on hold? Talk to me!

Jesus, what state are you in? In Oregon, failure to appear at a traffic court date just gets a $15 fine, and a new date a month out.

I'm in California

Food wrote: »

I missed jury duty once. I drove up to the courthouse once I realized, and after dealing with some mildly irritating bureaucracy I was let off the hook completely. If it hasn't been too long, you might be able to get the same results.

I think I'm going to have to do this since I can't get through the phone lines at all.

capnrico

trixtah wrote: »

Food wrote: »

I missed jury duty once. I drove up to the courthouse once I realized, and after dealing with some mildly irritating bureaucracy I was let off the hook completely. If it hasn't been too long, you might be able to get the same results.

I think I'm going to have to do this since I can't get through the phone lines at all.

trixtah wrote: »

my license is apparently on hold

Don't drive

TL DR

capnrico wrote: »

trixtah wrote: »

Food wrote: »

I missed jury duty once. I drove up to the courthouse once I realized, and after dealing with some mildly irritating bureaucracy I was let off the hook completely. If it hasn't been too long, you might be able to get the same results.

I think I'm going to have to do this since I can't get through the phone lines at all.

trixtah wrote: »

my license is apparently on hold

Don't drive

Good catch. At least being (I assume from the $rape) a minor, they probably wouldn't take you to jail for longer than it took your parent to get there.

trixtah

Hmm, well I'm 22 and the phone lines keep shafting me every time I become the first caller in the queue with the message "a temporary error has prevented us from processing your request..." and then when I call again, the phone lines are full and I'm told to try again at a different time. I guess I could walk to the courthouse since I shouldn't be driving but its time for finals and I really can't afford the time. If I do pay the $695 right now, is there any way I can--in the future--get the $300 for the failure to appear back? I just really need to deal with this in a hurry right now before my 10 days are up and it becomes $995

Scrublet

As always your laws will vary, but once you pay the money my bet is it will be difficult to get any of it back. You're going to have to man up, pack up your studies, and head to the courthouse. See if a friend can drop you off, or even try taking a cab.

trixtah

Okay, shit so I just went in and paid $695, no reduction because she was feeling bitchy--a guy at the next window got his exact same fee reduced. Then I'm told I'm not eligible for traffic school when it has been 18 months since my last traffic school and the officer that pulled me over told me that I was eligible. Where do I go from here? I was also told I couldn't get an extension on my court date so I feel like all exits are blocked. Ugh.

bowen

You're fucked because you paid it.

What you should've said is, "I'm sorry I missed the court date I had it written down wrong and I didn't even get a call or anything to remind me, I apologize. Can I get it reschedule and the absurd fee thrown out?" Then when the state worker acts like an ass you should probably say, "I'm sorry but I really need to talk to a supervisor about the asinine fee on this."

Never pay because you get fed up and some low ass state worker is feeling bitchy.

trixtah

dammit. What about traffic school? Any ideas on why I'm apparently not eligible and how many points/how big my asshole is going to be stretched for this?

Scrublet

If you went to traffic school in the last 18 months I would not be surprised if your state has laws about repeating it again, at least for the purposes of removing points.

TL DR

So what kind of traffic violation nets a $395 fine? I can only assume you were drunk driving and shooting guns out your window.

trixtah

hahaha @Tim

I was going 81 in a 65 which isn't the 20mph required for traffic school to be revoked. It was 3am and I was the only car on the freeway People in LA go 80 during rush hour! My last traffic school was over 18 months ago, the minimum time required for traffic school to be eligible again.

Thanatos

Scrublet wrote: »

If you went to traffic school in the last 18 months I would not be surprised if your state has laws about repeating it again, at least for the purposes of removing points.

California is once per year.

Timothy Leary Come Check Out This Theory wrote: »

So what kind of traffic violation nets a $395 fine? I can only assume you were drunk driving and shooting guns out your window.

California has pretty absurd traffic ticket fines.

And yeah, trixtah, once you paid them, it was over. You really shouldn't have paid it. You can try talking to a traffic attorney, but there's no guarantee they'll be able to help you, either.

Evil_Reaver

Thanatos wrote: »

California has pretty absurd traffic ticket fines.

Understatement of the year. I was pulled over for rolling a stop sign (I didn't) in LA and it cost me well over $200 after I paid the ticket and did online traffic school.

Gdiguy

Thanatos wrote: »

Scrublet wrote: »

If you went to traffic school in the last 18 months I would not be surprised if your state has laws about repeating it again, at least for the purposes of removing points.

California is once per year.

According to the paperwork that comes with tickets, it's 18 months in CA

(yes, I unfortunately know this from experience)

TL DR

God damn. I think my last speeding ticket was $80, and my highest (from the notorious department up the street) was like $145.