Excessive punishment?

Jackhole

Member
Dec 3, 1999
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I just got a call from a buddy of mine who went to court for speeding thinking the judge would cut him some slack on the fines. When he gets there, he hardly gets to speak and on on top of NOT getting a break on the ticket, the judge slaps him with a suspended license for 2 weeks (starts in Jan sometime, not enough time to appeal). Without saying another word, the judge leaves forcing my friend to ask the bailiff if suspended means he can't drive to work. The guy leaves and comes back and says he can't even drive to work. Is that messed up or what? Does my buddy have any options here?
 

Mill

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
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Well, of course your buddy can appeal to circuit court, but the two weeks will be over by then.
 

PanzerIV

Diamond Member
Dec 19, 2002
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Sounds like somebody pissed in the Judge's Cheerios. I agree with Tommy, sounds like he has no choice but to drive EXTRA carefully during that two weeks if he has no other modes of transportation available.
 

Hammer

Lifer
Oct 19, 2001
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he had to of done something to piss the judge off. you didnt get the whole story.
 

Jackhole

Member
Dec 3, 1999
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My buddy said he was barely given a chance to speak. The judge asked him why he was driving 96mph on Highway 5 (70mph speed limit) to which he said he was sorry and it was lack of good judgement on his part. Granted it was 25 mph over the limit, he could've easily just paid the fine and not shown up at all and done traffic school and NOT get his license suspended. So why did the judge give him harsher punishment than he would have if he had not shown up in court? Also, the bailiff had mentioned that he's seen this judge even suspended the licenses of doctors so that they weren't allowed to go to work.
 

Kemosabe1447

Senior member
Mar 6, 2003
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Well there is nothing that he can do in time to keep his lisence I don't believe...but he could check the laws and see if the judge may have done anything illegal..which I don't think there is, and he should have just paid the fine because isn't that wreckless driving anywho? Side note..I just got a ticket too, darn cops.
 

GalvanizedYankee

Diamond Member
Oct 27, 2003
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I do not know what state your in but in Calif. 100mph is felony speeding.
$500 on top of any other fines and possible jail time. The felony charge is the arresting officer's propagative, its his call. Your friend was a fool to even go before a judge if he did not have too. The judge knows ppl just show up hoping to get a reduced fine.
Bad call on his part to go to court. The cop was probably being cool writing it for 96mph.

EDIT: 96mph

No, I'm not being self rightous. I drive fast on roads I know in mid-week.
 

miniMUNCH

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2000
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WTF was your friend thinking?! You don't go to court for a ticket unless you absolutely have to...was he expecting the judge to cut him some slack?

The judge cut him something...but it wasn't slack. He gave him the chop.
 

Savij

Diamond Member
Nov 12, 2001
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Well, I've been lucky every time i've gone to court, but I've never been caught when I am going that fast...
 

Jackhole

Member
Dec 3, 1999
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Originally posted by: miniMUNCH
WTF was your friend thinking?! You don't go to court for a ticket unless you absolutely have to...was he expecting the judge to cut him some slack?

The judge cut him something...but it wasn't slack. He gave him the chop.

I've had lots of friends go to court and get their fines reduced, him being one of them. I've had friends get their fines reduced because they were going to school and not working as well as friends who have ran stop signs (on accident) and be allowed to take level 2 traffic school (because they already went to school before the 18 month stretch between tickets has passed) simply because he showed up in court and asked for reduced fines.