Moving Violation: NEED HELP!! 1.5 hours till Court appearence!

[BruinEd03]

0On July 3rd, I got a moving violation for failing to yield on a left turn. Basically the light turned green I was going to make a left turn...saw no one on the other side had moved, and started making the left turn. As soon as I made the left turn, however, the cars on the other side started to move and to my horror I saw a cop on the inner most lane on the oncoming traffic. He made a right turn from the innermost lane and flagged me down.

Now my question is, should I contest this? I'm going to appear in court today just to talk to the judge at 5:15 p.m. If I contest it, the clerk said I will lose my right to traffic school. I'm working 40 hours a week + I have school newspaper stuff which takes on another 10 hours a week at least, not to mention it takes me 2 hours each day to commute back and forth between my work and home so I don't have a lot of spare time for traffic school. At the same time, however, I'm 19 year old and have a clean record (first time every pulled over by a cop) and if I get a point on my record it would raise my insurance a lot.

SO what should I do? HELP!!!!

-Ed

 

[Scabilian]

my first ticket was a speeding (35 in a 25) and it didn't raise my insurance. good luck, i wouldn't fight it :/

 

[BruinEd03]

Also IF I don't fight it...and i plead guilty to the judge, can I talk him into a reduced sentence? will that work at all? (like just pay the fine...no traffic school?)

-Ed

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

defer judification. you record will be clean unless you get another moving violation within the next 6 months.

 

[Viper GTS]

Traffic "school" is typically one ~5 hour day, or in some areas even online. So the time issue isn't really that big of a problem.

Personally, I'd contest this one & save your traffic school card for something more serious (eg speeding).

Viper GTS

 

[BruinEd03]

Yamaha: What's this Defer judification thing? I've neer heard of it? Will it work in California?

Viper: What're my chances of winning though? I mean if I'm convicted, I get the point

-Ed

 

[Carbo]

Bruin, take the ticket and plead guilty. You may, or may not, receive a lighter fee for doing so. Afterwards, you can voluntarily enroll in a driver safety course, typically several hours over two evenings, or so. This will remove the points from your record. I think this will save you the aggravation, time, and expense of fighting a relatively minor offense. Don't sweat it.

 

[rgwalt]

Ask the judge if you can go on a diversion program, or something of the sort. Tell him that this is your first violation, and that you would like to keep it off your record. Most places will allow you to double or triple the fine to get out of the ticket.

Ryan

 

[MichaelD]

I'm not familiar w/the traffic laws in LA. But here in My Major City in South Texas, if the judge allows you to take Defensive Driving or assigns you probation, the offense DOES NOT go on your record.

I've taken DD four times and been assigned probation at least 10 times in the past eight years. I have about 13 speeding tickets and one red light ticket (it was yellow, I SWEAR IT WAS!) and none of them are on my driving record. My insurance company thinks I'm an old man with a clean record...because I am and it is!

My advice? Find out first if you have the option to take DD or probation. Most courts WILL NOT INFORM YOU OF YOUR RIGHTS. They never told me...a friend did. For sake of arguement, you find out that you do have those options (this is assuming the judge will allow it...they usually do) You go in there, the judge says "OK Mister lowlife traffic law breaker, what do you want to do about this ticket?" You want to say "shove it up your *ss, Mr. Judge, but you don't. Instead you say "Sir, I'd like to respectfully request probation."

The first thing he'll say is "can you pay the entire $150 (or whatever) fine today?" All they want is your money. So make sure you bring plenty with you. Borrow it if you have to. You'll pay the fine, they'll put you on 90-days probation. That's it. It is the judge's discretion to allow or not, probabtion or DD. If all he/she offers is DD, take it. It's a pain in the butt, but much better than you insurance company raising your rates by $110 a month. Good luck.

 

[HelloBrother]

I don't see any use fighting a moving violation. Parking violations are ones you can fight. I even had the local chief call me up and we made a deal, that I pay 1 of the 4 tickets I had contested and he will void the other 3.

I got moving violations in Austin, TX, Reading, PA and Hinsdale, IL and they didn't come on my record. I think IL have some policy that if you do not get another ticket within 90 days of one it won't go on record. TX and PA might have had something similar.

 

[BruinEd03]

Well i have the option of attending traffic school to not have the point, but it is a pain in the butt still. What's this probation thing??

-Ed

 

[BruinEd03]

Any other suggestions?

I can see the judge right? like without a trial and I could still have the option of going to traffic school?

-Ed

 

[BruinEd03]

^ as the title says...5.5 hours till court appearnce!

-Ed

 

[BruinEd03]

No one else has any more advice?

-Ed

 

[tasslex]

Call them and see if you can talk to the judge in his/her chambers, then respectfully ask if you could defer as recommended above or be put onto probation, otherwise ask for the same thing(s) in court.

 

[ignorus]

Contesting it might just make you look irresponsible and you will end up with a harsher sentence. I mean, it sounds like you cut off the cop while you were turning, I don't see how you could contest that. If you take it responsibly and say plead guilty, the judge might go easy on you (however, I never been in front of a judge so I don't know how harsh they are).

I do believe there are Saturday & night traffic schools too, so it should fit into your schedule. You could even do a school newspaper story on traffic school .

 

[Dragnov]

Usually if they aren't willing to waive the ticket itself, they usually give you a lower fine, because your a full-time student.

 

[woodly6]

In California, I know this because I have done it, you can take traffic school at home throught the use of VHS tapes that can be rented at Blockbuster. This is no joke, the cost is the same around 35-40 bucks but it will dissmiss the point on your record.

Fighting moving violations is difficult unless the Officer in question does not show up! Better to take the traffic school, make time for it ie:night classes, the video tapes, or some will even offer online Traffic Schools.


Hope this helps!

 

[Vincent]

You can go to traffic school on a weekend.

 

[Viper22]

Both times ive gone to court (Both speeding violations) ive plead guilty and they have reduced the fine and sentance. 1 point shouldnt hurt your insurence any and if it does then you need a new insurence company. Ive got State Farm and have had 2 points total and they havent cared about either of them. Now if you get 4 or 5 etc. in a short amount of time then you might have some problems.

Viper22

 

[BruinEd03]

Well I'm gonan talk to the judge...probably plead guilty. Is there anyway I can get out of having to attend traffic school WITHOUT having this on my record? If there isn't I'll take the traffic school, but for me, I'd rather save it in case I do get busted for something else (not likely, but just in case).

/edit* I also don't want to go to traffic school because in all honesty i'm already doing stuff approx 60 hours of the week and another 8 hours is gonna be a pain in the butt *edit/

-Ed

 

[j0lly]

On a lighter note, if you do get traffic school you might encounter people who say the following things:

Samples of REAL answers... The following are a sampling of REAL answers received on exams given by the California Department of Transportation's driving school



Q: Do you yield when a blind pedestrian is crossing the road?
A: What for? He can't see my license plate.

Q: Who has the right of way when four cars approach a four-way stop at the same time?
A: The pick up truck with the gun rack and the bumper sticker saying, "Guns don't kill people. I do."

Q: What are the important safety tips to remember when backing your car?
A: Always wear a condom.

Q: When driving through fog, what should you use?
A: Your car.

Q: How can you reduce the possibility of having an accident?
A: Be too sh*t- faced to find your keys.

Q: What problems would you face if you were arrested for drunk driving?
A: I'd probably lose my buzz a lot faster.

Q: What changes would occur in your lifestyle if you could no longer drive lawfully?
A: I would be forced to drive unlawfully.

Q: What are some points to remember when passing or being passed?
A: Make eye contact and wave "hello" if he/she is cute.

Q: What is the difference between a flashing red traffic light and a flashing yellow traffic light?
A: The color.

Q: How do you deal with heavy traffic?
A: Heavy psychedelics.

Q: What can you do to help ease a heavy traffic problem?
A: Carry loaded weapons.

Q: Why would it be difficult to be a police officer?
A: It would be tough to be a dickhead all day long.

Link

 

[MrCodeDude]

Just pay the fine and take driving school. If you protest and lose, it's very bad
-- mrcodedude

 

[kaiotes]

ed, tsk tsk tsk ticket lol.
yea go plead for lesser fine, go traffic school.
say you are a student w/o a job.
i got my speeding ticket find reducing down to < 100.
once they reduce your fine, it means you plead guilty, pt will show up unless you go traffic school