My Wife just got a ticket for going through a YELLOW Light?!?!?

deadken

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2004
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OK, so my Wife just came back from the store in her Grey 1994 Volvo 940 (not some 2005 Red convertible). On her way back she gets pulled over by a County Cop who says she went through a Yellow light. He says he didn't even want to pull her over, but his boss was in the car and HE wanted him to (it makes sense because they didn't pull her over until she was way down the road from where she went through the light).

Anyway.... He writes her the ticket and she comes home and tells me the story. OK, A ticket is a ticket and I don't like the idea of paying probably $125, and believe me I usually laugh at people who seek legal advice from the internet, but I just had to ask... Since when is going through a Yellow light illegal? On the ticket (in the 'Violation' section) it says "passed med light". I live in New York in case that makes any difference (<- boy, that might generate a few comments).

I guess I will just go by the local prencinct today and ask about it. I don't even see what amount I would pay if I wanted to plead guilty (it only shows for red lights and speeding). But if it counts as a Red light then it will cost $75 + a $50 surcharge. Great... As if my taxes don't pay for enough in this state....
 

FelixDeCat

Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
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Intent is 3/4ths of the law. However, she did not intend to stop by the time it was red. Thats illegal.
 

Blain

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
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Does the ticket actually say the violation was proceeding through a yellow light?
 

deadken

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2004
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Originally posted by: FelixDeKat
Intent is 3/4ths of the law. However, she did not intend to stop by the time it was red. Thats illegal.
And if she was already through the intersection when it turned red?

Originally posted by: Blain
Does the ticket actually say the violation was proceeding through a yellow light?
In the Violation section it only says "passed med light".

 

alien42

Lifer
Nov 28, 2004
12,772
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Originally posted by: FelixDeKat
Intent is 3/4ths of the law. However, she did not intend to stop by the time it was red. Thats illegal.

do not listen to felixdekat
 

LanceM

Senior member
Mar 13, 2004
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Yes, you must stop at a yellow light unless it is absolutely unsafe to do so.

Surely doesn't mean "speed up" like most people use it (not to say that your wife did).
 

Mutilator

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2000
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Originally posted by: LanceM
Yes, you must stop at a yellow light unless it is absolutely unsafe to do so.

Surely doesn't mean "speed up" like most people use it (not to say that your wife did).
He is correct.
From the NC DMV Handbook:
"A circular yellow signal means "caution" and indicates that the signal is about to turn red. Stop for a yellow signal unless you are too close to the intersection to stop safely - in that case, drive cautiously through the intersection. Never speed up for a yellow signal to "beat" the red signal."


 

deadken

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2004
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Originally posted by: LanceM
Yes, you must stop at a yellow light unless it is absolutely unsafe to do so.

Surely doesn't mean "speed up" like most people use it (not to say that your wife did).
I asked her about that (in response to your point) and she said that she didn't speed up or slow down. It seems that she figured that she was near enough to the intersection when it turned yellow that she would be through it by the time it turned red. Aparently she was, or else it would be a ticket for running a red light.
 

scottish144

Banned
Jul 20, 2005
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Lol I went to traffic school for this type of crap. Turns out that if you run a yellow light you must be sure you can get through before it turns red. If it turns red while ur in the intersection, your liable for a ticket. I did the same thing, and even though there were no other cars the cop pulled me over :|
 

LanceM

Senior member
Mar 13, 2004
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But if the officer saw it that she could have easily stopped as well, then bingo... there's the ticket. It doesn't matter if you can "make it through the light." What matters is if you could safely stop.
 

jjones

Lifer
Oct 9, 2001
15,424
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Well, she can fight it if she wants to by saying she felt it was unsafe to stop; it's completely subjective. Not worth it generally so it's probably better to pay the ticket and move on.
 

Blain

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: LanceM
But if the officer saw it that she could have easily stopped as well, then bingo... there's the ticket. It doesn't matter if you can "make it through the light." What matters is if you could safely stop.
He said... She said...
Argument: She knows her vehicle... She knows if she had time/space to stop safely. ;)

 

LanceM

Senior member
Mar 13, 2004
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I've seen that argument before, and it's always decided to be traffic flow (and sometimes weather conditions) that determine if one can safely come to a stop.

EDIT: Reason being, it's considered appropriate to be cautious whenever approaching an intersection regardless of the light changing.
 

LanceM

Senior member
Mar 13, 2004
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If the officer makes an appearance, she won't win. Officers (and judges) don't typically like it when people fight silly little tickets like this, since it's a total waste of their time. They'll simply use her to prove a point.
 

BeauJangles

Lifer
Aug 26, 2001
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Originally posted by: Blain
Originally posted by: LanceM
But if the officer saw it that she could have easily stopped as well, then bingo... there's the ticket. It doesn't matter if you can "make it through the light." What matters is if you could safely stop.
He said... She said...
Argument: She knows her vehicle... She knows if she had time/space to stop safely. ;)

Except the "he" in this case is a cop.
 

microAmp

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2000
5,988
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In Texas, a yellow means a red light is coming up. Nothing more than that, doesn't mean to slow down, etc. Also in Texas, if the front of the vehicle has passed the white line, or if no white line is present passed the curbs and light turns red, it's not running a red light.

Check the DMV manual & laws in your state, might be able to fight it.
 

Trikat

Diamond Member
May 22, 2003
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This varies from state to state. DMV booklets don't tell you the law for each state so you have to go to your DMV and ask about it. Or find someone who knows traffic laws fairly well in your state.
I believe she shouldn't have been ticketed if the light wasn't red while she was in the intersection.
 

JDrake

Banned
Dec 27, 2005
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Originally posted by: jjones
Well, she can fight it if she wants to by saying she felt it was unsafe to stop; it's completely subjective. Not worth it generally so it's probably better to pay the ticket and move on.
That's what I would do
 

FelixDeCat

Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
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Originally posted by: alien42
Originally posted by: FelixDeKat
Intent is 3/4ths of the law. However, she did not intend to stop by the time it was red. Thats illegal.

do not listen to felixdekat

Especially if you like getting tickets.
 

deadken

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2004
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Yeahh... I figure that I will pass by the local precinct today and ask about it. For all I know "passed med light" means 'ran a red' and my Wife is lying about the whole thing (I sincerely doubt it, but hey... I wasn't there). If that is the case, then I will just pay the ticket... Even if the cop knows what happened, but wrote it as running a red light, it'd be pretty pointless for me to fight it.

As I have said, I live in NY and things tend to be expensive around here. The State gets revenue any way it can. I have heard that some traffic Judges always favor the law, and some favor the individual. I don't know if it'd be worth my time (or my Wifes in this case) to waste what ends up being a lot of time. (although, it'd be like earning $25 (cash) an hour if she beats the ticket and it took 5 hours).
 

ForumMaster

Diamond Member
Feb 24, 2005
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IANAL, but i don't believe that you can give someone a ticket for a red light. green says go, yellow says hurry and red says stop. and if she was already through the intersection...i seriously don't think that your wife deserves a ticket.
 

RGUN

Golden Member
Dec 11, 2005
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Originally posted by: ForumMaster
IANAL, but i don't believe that you can give someone a ticket for a red light. green says go, yellow says hurry and red says stop. and if she was already through the intersection...i seriously don't think that your wife deserves a ticket.


Lol, thats funny
 

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
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Originally posted by: LanceM
If the officer makes an appearance, she won't win. Officers (and judges) don't typically like it when people fight silly little tickets like this, since it's a total waste of their time. They'll simply use her to prove a point.

If they dislike it so much then it is in their direct control to not issue "silly little tickets". Unlike for the officer and judge those "silly little tickets" have consequences for the people they are issued to and they have every right to contest them and have their cases listened to and considered in a serious manner based on the merits and not whether the judge and cop would not like to be inconvenienced by the proles daring to question authority.