traffic ticket question

[Semidevil]

*no, I"M not asking how to get away from a ticket*
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ok, so about 3 months ago, I was speeding on the highway, and the police caught me. He gave me a ticket, which had a court date of 5-15-2003. So on 5-15-2003, I went to court, and the lady told me to pay the fine, and to schedule another court date(if I want to fight it). So is this normal when you get a traffic ticket?

What I"m saying is that the original date that the officer gave to me wasn't really the "court date;" it was just a date at the court to pay the fine, and to schedule *another* court date.

I"ve never had a traffic ticket before, so is that pretty normal? If it was, couldn't I just sent them a check or something, or just schedule my "real" court date over the phone? why did they have to schedule me to pay a day to pay the court date?

Just want to make sure that that is how the U.S operates.

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done!

 

[mboy]

Nope, if fighting a ticket, you always have to cvall to make a court date.
The trick is to call the precinct where the officer works, find out when he is on vaca, and put the court date off and hope u get scheduled for the week he is off. If he doesnt show, u win by default.

I would NOT have paid the ticket if rescheduling the court date.

 

[conjur]

That's it in a nutshell.

The first date is just to figure out how you want to plead. If guilty, pay the fine/court costs and you're done. If it's not bad and you plead not guilty, it may just get tossed out right there.

If you plead not guilty and it's not dismissed, then a real trial date is set and the officer is issued a subpoena to appear on that date.

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: mboy
Nope, if fighting a ticket, you always have to cvall to make a court date.
The trick is to call the precinct where the officer works, find out when he is on vaca, and put the court date off and hope u get scheduled for the week he is off. If he doesnt show, u win by default.

I would NOT have paid the ticket if rescheduling the court date.

lol how do you just call and ask when an officer is on vacation ?
would they tell you that just by asking ?

 

[mboy]

They have in the past. YMMV on that one tho.

 

[NogginBoink]

This doesn't sounds like what would happen in Texas, but I'd bet that the court clerk probably knows what s/he's talking about.

 

[Semidevil]

Originally posted by: conjur
That's it in a nutshell.

The first date is just to figure out how you want to plead. If guilty, pay the fine/court costs and you're done. If it's not bad and you plead not guilty, it may just get tossed out right there.

If you plead not guilty and it's not dismissed, then a real trial date is set and the officer is issued a subpoena to appear on that date.

hmm..............ok. So if I'm sure I want to fight the ticket, but I live about 8 hours away, is there a way to do it over the phone, or do I have to make those 2 appearances? can't I just schedule my second court date over the phone or something?

 

[Semidevil]

Originally posted by: NogginBoink
This doesn't sounds like what would happen in Texas, but I'd bet that the court clerk probably knows what s/he's talking about.

wow, your really good NogginBoink. lets assume that I"m asking for my friend, and it did happen in Texas. How would that work? anybody in texas have any experience?

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: Semidevil

Originally posted by: conjur
That's it in a nutshell.

The first date is just to figure out how you want to plead. If guilty, pay the fine/court costs and you're done. If it's not bad and you plead not guilty, it may just get tossed out right there.

If you plead not guilty and it's not dismissed, then a real trial date is set and the officer is issued a subpoena to appear on that date.

hmm..............ok. So if I'm sure I want to fight the ticket, but I live about 8 hours away, is there a way to do it over the phone, or do I have to make those 2 appearances?

Ooof...you have to make those appearances.

That's why I pled Nolo Contendere when I got nailed in Dallas once. Paid the fine and no points.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Basically the initial court date is the date to turn in a plea. They've streamlined the process for those who want to issue a guilty plea. But it varies by county. I've gotten two tickets in 8 years, the one in the county that I live in seemed to want to make sure you knew you broke the law and wanted you to stop, while the one in the county that I work in just wants you to give them money then continue on at 10MPH over. (not to mention they charge for parking at the courthouse, and there's no public parking within a quarter mile of them)

 

[Ylen13]

see if you can do all fighting my mail, in some states you can in some you can't also. Also you can find out officer vacation date as it's covered under freedom of information act at least in california they told me the information when i requested.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: mboy
Nope, if fighting a ticket, you always have to cvall to make a court date.
The trick is to call the precinct where the officer works, find out when he is on vaca, and put the court date off and hope u get scheduled for the week he is off. If he doesnt show, u win by default.

I would NOT have paid the ticket if rescheduling the court date.

Actually in Florida this is not how it works anymore...if the officer is not there the Judge basically says the offiicer's ticket is accurate or some equally uncontitutional BS. You can appeal it though.