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You made the right choice to stop. The amount of things they could have thrown at you, if you had ignored the order to stop, boggles the mind.
Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion
I got a traffic ticket, any ideas on how to beat it?
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lifeliberty
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I don't think you are entirely screwed. think you have a really good explanation of why you did what you did.
I was just saying that that is the view of the cop. You can explain yourself to the judge.
basically when you get a ticket, you go to court and plead guilty, no contest, not guilty.
If no contest, then you get to explain your situation and the judge can reduce the fines for you, but you will still get the associated points.
if you plead not guilty, then you get another court date and it goes to trial and you deal with the prosecutor.
I always plead no contest because i have always commited the violation on the ticket, but there have been extenuating circumstances in which case i come out just paying court costs.dont just pay the ticket, go to court and tak to the judge. If you are unsure I think you can ask for an extension or something. You can always plead not guilty to buy more time and talk with a lawyer, and then go back to court and plead no contest if you want.(I think this is the way it works, I'm not a lawyer, I've just been to court multiple times for traffic tickets)
And I agree with above, always stop. cops are trained to get your liscence and call up ahead for assistance. You don't want a warrent out for your arrest for failure to stop or alluding the police.
Posted 3 years ago # -
lifeliberty
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OH, and in my experience it really helps if you have the cash on hand(with you) to pay any fines then and there. Lots of people that go to court do not. the judges have always asked if I had the money to pay today and I presumed my saying yes resulted in a reduced fine, last time it was reduced to $5.
Posted 3 years ago # -
StowCbusCleveland
Jackson Township, Canton, OH
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My roommate brought up an interesting point...
So the trooper pulled me over by hand signal, and he had to do it well in advance of me even arriving at him (Otherwise, it's a hand-signal at a car that is even or past you, thus impossible to see). Doesn't this mean he pulled me over for an offense I couldn't logically have committed yet? Food for thought.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Bear
The woods
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StowCbusCleveland wrote >>
My roommate brought up an interesting point...
So the trooper pulled me over by hand signal, and he had to do it well in advance of me even arriving at him (Otherwise, it's a hand-signal at a car that is even or past you, thus impossible to see). Doesn't this mean he pulled me over for an offense I couldn't logically have committed yet? Food for thought.Unless he could tell that you didn't have time to avoid committing the violation (by changing lanes or safely slowing down), but he still had time to make a hand gesture?
I'd predict, judge 1, roommate 0, minus fifty judge sympathy points
Posted 3 years ago # -
michaelcoyote
!seabus
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When in doubt, get a lawyer.
Posted 3 years ago # -
Patch
Schumacher Place
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lifeliberty wrote >>
OH, and in my experience it really helps if you have the cash on hand(with you) to pay any fines then and there. Lots of people that go to court do not. the judges have always asked if I had the money to pay today and I presumed my saying yes resulted in a reduced fine, last time it was reduced to $5.Yep, bring money, or call ahead and see if they take credit cards (most do).
Again, at the end of the day the judge's that I have been in front of care more about you paying the Court Cost than about the prosecutor getting a conviction.
I do rememeber the prosecutor's assistant that I spoke to specifically asking if I could pay the court costs today. I told him yes, and they dropped all charges as long as I could pay the court cost.
And the officer was there, so they could have had me if they wanted to.
They just don't want to waste the Judge's time if the court can get their money.
Posted 3 years ago # -
StowCbusCleveland
Jackson Township, Canton, OH
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Progress report:
Went to arraignment today...went with "not guilty", obviously.
Spoke with the prosecutor, and he basically said "I'm the lawyer for the trooper, there's nothing lesser to drop this to, and even if there were I wouldn't because I take what he says as truth and we don't drop stuff here."
I mentioned that I had read up on the law in question and felt I had made a good faith effort to satisfy the "safe speed" requirement when I saw I would be unable to get over into the other lane, and that I really was trying to do my best to keep him safe without causing an accident. He said "You have your right to your day in court, but if you don't get over, there's almost no chance of getting off." I mentioned that I was willing to pay court costs today, and he said "That's what they might do in the big city where you're from, but not here. See you in court."
Yikes. One of the most tense and awkward conversations I've ever had. I felt like if he had shut me down one more time, an announcer would appear out of nowhere to declare "FINISH HIM!"
Posted 3 years ago # -
lifeliberty
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he is trying to intimidate you so he can crush you. my advice if you want to fight this: get a lawyer.
Posted 3 years ago # -
StowCbusCleveland
Jackson Township, Canton, OH
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@Misskitty: Madison County Municipal
@Lifeliberty: Doing some googling now for possible representation. Any advice on selecting a traffic attorney?
@Cookie: $120, plus $100 court costs. I'm still glad to be fighting it, because I didn't commit any infractions. I don't want the record, I want to clear my name, and I don't want to pay my insurance the ridiculous rates they might ask for on a Male, 24, with a recent ticket. A person following the law should be left alone, not punished.
Yeti22: Not paying the ticket unless I lose the case and am compelled to by law. I did nothing wrong, I followed the law exactly, and in the same situation nobody on this board would have been able to do any different. What unwritten rule of driving provides for being blocked from getting over by traffic when a police stop is in progress? You get over or slow down. Couldn't get over, so I slowed down. Ticket issued. What can you do differently?
Posted 3 years ago # -
lifeliberty
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last time I needed one I called the Ohio Bar Association and they referred me to one.
It will cost you more than the fine I assume.
Posted 3 years ago # -
StowCbusCleveland
Jackson Township, Canton, OH
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Lawyer costs more than the fine for sure, but the question is does lawyer cost more than fine + court costs + insurance, and does having a lawyer significantly increase my odds of being found not guilty and having to pay those costs.
Posted 3 years ago # -
lifeliberty
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i don't know, you'd have to probably have a lawyer review your case and see what the chances are.
as far as raising your insurance, with my coverage through State Farm, the insurance will only go up if you have 2 or more violations within a 2 year period(or something like that)
you can also look into a court appointed atty, but i know nothing about that.
Posted 3 years ago # -
StowCbusCleveland
Jackson Township, Canton, OH
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During the judge's opening explanation of the proceedings, he mentioned that they'll only do court-appointed if you face jail time.
Posted 3 years ago # -
CDS sherman
East Franklinton
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LBOWACC wrote >>
Ya, why did you stop? That is just nuts. I remember maybe 6 years ago or so i was pulling out of frambes onto high, and at the udf there who 2 bike cops who were signaling for me to pull over. i just took off, and they gave chase for a second, but to no avail.let me get this straight, you ran from the police on campus, yet in another thread about cash falling out of a truck you busted my chops about me talking to someone who you thought stole money and how i should turn them into the police? come on.......... get real.
Posted 3 years ago # -
misskitty
Columbus
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If your insurance renewal is coming around make continuances until the renewal passes. Save yourself some major bucks. Also it can defer the situation for up to a year before it makes it to trial.
File a Discovery Request
The discovery request will release to you information the prosecution plans to use for your case--what type of radar the officer used, the position of the patrol car and so forth. The information may not apply to your circumstances, but it can sometimes expose inconsistencies regarding the facts of your case, which may earn a dismissalMake a diagram of the area
When it comes time to actually go to court cross examine that officer. Ask questions like
- Was there other traffic on the road?
- Do you remember the locations of the other cars?
- What was the traffic flow like that day?
- What lanes were the other vehicles in?
- Where were you standing in relation to this map? Where was the vehicle on the side of the road in relation to where you were standing?
- Could you tell the speed of the defendant? How? According to the law …… site law for vehicles on the side of the road.
- The type of device used to clock the defendants speed?
- If he can’t remember then that is a hole in the case.
Point out that the evidence shows that there is reasonable doubt that you violated the law (or proves your innocence in the states where that is required) or that you had a legal reason for acting as you did.Take your witness to court as well.
Never Admit to any type of guilt, doubt, or uncertainty during the course of your trial. Like
Don’t try to argue your case while cross –examine said officer.
Remember stay cool and calm.Worth a shot right?
Posted 3 years ago #
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