slvrbolt.....what statute and charge did he use???

No, the ticket will not be thrown out because of what is written on that bottom space. When we go to traffic court, all we have to prove is that the violation did take place, and if the officer did witness it and issued a citation, most times the judge/magistrate will find that the violation did occur. It isn't beyond a reasonable doubt like criminal charges, only by a preponderance (sp??) of evidence.

I am kinda curious what he charged you with. I don't know of any $78 fines. ALL moving violations here in FL are $80.


LTNbolt.....it does not matter if the lot was private or public....even if it is privately owned, BUT it allows public access (ei malls), we CAN write citations there. As far as accidents go, that is different, because it is not an automatic violation of the law to have an accident, therefore, that is a department policy. My department DOES handle accidents in private lots.

 

After a long tour supporting our new album (Lucious Loins of the Flesh), it is rather enjoyable to see one of you 'Yanks realizes that you have bloody well been... how did it go?...ah yes...... "butt-raped".... by the very agents you chose to keep your country FREE.

"There is a fine line between stupid and clever."

 

i've had at least one ticket "pending" since i got my L in the summer of 99. once it's issued, the first court date is 3 months later. show up at the window and contest it, the day b4 trial and get an automatic 3 months extension while they try to to locate the issueing officer and inform him, that you have thrown down the glove, and have challenged him to a story telling contest in open court. by the time your next court date arrives, you have yourself believeing that you are actually "not" guilty" by this time, and could be hooked to a polygraph and pass. this is very important when looking the judge straight in the eyes. when they call your name, and how do you plea, you simply respond, "NOT GUILTY, YOUR HONOR". this will get you another 3 month reprieve, because the captain decided the officer can be writing another two thousand dollars worth of tickets, that day instead of trying to convience the judge to find you guilty of a two hundred dollar fine. once they know, that you know that this has nothing to do with innocence and guilt, you get to go see "the special man" (the assistant jr DA) where you barter between insurance companies and money. the first offer is "how about 69 in a 55 and $50 fine? my counter "how about no seatbelt and a $100 fine because insurance companies suck? this is agreeable to both parties. i have learned my lesson, the DA jr has his conviction, the cop is writing tickets like a madman, the judge didn't have to listen to my fable, the insurance co gets nothing. this process takes about 1-year and i'm getting really good at it

 

When someone looks at your rap sheet they must be thinking,
"Damn, does that truck even HAVE a seatbelt?"

 

oh oh, now you did it,,,, we have consecutive Nigel/BBQ/Raoul posts . something weird is going to happen,, some kind of cyberjihad,or something

 

If the cops knocked at your door and said "you stole $2500 from granny smith next door, give it to us!" would you do it ? NO

Most of the comments were correct, the 'doughnuts' comment on the ticket will not, in and of itself help you. HOWEVER. IF you were to videotape the parking lot or area where the alleged offense take place, get him to identify it under oath, and ask him to find the doughnut marks for you - while under oath - it will impeach his honesty and integrity on the stand in front of the judge... That *CAN* work. Based on what I've heard of the situation, your chance of prevailing in court is slim, but not none.

I suggest joining the NMA at www.motorists.org . They have a HUGE resource library for fighting (mostly speeding) tickets, and a great lawyer referral service. One tactic that might work for you is to go to the prosecutor's office (either on your own after doing your homework, or through your lawyer) and offering to plead the case out before trial by paying double the fine for a reduction to a non moving violation like 'improper equipment'. If you get a moving violation, it's with you 3 years in most states, and your insurance goes up about $300 / year minimum... that means a lawyer ain't such a bad deal... I did this years ago in NC for a 70 / 55 Vascar hold up... err ... ticket It took me about 2 days to find an attorney, $500 for the lawyer, $150 for the fine... BUT, I got to expunge my driving record 3 months later, got new insurance for 25% of what I was paying... You do the math - that's a lot of race tires...

It is a racket, but not unbeatable. Just fight. if 2 out of every 10 people vigorously fought their tickets in court, the traffic system nationwide would collapse on itself. People lose in traffic court because they come in unprepared to stand up to the cop, and not knowing legal procedure. You'll have to invest about 30 hours in your own defense to be any good.

As I see it, your choices are
1- pay the fine & be done with it (Even if you did it, it is the State's burden to PROVE you did it)
2- offer to plead to a lesser charge
3- represent yourself in court
4- get a lawyer

Finally, while traffic cops (different from REAL cops) aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer, don't underestimate their guile in raking in money for the state Nevertheless, it really isn't their fault. It's the state legislatures faults, and the voters that sent the legislators to office. We vote them into office & when these feel good laws like '55 saves lives' come up, we just ignore it, thinking it will go away. We drive high visibility vehicles, and we are going to draw attention. Behave accordingly. Next time a traffic law is proposed, fight it. I've had to go to the library to do research for a ticket, and it wasn't pretty - 3 books the size of Webster's unabridged dictionary... Think about that.

Good luck.

 

Please don't even get me started about the whole "speed kills" and "55 Stay Alive" propoganda. What a bunch of crock. All the studies I have seen demonstrate that there is little to no correlation between highway fatalies and speed. It's noteworthy to mention that some states actually saw a *decrease* in fatalities as speed limits were raised fro 55 to 65 mph.

I can sympathize with you, Silver-Y2K-SVT, as I have had more than my share of tickets. I can't wait until my insurance rates go down when I turn 25 next spring, because my monthly premium is as much as my monthly payment on the Lightning! The local law enforcement community has really made my brief 9 year driving career a nightmare. Cops don't seem to like finding a young driver behind the wheel of a nice Porsche, BMW, and most recently a Ford Lightning, and will pull me over if the wind blows the wrong way. While all of the above cars were red, I wasn't really asking for more than my fair share of attention like the ricers with loud exhausts, gaudy wings, decals, and strobe lights everywhere. I've had cops pull u-turns for me and follow me for 3 or 4 miles before turning on the lights and embarassing me in front of my friends. Yes I've been "caught" speeding before (nothing crazy, just 75 in a 60 or 55), but they've also ticketed me for my tint, no front license plate, and other weak-*** "violations." (Will someone please explain to me the REAL reason dark tints are illegal? Because they sure make night driving more bearable without headlights shining in my eye, not to mention they keep my car cooler and keep out the UV rays. And what's the big deal with not having a front plate? A lot of states don't require one and the front bumper of the Lightning looks nasty with that cheap mounting bracket anyway).

I honestly drive in fear, constantly spotting police around town and making sure I come to COMPLETE stop for 5 seconds before turning right on red, or changing lanes one lane at a time with 4 second intervals where I actually RESET my turn signal. Is my paranoia justified? Look at my insurance premium and you will agree. Are cops justified in writing lame traffic citations for every kind of technical violation in the book? Most likely not.

I don't really dislike cops as a whole (and don't share the same bitter feelings that Silver-Y2K-SVT obviously harbors). I would LIKE to think that they are good, hard-working people who probably don't enjoy traffic duty. I understand some departments have quotas and really need the funding for other resources, but writing tickets for silly charges is only temporary relief of the symptoms, and not really a cure for the disease (i.e. lack of real funding support from municipal budgets). I'd feel happier paying an extra 2-3% in taxes for forensic lab equipment, new fire trucks, and salary increases for police and teachers than pay my current tax rate plus fines and fees for stupid tickets. At least be honest and honorable when taking and using my money. And don't give any of my money to car insurance companies either. (Speaking of car insurance companies, do NOT use Geico because they "donate" radar guns to police departments to ... um, encourage "safer" driving habits... yeah, that's it.)

 

What studies can you cite to demonstrate that there is little to no correlation between highway fatalies and speed. Should be a good read. Please provide link.

Sympathize with Silver's post.... Good for you however would this equate in your being equally bitter since you admittedly drive in fear of cops? If so, how about driving something less conspicuous (riced-out Civic perhaps) its called camoflage.

 

Hugh Jorgan,

Check out any Car & Driver rag, and visit www.motorists.org for general enlightenment. I remember seeing something referencing fatality rates and speed limits in my AAA magazine one time too. If you're truly bored, check out any of the following for a "good read" too:

http://google.yahoo.com/bin/query?p=...ties&hc=0&hs=0

Obviously if you hit a tree at 100 mph you are more likely to die than if you hit one at 55 mph. That's not what is being disputed. What the facts indicate is that the number of traffic fatalities has not increased since speed limits have increased (and this could be due to any number of factors). The point is that proponents of maintaining the 55 mph speed limit claimed the highways would become a regular smorgasboard of death if states raised speed limits. As we can see in hindsight, their claims are unfounded.

Why should I have to camouflage my car? Are we at war with our own police? Sounds like your comfortable apathy is part of the problem for the rest of us. If you've ever been harassed by your local police, you'd feel different I'm sure. Let me guess, you bought your Lightning to sit in the garage all week and you only take it out on warm Sundays so you can cruise to Walmart at 5 under the posted speed limit.

I expect a little more "attention" in a red sports car/truck, what I don't expect is constant harassment. And come to think of it... I've had pretty good luck in the Lightning - I had the most problems in my BMW. That car is much more common around here, is obviously slower, and is less "offensive" in general compared to the brute I drive now.

 

Hey slvrbolt, Don't listen to these guys. Checkout the link. It's what you need. R/S Dennis

http://www.voodoomuseum.com/cgi-bin/...ow_descr&id=47

Heh, heh...works like a charm.

 

The Publix on village blvd.? What the h*LL were you thinking? That's like asking for $125 of pain and suffering.

 

Shorty,
Thanks for the tip. Not only did I just beat my last ticket with the Voodoo kit, but my mother-in-law now has a "strange" unexplained pain in her jaw that prevents her from talking!!
GDG

 

FACT #1-Traffic enforcement=revenue $ for city, county, and state. Somebody has to pay for all of those sucking off the government ti#. Those of us in California, Texas and Florida know this better than the rest of the country. We have more uninsured drivers and uninsured expectant mothers than in any other states. The fact that two of these three states are situated along the U.S.-Mexican border might have something to do with it. Just maybe, huh? I sure don't like it, but then I sure don't make the stinkin' laws either.

FACT #2-However, only a small percentage of any law enforcement department are traffic officers. The majority of municipal officers and federal agents are dealing with the bullsh$%, crap and garbage that most people wouldn't deal with even if they were paid $150,000 a year.

And Finally, FACT #3-If you drive like an idiot, or act a complete *** when you do get pulled over for driving like an idiot, then chances are you might get cited. However, if you are a law abiding taxpayer and display even a half ounce of decency towards a man who has had nothing but **** thrown in his face all day then you may get off with a verbal warning or less. Think about it, Slvrbolt, next time you call a law enforcement officer a pig.

Dog

 

Sir,

Thank you...you are proof positive that America is great place to be.

I will NOT honor your reply with a flaming response, but, please allow me a chance to clarify a point or two.

I usually do not post here as it is much more entertaining to read the saga of the misled and misinformed (such as I) as we try to tame the Ford beast.

However, your reply was really TOO much! Everyone has a right to "vent/bitc*" about anything they choose (1st Amendment)...and "vent/bitc*you did. Remember, that very right is fought (and died) for EVERYDAY by law enforcement officers around the country.

Please do not get me wrong, as WE are not angelic decendents from on high, there are some idiots that are peace officers out there. But for the most part, WE try are damn hardest to make it through the day without being killed or maimed by the very public WE work for.

Oh yeah..How many murderers have YOU arrested? How many decayed bodies have YOU recovered from rivers/lakes/streams? How many drowned children have YOU pulled from swimming pools left unattended? How many times have YOU picked up body parts off of a roadway after a fatality accident? How many raped wives (daughters) or molested children have YOU consoled?...none?

Surely you have at least had a gun pointed at your head or a knife held to your gut...no?...what about being spit on?had feces thrown in your face?...not yet?

Please Sir,...do not berate the entire "law enforcment" community due to your frustration with being ticketed for traffic violations. But if you choose to do so anyway...remember that very same peace officer and I) would unhesitatingly give his/her life for your right to do so.

GOd Bless America...God Bless us All...Merry Christmas

P.S. - as to the original post...email me at Gottafast1 @yahoo.com and I can tell you how to "sway" the court your direction!

 

Gottafast1,

Now *THAT* was a good post. Wish I knew some good guys like you who drive Lightnings too.