So I got a traffic ticket yesterday...

[arizonawarrior]

I agree w/parkinglot. Its also important to show respect and not badmouth the officer when before a judge. Explain calmly and probably the meat of the ticket will go away. If it were me I would say nothing about the fix-its unless the judge asks, and then I would confirm they had nothing to do with what happened and see where it goes but they might stick.

[mr_noize2]

What are the violation(s) on your ticket?

[dfhowes]

I agree with the others - fight it. Talk to the the county prosecutor, tell them you weren't on a Harley and if the LEO can't tell the difference between a Harley and a Yamaha, you'd have to question his other observations. You should be able to have several of the charges (especially the "cut in and brake"), if not all, dropped. And coming from a guy that had a father and brother in law enforcement, I have to agree that this cop was a revenue-generating ass-hat with little regard to "serve and protect".

At the very least, plead not guilty, and a few days before court, ask for a continuance. Repeat this procedure for maximum number of times, generally three (ask the clerk of courts to be sure). On the day of court, pay the fine before hand first thing in the morning. That way the LEO will be inconvenienced by having to show up to court for nothing and you've postponed your fine for several months. That's what I did on my last two tickets and that will be my standard policy form now on.

[warriordog]

Federal Regualtions?????
Were you on a Federal Road? i.e. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a Federal Road and the only person that can give out a Federal Ticket is an officer for the Federal govt. Sounds like there are a lot of dicrepancies in your citation. Although, if the citation is from a Federal Officer that could explain the high price tag. Do you report to Federal Court?
Good Luck with the ticket.
DF Howes (above) gives some good tips. Sometimes it's just easier to pay it than fight it. I would definantly put it off as long as possible AND stay away from that area in the future.

[Mike7202]

Originally Posted by dfhowes

... ask for a continuance. Repeat this procedure for maximum number of times, generally three (ask the clerk of courts to be sure). On the day of court, pay the fine before hand first thing in the morning. That way the LEO will be inconvenienced by having to show up to court for nothing and you've postponed your fine for several months. That's what I did on my last two tickets and that will be my standard policy form now on.

this will not really inconvenience the officer (at least in fairfax county virginia, but I assume a lot of other places do this as well) when you continue your case they will set it for another one of the officers court dates. he will be in court that day anyway for other cases, so it doesnt matter if your case is one of them or not. to me, that seems like a good way to tie up the court system and spend more of my of my tax dollars and inconvenience yourself trying to keep track of your upcoming court dates. ANNND, if you are the least bit unorganized, a good way to get a bench warrant put out for you when you forget a court date.

[capttwb]

Pretty hefty fine, I'd go to court, explain your reasons for the infractions and hope for leniency from the court. Usually this works if you show respect to the court. Dress in a business suit. If you can find a attorney for a hundred bucks or so, retain his services. More times than not he'll prove cost effective. Almost all judges were attorneys at one time. They look favorably at citizens that retain their brethren.

[LeaderDuece]

I'm kinda doubting that federal regulations thing. States have a lot of individual control over that stuff -a simple example be vertical plates versus horizontal plates. Another example would be that here in TN you don't even need to have trailer lights if you can see the vehicle lights. And light 2-wheel trailers don't even need a license. The placement of reflectors on a trailer also varies by state. Federal law is pretty limited on roads actually -unless they can get link it to the Interstate Commerce Act somehow. That's why states have different speed limits. The Federal Government gives states money for highway and road repairs, but only if they willingly comply to Federal guidelines.

Anyway -Mike is right about "inconveniencing officers." They aren't inconvenienced in anyway if you don't show up. They have one or two days a month that are "their" days. That's how they know so quickly what day your court date would be when they're writing you the ticket. For example, they might have the first and third Monday of every month. If you don't show, it doesn't matter to them, they're in court all day anyway. Oh -and that old song about challenging it in court and if the officer doesn't show up then they HAVE to dismiss your case (because there is no one to provide witness against you) -well, that may have worked 30 years ago, but not now. Just like the court can reschedule your date because you can't make it, they can do the same thing for an officer. Which really does inconvenience YOU, because you actually showed up, and then found out it had been changed.

There are a ton of posts here on the forum about how local lawyers have gotten tickets dropped to simple fines etc. If you can, get one. If not, then plead no contest, and explain to the best of your ability. Throw yourself on the mercy of the court and hope for the best.

[MRMAXXX]

Get a lawyer and let him do his job . . . Which is to get you off.

Otherwise you are dead meat in court.

IMHO

Bob

[madtom421]

Federal regulations do state you need reflectors and your rear turn signals need to be x amount of inches apart (i think 6-11 apart). We all take this risk when we remove the reflectors and put the intergrated tail light on. It could be worse, in connecticut they would make you get your bike inspected or pull the registration.

[Doc S]

Got a lawyer. Paid $375 (vs. $560) and it's dismissed

Thought I'd share

I'm located in Schertz Texas, between San Antonio and Austin.

If you're looking for a traffic attorney, let me know.
I hired him yesterday and the ticket is gone today

God Bless,
Doc S