I got pulled over for speeding once in rural Wyoming years ago. The cop had me lock up my car and get in his car. He then drove me about 10 - 15 miles to the judge's ranch house. It was early on a Saturday morning and the judge came to the door in his bathrobe. He had us come into the kitchen where his wife was fixing breakfast. She asked us if we had breakfast yet. We both said "no" so she fixed us all waffles. While the 3 of us were having breakfast the judge asked about the charge, the cop told him, the judge asked me if I was speeding, and I told him yes your honor. He fined me $25 for doing 75 in a 65. I paid him and we spent the rest of breakfast talking about trout fishing. After breakfast we said "good bye" and the cop gave me a ride back to my car. That's the most fun I've ever had getting a ticket,
I got pulled over in Wyoming for the same thing! The cop said he could take $25 for the fine and there would be no copy sent to my insurance company. I jumped on that and paid him, but now I’m mad, I didn’t get a free breakfast!
When I was a teenager I was written a ticket in Gladstone , Missouri for doing 46 in a 45! It wasn’t required but I went to court and the Judge was more upset about it than I was. He ultimately dismissed the ticket and rather forwardly suggested the officer apologize to me.
I was driving through Raymond, WA about 30 years ago at a time I was paranoid about small town cops. I carefully watched every single speed limit (and obeyed them carefully) as I passed through and at the edge of town the limit was 45 and I was rock steady at 45. I pass a Raymond cop going the other way and he makes a u-turn and pulls me over. He said I was doing 56. I proceeded to tell him that I was doing a rock steady 45 and recited every single speed zone in town with phrases like "And just before the railroad overpass it dropped from 35 to 25...", etc. He gave me a verbal warning and left.
A couple years ago, after a large snowfall, our townhouse complex all had to have the roofs cleared of snow. A lot of that snow ended up in the parking stalls, and by the time everyone got home from work, that snow solidified into something more akin to ice. Suffice to say, everyone parked on the street that night. Now, the street was private property, owned by the condo association that governed our townhouses. It was a fire lane, all of it. So the next morning, a bylaw officer came through, and started writing tickets to everyone parked on the street. We figure the condo association called and had the person come out to do it, since it isn't a public road. The officer wrote a lot of tickets, and of course I was really annoyed, bordering on pissed off at this point. But a ticket is a ticket, and truth be told, I didn't want to fight it in court, as technically... I was still in the wrong. So I waited until the last day before the ticket ups the amount ( pay by a certain date and pay less deal), and when I handed the ticket to the person at the desk, they gave it back and said it was invalid and I didn't have to pay it. Turns out the bylaw officer also thought it was BS to come and ticket everyone because our parking stalls where full of ice. He didn't fill in the date on any of the tickets. Which caused the system to automatically invalidate them. Didn't have to go to court or anything, just a trip to city hall to be told they where no good. Good deal if you ask me.
gerble36 , absolutely! When I read "I was still in the wrong," I couldn't believe it. Those stalls are assigned to the tenants, it is the property owners responsibility to clear the roofs, either the company hired was incompetent or the landlord failed to post them to remove the ice properly denying the tenants to ability to park, each apartment is assigned parking. What does your lease stipulate?
I had a sport bike in Texas. One morning I was running late for work and decided to make up some time. I was caught doing 115 mph in a 55 mph by a cop with a radar gun besides the road. I saw the cop, braked hard to pull up next to him while he was getting in his car to chase. He was pretty surprised I did not try to out run him. He asked ME what he should write the ticket for. I had no answer. I was flabbergasted. He suggest 80 mph in a 55 mph. This kept him from taking me in for reckless driving. Court date came around and the cop didn't show. Case dismissed. I was lucky twice.
My husband was an insurance attorney. A local cop in suburban Columbus Ohio wrote our son two tickets in our subdivision, both for stop sign violations. Upon doing a little research he found that Ohio law requires traffic control devices, including stop signs, to be posted a specific distance off the ground. The law also says that if they are not properly posted, they are unenforceable. Then the officer also wrote the wrong intersection for the second stop sign ticket. My husband went in front of the juvenile magistrate at trial and introduced photographs of the nonexistent stop sign intersection, and the first ticket was dismissed. Then he introduced photographs of the stop sign with a tape measure next to it, along with a copy of a case from that particular appellate district which clearly stated that improperly posted traffic devices are not enforceable. The prosecutor was blindsided, but the judge had no choice but to dismiss the second ticket.Of course, knowing our son, as soon as the second one was dismissed, he broke out in a wide grin, at which point the magistrate turned beet red and screamed “ get out of my court room !”
I’m an OTR truck driver by trade. I am constantly traveling in different states, and am under constant scrutiny of the DOT officers in each of those different jurisdictions. States love to generate revenue by ticketing truck drivers. I think they do so with the idea that the individual will not return to dispute the ticket, and simply just pay the fine. I have had quite a few citations over the last 15 years in several different states. A couple I was guilty of, and took responsibility for, the rest I questioned. I learned early on that the right to remain silent is such a blessing! I’m not afraid to use it. I simply can’t afford to pay an attorney full price to represent me throughout an entire judicial process. I love to ask a lot of pointed and direct questions to an officer in a courtroom anyway, especially when I know that I am innocent. I’ve made a couple officers look like a possum’s pecker in a courtroom. I once even had a judge compliment me, and encourage me to pursue law school. I have had to defend myself in a bench trial twice. Both times, I was successful. And, both times the prosecutor got reprimanded by the judge for not dismissing those cases before it got that far. Whenever I am cited for something that I believe is frivolous, what I will do.. is I will find a reputable traffic ticket attorney (preferably one who is familiar with federal DOT standards that apply to us CDL holders) in that particular state, and I will call them. I will offer to pay them for their time and advice. I will explain what happened, and ask them for advice in building a valid defense, question, and argument strategy for myself. I will ask them to educate me, on the statutes and case law that could apply to my case, or at least point me in the right direction to research and educate myself. Often, I find that they are more than willing to accommodate this especially since I do compensate them accordingly for their time. One attorney down in New Mexico was even kind enough to create a login password and profile for me on his law library software platform, so I could access that information remotely. I will then contact the court clerk in that judicial district or county. Often times they will provide me an email address for the prosecutor assigned to that case. Sometimes the prosecutor is willing to correspond and negotiate with me before court, sometimes not. I have gotten a few frivolous tickets dismissed by the prosecutor even before my first scheduled court appearance. The honest ones have even told me: “Mr. Frew, I am dismissing this. I don’t even know why you were cited in the first place. This ticket is ridiculous!” Etc. I make sure to keep all of that correspondence on an email platform. I never delete any of those emails for any reason. If the prosecutor is unwilling to negotiate or communicate with me, then I obviously have show up for court. It’s generally not a problem for me as a truck driver to book myself a load that goes to, or through that general area again. The biggest challenge I have encountered when making a court appearance was finding somewhere close to the courthouse to legally park a big truck at that time of the day. Lololol. I’ve had good luck with this strategy. I often think should have went to law school. I love your stories, and have learned a lot from you! Thank you!
As a cop in a different state, I have the following observations 1) The courts do not ask or care about my schedule. If I have something planned ahead (training, etc) I have to let them know ahead of time. Minor tickets were often thrown out if I was not there, but missing court routinely was a no-no. Plus, overtime is nice. Some weeks I would have to get up every morning for one case per day... while working night shift. Great way to be extremely sleep deprived. 2) Yup, when someone refused to sign a ticket they were basically asking me to arrest them. Didn't always do it, but the same people who did that usually had acted in such a manner that I was happy to oblige and take them into physical custody. Usually drunk pedestrians caught jaywalking like idiots. Also earned them another traffic ticket for failing to sign. 3) Be nice to people. The prosecutors didn't give you a ticket. The judge didn't either. And court clerks can help you out in all sorts of ways... if you're not a jerk.
30 years in law enforcement here in PA. I agree with you about not showing up for a hearing (here the officer is the 'prosecutor' for summary traffic tickets). In PA, if the officer is a no-show, the case gets tossed. If the officer has training or on vacation, etc, he/she must give several days notice to the court to get a continuance.
Question for you- what is the thought among law enforcement these days with how the public mistrusts and fears law enforcement rather than respect and appreciate them ?
@@christinagomez5079 The officer is mainly a witness but also has to make sure all his paperwork is accurate and establishes the facts in the case as to when and where the violation occurred. Crimes usually go to criminal court and if someone pleads not guilty a prosecutor is assigned. I believe he is probably talking about traffic violations.
I got pulled over for speeding in a school zone, on a Saturday. When I pointed out that it was Saturday the cop flinched and said he was letting we off with a warning. I think he forgot what day it was.
As far as negotiating remotely, I once got a traffic violation dismissed by mail, sometime way back in the early 1980´s (back before email existed, when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth). I was in San Diego (with Arizona plates) when my left headlight blew out. I made the next left turn a half block later, and only made it another half block further before I was pulled over and ticketed, literally in the space of a city block. The headlight was probably still hot, but I didn´t think to ask the officer to check, for whatever good that would have done. I wrote the court a polite letter, explaining the circumstances and complimenting the SDPD on their efficiency as well as the courteousness of their police officers, both of which happened to be true. The judge returned my letter marked ¨dismissed in the interest of justice¨, all by snail mail. I wish now I had framed it.
Pay your out of state tickets.. Early 2000s I lived in GA and got speeding ticket in NC. I never paid it, about a year later I got a letter from the state of NC telling my license is suspend in the state of NC. I laughed it off at the time because I had no plans in going back to NC. Many years later... my car insurance got wind of my license was suspended in NC, canceled my policy. Due to not having insurance my GA license then gets suspend. It was a NIGHTMARE to resolve and took months to get all taken care of... PAY the ticket.. just do it..
I got a speeding ticket in Pa. in 1970. I was Licensed in Ohio and was in the Army and had orders for Germany. I didn't pay the ticket and when I returned 3 years later I was stationed at Ft. Rucker Alabama for flight school. I spent 22 years in the army and have been through Pa. many times but never stopped. I never heard anything from Pa.
Got a photo radar ticket from MD in Dec 2018 for an alleged speeding infraction from Sep of that year. Still ignoring it, although $40, and now 2019 is more than half over. Reason ignored: no Due Process, NO proof I was driving vehicle at the time, privatized company processing ticket, even wrong name on ticket (not even close). My LP recently renewed with no problems and my DL record is still clean as a “hound’s tooth.” SUCK AIR, MD!
The ticket you obtained in NC was written against your DL, right? If so, your DL number is linked to your name, SSAN and DOB. And, correct me if I’m wrong, it was issued by a living, breathing law enforcement officer, right? Someone who could testify against you? Of course, the info of the infraction would be available to your insurance company. Surely, though, a photo ticket against an out-of-state LP isn’t linked to a particular DL. Therefore, “civil infractions” against a registered owner doesn’t fall under the same thing. My state only suspends DL’s for not showing up in court for a moving violation, failure to pay child support, both CRIMINAL offenses; not for parking tickets and civil infractions.
Years ago I knew an officer who's dad was the sheriff in some small back hills county. He pulls over a speeder and give the speeder an option of paying the ticket right there, or going up in front of the judge right then. He would escort the violator to the courthouse. The driver said okay let's go see the judge. The sheriff says "Just to let you know the judge is on vacation and the acting judge will have the handle your case. " The driver said it was okay. The Sheriff said "Just to also let you know the acting judge here in this county is the county sheriff." The driver decided to pay the ticket.
I wouldn’t advise signing for a package at the door unless you know what it is for sure. If it happens to be contraband or it is illegal you are now in ownership of the item and can be charged for its possession.
In 1992 I was required to post $67.50 for a ticket (that was eventually dismissed). After court I was instructed to go to the clerk to get my money refunded. When I talked to the clerk she said excitedly "You're the one!!". As it turned out I didn't realize there wasn't 50 cents and because of their accounting methods she had to manually write the 50 cents into every county financial report for the several months the case was open.
Steve: True story, I've been driving a semi long haul for 25 years now. In 2016 I was driving through NY and got pulled over for a burned out headlight. After giving the officer my documents, I told him I had a spare bulb and I would replace it while he was doing his thing. After several minutes he came back while I was just finishing up my bulb switch. He told me that his system showed that I had an unpaid ticket "of some sort" from 18 years ago. I simply have no memory of the ticket. He said all he had was the name of the town in NY (that neither of us had heard of). He was very forgiving and let me go if I promised to take care of it on Monday. I joked with him and said boy, they hold a grudge! He laughed. I made some phone calls on Monday. The ticket was for $50 which I paid over the phone. I still do not remember it at all, but couldn't fight that. I was surprised that it never showed up when I was renewing my license some 4 times and even moved from WI to IL!
Many years ago when I was delivering for UPS I had a package addressed to the district court clerk. It was a small but very heavy package. I walk into the office, set the parcel on the counter and asked for a signature. Well here come the bailiff who proceeds to open the package as the clerk asks who it is from. Well it turns out it is from a rental business in another city. By now the bailiff has the package open and finds a bag full of loose pennies and a note saying as you would not accept my company check for $50.00 I am paying in cold hard cash. The clerk states she is not going to accept the package. To late I state it has been opened so you have to accept the delivery. Needless to say she was not pleased.
I had heard that pennies are not legal currency if over 37 are used at one time. If so, the clerk could have accepted 37 of the pennies, held the rest for the accused, and forwarded a Fail To Pay warrant, couldn't she? Wikkipedia says this: United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes and dues. Foreign gold or silver coins are not legal tender for debts. - 31 U.S.C. § 5103 Contrary to common misconception,[38] there is no federal law stating that a private business, a person, or a government organization must accept currency or coins for payment. Private businesses are free to create their own policies on whether they accept cash, unless there is a specific state law which says otherwise. For example, a bus line may prohibit payment of fares in cents or dollar bills. In addition, movie theaters, convenience stores, and gas stations may refuse to accept large denomination currency as a matter of policy or safety.[3][4] The principal purpose of that statute is to ensure the nationwide acceptance of U.S. currency, consistent with constitutional language that reserves to Congress the power to create a uniform currency that holds the same value throughout the United States. While the statute provides that U.S. money is legal tender that may be accepted for the payment of debts, it does not require acceptance of cash payments, nor does it provide that restrictions cannot be imposed upon the acceptance of cash.[39]
@@mariahbrewer9590 Federal have ruled that clerks DO NOT have to accept coins, feces covered bills, etc. They have a right to receive payment in the form they deem best. Just like a store would. If you asked for a refund from a store for say $200 dollars would YOU accept pennies? Or how about 400 50 cent gift cards for McDonalds only good in Russia? Nope.
I got a ticket in NV in the late 80's for doing 110 eastbound on I-80. I was 19, and my whole family was on a long road trip and it was my turn to drive. I got a long lecture from the trooper -- NOT about speeding, but explaining how NV had been trying to fight the 55mph speed limit for years and how if I had just slowed down under 90 when passing through towns along the way, he would have let me go. No points. Not a moving violation. A $15 ticket for "wasting a natural resource". For 110 in a 55. My mother made my dad pay it, since he was in the passenger seat and knew how fast I was going. Nota bene: A 1987 Mazda 626, and it handled 110mph like a breeze. That was a great car.
I live in Tennessee and around 2003 I got a ticket in Louisiana. I mailed them a check and they mailed it back and wanted a cashiers check. After hearing your video I'm glad I went and got a cashiers check. I almost didn't pay it.
I went to court 5 times in Lakewood NJ and the cop never showed up when I was 18 .The judge refused to dismiss the case and made me do community service for three months . If it happened to me today he would never get away with that bs .
Twenty years ago, I hired a lawyer and drove 6 hours to UP michigan to fight a scam ticket and compensated a witness to go up as well. I get to the court house to have my day in court, and they told me the cop was not available and the case would be continued. I was able to talk to the prosecutor and they were willing to settle the case and dismiss the ticket, but you are right that it won't work. In Illinois, they specifically assign court dates based on all the other traffic tickets a cop has each month or period, so you can be sure the cop will show up.
I've never had a moving violation. Motorcycle since 1989. It's just not something I do. BUT...some of these myths are hilarious! It's good to know the truth, and I loved the laugh. Thanks, Steve!
I like how lawyers always take pictures in front of law books. Lehto took it to a whole new level by taking a video in front of a bunch of mic's to let you know he's serious about podcasting
I was a cop in Alabama and signing the ticket is basically your bond, your just signing. If you refuse you are arrested for whatever the ticket was so say speeding. You now have to bond out with a cash bond or through a bondsman.
Several decades ago we drove from Michigan to Texas. While going through one of the Southern States, we were pulled over for speeding. The ticket was for doing 71 in a 70 - and this was before RADAR guns. We were required to go straight to court to pay the $20 fine, which was a huge amount at the time.
Actually, I have twice shown up for a traffic ticket and had it thrown out because the officer wasn't there. After that, there was one time I showed up for court in N.C., the prosecutor took me aside, and told me to plead guilty to this charge (It was 20 over, so I was subject to suspension, I was hoping to get the judge to knock it down...) or he would not call the case before the judge, and that would show up as non-compliance over at the DMV, and my license would be suspended forever. Well, I refused, thinking that I was going to have my day in court, and sure enough, he didn't call my case. I waited till the end of the docket, and flagged the judge before he left the court. He told me he knew what I was going to say, but said there was nothing he could do until the case was called before him. That was the end of that. Later I found out that the officer involved had left the force under less than ideal circumstances, and was not going to be showing up. Rather than let me off, the prosecutor suspended my license forever. That was almost 30 years ago, and as far as I know, it is still suspended in N.C. At that point, I left N.C., and the US, and emigrated to Canada.
Steve, I lived in Indianapolis 20 years ago. I had the exact situation with the "no show" cop. Sat through all the other speeding tickets that morning. Finally there were about a half dozen of us left. Judge called every one, said basically "no cop, no case" and slammed his gavel down and said "have a nice day" , which we did! You could have knocked me over with a feather!
Cop pulls me over when I was young. I get out in snow at 1 am. Just left work. He asked me why he pulled me over. I didn’t know, and silly me said “I guess I was going a bit fast.” (Probably 3 to 5 miles over) He looked startled. He eventually said “ Not only that , you ran a stop sign “ He decided to just let me go.
I was a little surprised by the signing for a package analogy- my father told me about case here where someone connected to the police department sent drugs to an individual to try to get them into trouble. I believe the woman’s lawyer advised her not to touch the package and leave it outside, where the delivery person had left it.
Michigan is notorious among truckers for writing tickets for one or two mph over. The speed limit on I-75 used to be 60 until recently. Most company trucks are goverened at 62.
I got a ticket once for parking in London. I requested the CCTV recording, which showed me in a loading bay with a 20 minute limit unloading some heavy luggage. I contested it by mail and won. It would have been the first break in my record. I got my license in 74 and have never had a violation.
As I understand it, the states that require you to sign the ticket do that because your signature is your bail -- you promise to either pay the ticket or show up in court. If you don't sign it, it's not a crime, per se, but the traffic offense is a crime and they'll arrest you on that until you arrange bail (which will still be your signature promising to show up in court).
Most of the time adjourning is to make them fighting for their ticket if you're going down anyway. It can make the cop no show. Most judges around here will throw them out. I wouldn't say anything if I didn't do it...twice. Steve you rock and I wouldn't dare think I have the stones to argue with you. Keep up the great podcast!
Just going to point out that to anyone saying "I got a ticket in X state and I've never had a problem in Y state after Z years" really proves nothing except you've been lucky so far. Case in point, my father grew up in New York and, at some point just before moving to Michigan, got a speeding ticket. He moved from there to Michigan sometime in the late 60's I think, then moved to California in 1976. Then he gets a notice in California sometime in the late 2000's / early 2010's regarding issues with his licence and insurance issues, to which he promptly follows up. It was that ticket from New York, ~40 years before. I remember that week of him running around, calling people and having to shell out a decently large amount of money to get the entire thing resolved. He too had never had a problem with a speeding ticket he got in another state...until he did ~40 years later. The ostrich strategy just isn't worth the headache.
Some States signing the ticket, simply means that you affirm that you will take care of it. Refusal is saying that you do not plan to take care of it and they arrest you, without bond, until the next court date.
I know this is an older video but I gotta say I like what you do Steve! I need to find an attorney like you here in PA, and here is why... I got pulled over for speeding on my motorcycle. Cop says I was doing 67 in a 55....I state I didn’t feel I was going that fast and when he asks where I’m goin I say I’m just heading to work. He comes back with with a ticket of a “moving violation” instead of for “speeding” and in a acts like I should be so grateful for this “break”....As this ticket wont have points attached to it....I say very little and the whole time he is arrogant and on some little man ego trip.....typical for most cops in this state!! This gets better.....or worse?! I take the ticket and decide to plead “not guilty” and send it to the DM(district magistrate)....I almost always plead not guilty to make them earn my hard earned money!! A couple months and it’s my hearing date. I go to dm and the cop is there...I kinda knew he wold be just by his attitude when he issued the ticket! A few mins pass and he asks who I am and I state my name and why I’m there....He starts to look over some papers he has and goes on another major ego trip, saying why am I fighting this ticket cause he gave me a big “break” and how I should be so great full to him.....AND if I proceed with this already scheduled hearing in front of the DM that he will reverse my ticket from the moving violation back to a speeding ticket!!!! I was total floored and could not believe the despicable attitude of this cop...I didn’t know what to do....The cost of the ticket would still be about the same, about $170 but then I would also have points added to my record..... Is this legal??? He basically threatened me and was gonna go back and change the ticket!! I really need to know the answer to this for future reference.... I did plead guilty and paid the ticket....Mostly for Fear that this crazy cop might try and drum up some other false charge and try to arrest me....yes he was that crazy! This is why no one likes or trusts cops!
In Washington state, if you refuse to sign, they will write you another ticket for refusing to sign. If you refuse to sign that ticket, they arrest you. I've seen it happen. It's all fun and games until the cops show up. Then it turns into a game of hide and seek. :/
I know of an instance several years back where someone from Canada was driving near the Arizona-California border got a ticket for going 4 mph over the speed limit. He asked if could pay his fine to the cop or where he could send his payment. He was told he couldn't just pay the fine and that he had to appear in court at a future date. Obviously, this was way before zoom hearings and the date was far enough into the futute that he would have had to make a return trip.
My last ticket was in downtown Cleveland for running a stop sign. As it turned out, it was a well known trap due to being very easy to miss. (They've since marked the intersection better). I went to court and was unsuccessful in fighting it. I went to the cashier and paid the stated amount in full. 3 months, or so, later I got a notice of bench warrant and pending license suspension for not paying the "remaining balance" of the fine. What??? It was about 35-40 dollars, so I paid it just to prevent a hassle. I never figured out what happened there.
I had some traffic violation stuff 38 years ago in Virginia (with a NJ Driv License) that was never fully resolved. I tried to find the current status a few years ago, to see if I needed to take care of it. I couldn't find any record of it. Seems that luggage did get lost. Love your videos Steve !!
A couple of comments. First you are right, the one to overpay the ticket by a penny doesn't work. I tried and I made a penny donation to some long-forgotten municipality. The second one is how to turn a fix-it ticket into a $700 fine - ignore it. True story. A friend of mine was driving my 1983 escort and got a ticket for a loud muffler. Of course she didn't tell me about if until it was 3 days before I had to have the car fixed. I didn't have time to fix the car so I told her to call the court and they would probably give her additional time. I fixed the car and thought everything was hunkey dorey. She moved to Colorado and a couple of years later she came back to Michigan. She was in a car that got pulled over and she was arrested for not dealing with the ticket. Her fine was $700 which I paid because otherwise she was going to stay in jail and I would have to take care of her 3 kids and her derelict boy friend who were at my house. I paid the money. So the moral of the story tickets rarely go away and they're sort of like negative savings bonds. The cheapest time to deal with a ticket is when you should, they NEVER get cheaper!
This guy is so true, I got a ticket when I was in college in Phoenix Az back in 1992 and ignored it, five years later I moved to Iowa and lived in Iowa till 2013 and never heard anything about it. Then in 2013 I moved to Washington state and had to get a new licence and the ticket showed up and I had to pay the very old ticket.
I had a situation where I was fighting a ticket and the officer didnt show up due to bad weather. I mentioned to the guy sitting beside me that is the officer who wrote my ticket. The guy told me to tell the Justice of the Peace ( Canadian court) when asked if I could come back to say that I am willing if the court required but it would cause undue financial hardship missing work another day. JOP asked and I answered as suggested and ticket was dismissed. I nodded and thanked the guy on the way out of the court.
Steve, years ago, I was almost hit with tar truck(the type for paving roads with hot tar in the trailer of the semi)..When this happened I moved over and "clipped" a small car, and that small car TOOK OFF!!! When the Police Officer arrived 3 people were there as witnesses. The police officer gave me a ticket BUT he told me that because the car took OFF and witnesses vouched for me he wouldn't SHOW UP TO COURT. Terrified (I was 28 yrs old) I asked him to repeat what he said, and the officer did repeat that he wouldn't SHOW UP BECAUSE he believed what happened couldn't have been avoided. Still, for 20 yrs I kept that paper in my purse that stated the ticket was thrown OUT.....(this was in 1982). ********************************************************************** I did laugh....it's amazing what people will believe!
I was living in Upstate NY. about 50 miles south of Montreal in the early 90’s. I was on my way to Albany when I was pulled over going 74 in 65 zone. The ticket was written by a local officer from one of the small towns. I don’t remember the name. I was in college full time had 2 small children and working 30-40 hours a week. I had forgotten about the ticket and the court date. I called the courthouse apologized for not sending the ticket in nor making the court date (which was that day). Explained my current life circumstances and I asked politely how to take care of the ticket. The person I spoke (that answered the phone) told me to send the fine for the ticket ($75) and he said I wouldn’t get any points. It happened to be the judge and said he understood my situation. I sent the money. That ticket never showed up on my driving history.
I once had a great plea deal from a rookie DA's assistant. Police officer wrote down petty misdemeanor for 132mph in a 60. Which is actually a gross misdemeanor, 1 year minimum sentence, reckless driving added on, and automatic license revoked where I live. They gave me a deal to pleas guilty to a 60 in a 55. No idea what the thought process was but I was happy to pay that ticket instead of the 132.
Back in the day when I was young and had a DUI I hired an attorney that was "supposedly the best for DUI's in the area". First offense went on for over 6 months. My attorney kept getting "continuous" filed... finally the prosecutor finally gave up. I got nothing out of it. I'm not saying I did right by drinking and driving but I'd rather pay an attorney (500 bucks at the time) instead of paying the courts, loosing my license, and whatnot. I never stepped into the court... he told me not to show up because "he is me". I was young but have grown up a lot since then and respect the laws.
I want to ad I really find your channel very informative for a layman such as myself. The way you put the information out makes it easy for someone like me to understand...thank you.
I've talked to prosecuters in a couple of states, plead my case to them, had the charge dropped to low enough to keep it from creating points and added insurance charges.
There needs to be a law that prevents the police from doing this. No doubt that cop would get an ear full from me. I would take off a day of work and go to court just to go there and prove a point. I may also call several TV stations till I can find one that will do a story on it. Steve's advice about calling the DA is a good one, they may dismiss it over the phone.
In high school my friend got a ticket for 36 in a 35. Cop said he had zero tolerance for teen drivers and if he had it his way they wouldn't issue licenses to high schoolers.
Thank You for clearing up all these stupid myths! Every time I hear of someone say one of the first three you mention, I want to disembowel them with a wooden spoon. Problem is they always know someone who tried one or the other and got away with it. Hogwash! If it were that easy, everyone would do it. I’m not an attorney but I know better. The best thing you can do which does work is show up to court and ask for a fine reduction. The judge will almost always do it. They are just happy someone is willing to pay because so many others don’t bother.
One day in the mid 80s I was driving to an appointment on the W. side of Chicago, it was a beautiful day early spring light traffic and I was not paying attention. I motorcycle cop pulled me over for speeding, I WAS SPEEDING for no particular reason I was early to my appointment. The cops was polite and aske me if I knew why he stopped me. I said, yes officer I was speeding, he asked me how fast I was going I told him the truth, he asked me WHY I was speeding and I answered that I was NOT PAYING ATTENTION and I was not in a hurry. The cop looked hard at me then smiled, he said “ you have been VERY HONEST about this” handed my license back to me and said “be careful, don’t speed have a nice day”. This was NOT the first time something like this has happened to me in Chicago, the Chicago suburbs however can be very different.. I lived in the Chicagoland area for 33 years and never had a bad experience in the city.
From what I understand about signing tickets, not signing means they have to take you into custody to have you face the citation charges in court ASAP(which can still mean sitting in jail for a week if they're busy). I can't see them charging for disobeying police orders or whatever for refusing to sign. It wouldn't hold up anyway if you were forcefully coerced into signing it.
Funny you mentioned Drivers License Compact. Twenty years ago I was pulled over for speeding in Texas and my home state did not have an agreement with them at the time. I had the option of paying the fine then or waiting until jail the court opened in the morning for the judge to hear my case since. Needless to say I paid it being as I had no plans to spend the night in jail and was guilty as hell anyway.The state trooper followed me down to a convenience store and filled out the paper work in the parking lot while I purchased the money order.
In Florida an officer has seven days from writing a ticket to register it with the clerk of courts or you can move to dismiss it this has worked for me.
So here’s something that concerns me. Years ago, a friend got tail ended at a set of lights, (I think he was waiting on red but turning right, so Should have gone, but that’s not how it works in the UK. A bike cop saw & gave my friend a ticket for what ever. As he regularly has vacations in the US, he paid the ticket. He then got sued by the guy who hit him.... All very iffy, until you know that the right turn Can be done on red, as I understand it. Looking to have a vacation in the states, will do some online Driver’s Ed before I go.....
Steve, I've seen a video here on youtube where someone appeared because they received a ticket on a number of violations and the officer didn't appear for any of the court hearing that had been scheduled. The person arguing with the judge stated that they had appeared several times and that the officer never shows up in court. That's when the judge started asking questions and I think the judge said that it was unacceptable for the officer to show up and that they were considering dismissing the citation/charges.
It happens and can be a possibility. The point I am making is that it is not a sure thing. I've had people tell me they just keep adjourning until the cop misses and then BAM! Case dismissed. Obviously, that's not how it works.
@@stevelehto tell me about it. what gets me is how much everyone seems to become what I refer to as "armchair lawyers". That they think by reading the constitution, the bill of rights and Wikipedia, that they are a professional attorney. The important thing to remember is how you present your case to the judge because he's the final arbiter of what punishment you'll receive. It's always best to consult legal counsel because they actually have expertise in the law, not some guy on the street corner who "thinks" he knows how the law works. It's like people who do these so-called "first amendment audits" or who video record police in public. While it's true that you have a first amendment right to videotape in public, people tend to confuse "public access" with "public property". With recording police officers, it's always best to err on the side of caution, not look for how often you can catch a police officer doing something wrong. It's like the old saying goes, "your right to swing your fists ends where my nose begins." I'm just reminded of that old phrase, it's not healthy to poke a sleeping dragon. I bring these up because the majority of people who look for confrontation often have an ignorance of how the law works and what they are allowed to get away with.
In Massachusetts, you can’t renew your driver’s license if you have an outstanding traffic ticket from another state. My roommate found this out the hard way when she went to renew her license and she was required to pay a years-old speeding ticket she got while driving in New York on business.
I feel like if it costs you time off work and the cop gets paid when he shows up, they would treat that slightly different if the cop doesn’t show up. Because if it costs you $200 to show up and now you have to do it again you’ll lose $400 before you even get a chance to talk about the ticket.
I was a police officer 16 years ago in New Mexico. At that time traffic offenses were misdemeanor crimes and as such a violator was subject to arrest. In lieu of arrest the officer would, at their discretion, allow you to leave the scene with your signed promise to appear. Failing to sign that promise meant the officer had no other option but to arrest you and take you to jail. As for warning citations, there was a separate statute that made failing to sign a warning citation a misdemeanor offense and again left the officer no other option but to arrest you and take you to jail. In short, sign it if you wish to remain free.
In 1987 I bought a car in California and, since I was moving to Pennsylvania decided to wait till I got to Pennsylvania to register it. I got stopped in Oklahoma and ticketed for not having my vehicle registered. I ignored the ticket, registered the car in Pennsylvania, and have never been back to Oklahoma since.
I live in Columbus, Ohio city police don’t really show up for speeding tickets, 3 times I pleaded not guilty and the officer didn’t show up was dismissed, I don’t think they have time to bother with it. The local municipalities police alwAys show in their Mayer’s courts.
I thought my 64 in a 60 was going to be a story but you outdid me. Many years ago that happened. The whole time the cop talked to me i kept saying, 64 in a 60. It was only 50 miles away. I thought about showing up in court, just for the hell of it, just to keep saying 64 in a 60. He then gave me the option of 64 in a 60 or a seat beat violation. This was one of the few times i was actually wearing a seat beat. The fine was 10 dollars.
I got a ticket in Milwaukee. The judge just offered everyone two options. A reduced speed with reduced points plea at ticket amount or a change to a parking ticket with no points, and increased fine. It was a very efficient process. Name, plea, next.
In Texas, a ticket requires a signature but all the signature is is a promise to show up in court. Its says that on the ticket but there is always a stubborn ass that refuses to sign. One thing cops on my area like to use as an excuse to stop drivers late at night is they say they can't read your license plate, even though its not dirty, lights are working and no ball on they bumper. I have never heard of anyone getting a ticket for that but they do use that for an excuse to stop drivers. REcently I got a ticket in the mail for letting a non licensed driver drive my truck. I had this truck that I wasn't using anymore and it needed some work done to make it drivable. I sold it to my grandson and he had the mechanic that he hired to come pick it up. I signed the title and he got a 30 day permit to drive the tuck. He went out and got drunk, hit a guardrail (minor damage) and left the truck there. Now the truck busted a water hose and thats why he pulled over and accidentally hit the guardrail. There were open containers in the cab. Thats against the law in Texas. A wrecker driver saw the truck and called the DPS officer. They towed it. I found out and I had to pick up the truck because the title hadn't been processed yet. When I got to the wrecker yard the lady there called the DPS officer and he showed up. He ask me questions , I paid the impound fee and the mechanic took the truck. A few days later I got a ticket for letting my grandson drive the truck. Long story short, I fought it and won. The judge was a retired DPS officer from when I was a teenager and we were friends back then. I'm 63 now. We have been friends along time. The officer didn't shoe up but the judge ask the question in a way that led me to say the right answer. My grandson on the other hand pleaded guilty for driving the truck. I think he could have beat the ticket because they could not prove he was the one driving the truck, right?
The best Ticket Fax I ever read was "Nokona's Speeding Ticket FAQ". To the point- mainly just be nice to the cops (don't give them a reason to remember the stop) and try an cut a deal before instead of fighting in court (which can piss off the judge like many of these games in your video).
I had many many tickets when I was young, but TWO were ones I didn't deserve at all. Went to Court, and the damn Judge still ruled against me even though the Cops never showed. Corrupt system. It breeds contempt for the system. I was targeted in San Diego because of riding a Motorcycle. I was not a Biker Dude, just a kid.
Steve, I'm watching this in 2022, January. I really love this content style. I'd love to see some new videos like this with personal stories. Oh by the way, nice microphone!
In PA there's a 2 year statute of limitations on traffic citations. If you receive a citation and don't respond to it, and are able to avoid the warrant for 2 years you can walk into court, plead not guilty and walk out scot free. However once you plead guilty, it never goes away.
Back in the 80's before the Internet connected them to the mainland my brother was stationed at Pearl Harbor. He left Hawaii with a ton of points and unpaid tickets and they never showed up on his record back here in the states. They might be one of the 6 states who still don't share your record.
I love that one about not signing the ticket. For whatever reason, people have convinced themselves that signing the ticket is admitting that they were speeding or whatever. Signing the ticket is nothing more than your promise to take care of the ticket whether it be paying the fine or sending it in with a plea of Not Guilty. It's a nonsurety bond. Instead of the cop cuffing and stuffing you, he or she is releasing you on your own recognizance. Refusing to sign the ticket is the same thing as telling the officer that you have no intention of sending it in with a not guilty plea, or paying the fine, or appearing, which in many places is an arestable offense. Most will probably explain it and give you one more chance to sign for the ticket before they yank you out of the car, and then proceed to cuff and stuff you. How possible would it be for them to hold you on no bond or no bail because of your attitude toward signing? Or does such a thing have to be issued via a court order?
Here is some interesting information. In NY, speeding tickets generate revenue for the state. Non moving violations go to the municipality. Contacting the DA for tickets under 20 mph over, are often reduced to a 10-01a (parking on the pavement) and a court fee. In one case I heard of it getting reduced to a ticket for littering as well. I will 100% recommend making that phone call or writing a letter to the DA.
In ohio your required to sign tickets promising to pay or appear. If you don't sign it, they take you to see the judge immediately, so your arrested and wait for court. No extra charge
Hay Steve, love your videos. Look up Hopewell, Va and see whats going on there. About 1.5 miles of route 295 goes through the town. They are out there all the time. My wifengot a ticket many years ago. Attorney had her plead guilty to malfunctioning equipment. Ironically that fine was about 5 times the amount of the speeding ticket. What a racket they have.
I've gotten two tickets dropped cause the cop didn't show. Another was the cop said my registration was out which it wasn't as he couldn't tell since I'm Texas it's on the front window and he was behind me. After he written a ticket for not having proof of insurance on me at the time. I argued since he know that my registration was current after he pulled me over he no longer had probable cause.
In Texas the signature is required on the citation and refusal is arrestable. The legal theory is when cited everything is arrestable and bond is required, the signature acknowledges you were ROR or released on your own recognizance.
Yeah that's what it is anywhere you need to sign. It's not a "crime" not to sign in itself like he said it could be. It's just that it's basically a recognizance bond so if you don't sign they have to arrest you and send you in front of a judge.
My understanding is, that in some states, by signing the ticket you are promising to appear in court to answer the charge(s) (unless you admit responsibility and pay the ticket before the court date). If you don't sign, they can take you to jail until you post bond to guarantee your appearance. They don't need an additional charge. I don't know if it is still this way, but I remember seeing a piece on the local news in Milwaukee years ago, in which a representative for the Milwaukee County Sheriff explained that if a deputy stops someone from out of town for a traffic violation, that person has the option of paying the ticket on the spot, or going to jail. To facilitate the process, the deputies would take credit cards. The Sheriff's Departement is the primary traffic enforcement agency on the freeways in Milwaukee County, so they write a lot of traffic tickets.
I got a ticket for going one mile over and i was behind a school bus at the time - I fought the ticket and the judge wouldn't dismiss but reduced my fine to $10. Then he had a talk with the officer........
The cop no show dismissal worked for me. I had requested a continuance to consult legal advice. Upon the next court date the officer was not present due to a family medical emergency. My case was dismissed. Although the next guy who had a DUI with the same officer was not dismissed. This was in the infamous New Rome Ohio speed trap.
I found this on line regarding the Interstate Drivers License Compact: Only five states - Wisconsin, Tennessee, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Michigan - are not part of the IDLC. The other 45 states have agreed to notify one another when a driver is arrested or convicted of DUI / DWI.
+craig girolami craiggirolami And even the states that aren't part of the compact will share the information also. I know because I have seen it happen to clients who got tickets in other states - and they showed up on the MICH driver's license abstract.
Here in Oz our traffic violations are generally on the spot fine. You get the ticket and you pay the fine done. Of course if you didn't do it you can go to court.
I got a ticket in FLA , which was non reciprocal which I tore up. I got a letter saying my driving rights there were suspended. I wasn't going back ever, so fine. 7 years later I got a letter saying because I had done what was required my rights were restored. Past the statute of limitations, I would think.
That thing about other paying was in fact the rule for a few months years a go in the UK, then they changed the rule. The thing is all it did was extend you time.
11:05 the guy who used to cut my hair (back in Maryland) had gotten a speeding ticket in California when he was like 25... and forgot to pay it. They put out a warrant for his arrest (since he also didn't show up for the court date) so he could never drive in California again. He was always nervous whenever he'd travel to the west coast, that he'd have ANY run-in with the police and they'd arrest him :)
I’m a cop in a Compact state. What happens if someone from a non-compact state gets a ticket in a compact state and they don’t take care of it, is that their driving privileges in the compact state are suspended. So when I stop them, their driving status in the licensing state shows valid, but then it will also show that they are suspended in the compact state. So then we charge them without driving with privileges in our state. So if you are licensed in a non-compact state you are only good there.
I was in the Navy (Circa 1992) and got pulled over near a now closed down Naval Air Station in Illinois. I had recently transferred from Ca. and still had my Ca. DL. The officer approached my window, asked for the DL, Insurance, and reg. I handed them over, and he walked away. He came back a few minutes later and was mad. Like fuming, ready to blow a gasket mad. "You'll have to follow me back to the station, California won't let me take your license." Take my license I asked?! Why would you take my license?! Evidently Illinois ha/still has a problem with people not showing for court or paying their tickets. Their solution? They take your DL, and you drive on the ticket. You get your DL back when you 1) pay the fine, or 2) show up in court and pay the fine. LOL! If you don't show, they suspend your DL! Well he got an emergency call so I didn't get the ticket, but I will NEVER forget how mad he was that he couldn't inconvenience me and take my DL.
Just wanted to say I appreciate your delivery. Your 7 minute videos would take 30 minutes if you were from my hometown in southern U.S. Keep up the great work!
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I got pulled over for speeding once in rural Wyoming years ago. The cop had me lock up my car and get in his car. He then drove me about 10 - 15 miles to the judge's ranch house. It was early on a Saturday morning and the judge came to the door in his bathrobe. He had us come into the kitchen where his wife was fixing breakfast. She asked us if we had breakfast yet. We both said "no" so she fixed us all waffles. While the 3 of us were having breakfast the judge asked about the charge, the cop told him, the judge asked me if I was speeding, and I told him yes your honor. He fined me $25 for doing 75 in a 65. I paid him and we spent the rest of breakfast talking about trout fishing. After breakfast we said "good bye" and the cop gave me a ride back to my car. That's the most fun I've ever had getting a ticket,
@Preston Newcomb At least he got breakfast, most of the time you just get a hard time from a traffic ticket.
Great story!
Lucky Baldwin---Now I know why you call yourself that.
That judge will get himself fired for not doing stuff in court.
I got pulled over in Wyoming for the same thing! The cop said he could take $25 for the fine and there would be no copy sent to my insurance company. I jumped on that and paid him, but now I’m mad, I didn’t get a free breakfast!
When I was a teenager I was written a ticket in Gladstone , Missouri for doing 46 in a 45! It wasn’t required but I went to court and the Judge was more upset about it than I was. He ultimately dismissed the ticket and rather forwardly suggested the officer apologize to me.
I was driving through Raymond, WA about 30 years ago at a time I was paranoid about small town cops. I carefully watched every single speed limit (and obeyed them carefully) as I passed through and at the edge of town the limit was 45 and I was rock steady at 45. I pass a Raymond cop going the other way and he makes a u-turn and pulls me over. He said I was doing 56. I proceeded to tell him that I was doing a rock steady 45 and recited every single speed zone in town with phrases like "And just before the railroad overpass it dropped from 35 to 25...", etc.
He gave me a verbal warning and left.
A couple years ago, after a large snowfall, our townhouse complex all had to have the roofs cleared of snow. A lot of that snow ended up in the parking stalls, and by the time everyone got home from work, that snow solidified into something more akin to ice. Suffice to say, everyone parked on the street that night. Now, the street was private property, owned by the condo association that governed our townhouses. It was a fire lane, all of it. So the next morning, a bylaw officer came through, and started writing tickets to everyone parked on the street. We figure the condo association called and had the person come out to do it, since it isn't a public road. The officer wrote a lot of tickets, and of course I was really annoyed, bordering on pissed off at this point.
But a ticket is a ticket, and truth be told, I didn't want to fight it in court, as technically... I was still in the wrong. So I waited until the last day before the ticket ups the amount ( pay by a certain date and pay less deal), and when I handed the ticket to the person at the desk, they gave it back and said it was invalid and I didn't have to pay it. Turns out the bylaw officer also thought it was BS to come and ticket everyone because our parking stalls where full of ice. He didn't fill in the date on any of the tickets. Which caused the system to automatically invalidate them. Didn't have to go to court or anything, just a trip to city hall to be told they where no good. Good deal if you ask me.
gerble36 , absolutely! When I read "I was still in the wrong," I couldn't believe it. Those stalls are assigned to the tenants, it is the property owners responsibility to clear the roofs, either the company hired was incompetent or the landlord failed to post them to remove the ice properly denying the tenants to ability to park, each apartment is assigned parking. What does your lease stipulate?
I had a sport bike in Texas. One morning I was running late for work and decided to make up some time. I was caught doing 115 mph in a 55 mph by a cop with a radar gun besides the road. I saw the cop, braked hard to pull up next to him while he was getting in his car to chase. He was pretty surprised I did not try to out run him. He asked ME what he should write the ticket for. I had no answer. I was flabbergasted. He suggest 80 mph in a 55 mph. This kept him from taking me in for reckless driving. Court date came around and the cop didn't show. Case dismissed. I was lucky twice.
yea lucky big time .... not hitting anything at 115 mph
The cop was out bike shopping.
Holy shit dude. Glad you're still alive! Slow down. Lol
Seeing that cop may have saved your life possibly someone else's too.
My husband was an insurance attorney. A local cop in suburban Columbus Ohio wrote our son two tickets in our subdivision, both for stop sign violations. Upon doing a little research he found that Ohio law requires traffic control devices, including stop signs, to be posted a specific distance off the ground. The law also says that if they are not properly posted, they are unenforceable. Then the officer also wrote the wrong intersection for the second stop sign ticket. My husband went in front of the juvenile magistrate at trial and introduced photographs of the nonexistent stop sign intersection, and the first ticket was dismissed. Then he introduced photographs of the stop sign with a tape measure next to it, along with a copy of a case from that particular appellate district which clearly stated that improperly posted traffic devices are not enforceable. The prosecutor was blindsided, but the judge had no choice but to dismiss the second ticket.Of course, knowing our son, as soon as the second one was dismissed, he broke out in a wide grin, at which point the magistrate turned beet red and screamed “ get out of my court room !”
Yep, in Louisiana a ticket is an arrest with release on your own recognizance. You don’t sign we have no other choice but to do a traditional arrest.
I’m an OTR truck driver by trade. I am constantly traveling in different states, and am under constant scrutiny of the DOT officers in each of those different jurisdictions. States love to generate revenue by ticketing truck drivers. I think they do so with the idea that the individual will not return to dispute the ticket, and simply just pay the fine. I have had quite a few citations over the last 15 years in several different states. A couple I was guilty of, and took responsibility for, the rest I questioned. I learned early on that the right to remain silent is such a blessing! I’m not afraid to use it.
I simply can’t afford to pay an attorney full price to represent me throughout an entire judicial process. I love to ask a lot of pointed and direct questions to an officer in a courtroom anyway, especially when I know that I am innocent. I’ve made a couple officers look like a possum’s pecker in a courtroom. I once even had a judge compliment me, and encourage me to pursue law school.
I have had to defend myself in a bench trial twice. Both times, I was successful. And, both times the prosecutor got reprimanded by the judge for not dismissing those cases before it got that far.
Whenever I am cited for something that I believe is frivolous, what I will do.. is I will find a reputable traffic ticket attorney (preferably one who is familiar with federal DOT standards that apply to us CDL holders) in that particular state, and I will call them. I will offer to pay them for their time and advice. I will explain what happened, and ask them for advice in building a valid defense, question, and argument strategy for myself. I will ask them to educate me, on the statutes and case law that could apply to my case, or at least point me in the right direction to research and educate myself. Often, I find that they are more than willing to accommodate this especially since I do compensate them accordingly for their time. One attorney down in New Mexico was even kind enough to create a login password and profile for me on his law library software platform, so I could access that information remotely.
I will then contact the court clerk in that judicial district or county. Often times they will provide me an email address for the prosecutor assigned to that case. Sometimes the prosecutor is willing to correspond and negotiate with me before court, sometimes not. I have gotten a few frivolous tickets dismissed by the prosecutor even before my first scheduled court appearance. The honest ones have even told me: “Mr. Frew, I am dismissing this. I don’t even know why you were cited in the first place. This ticket is ridiculous!” Etc.
I make sure to keep all of that correspondence on an email platform. I never delete any of those emails for any reason.
If the prosecutor is unwilling to negotiate or communicate with me, then I obviously have show up for court. It’s generally not a problem for me as a truck driver to book myself a load that goes to, or through that general area again. The biggest challenge I have encountered when making a court appearance was finding somewhere close to the courthouse to legally park a big truck at that time of the day. Lololol.
I’ve had good luck with this strategy. I often think should have went to law school.
I love your stories, and have learned a lot from you! Thank you!
You should do a storytime blog/vlog.
As a cop in a different state, I have the following observations
1) The courts do not ask or care about my schedule. If I have something planned ahead (training, etc) I have to let them know ahead of time. Minor tickets were often thrown out if I was not there, but missing court routinely was a no-no. Plus, overtime is nice. Some weeks I would have to get up every morning for one case per day... while working night shift. Great way to be extremely sleep deprived.
2) Yup, when someone refused to sign a ticket they were basically asking me to arrest them. Didn't always do it, but the same people who did that usually had acted in such a manner that I was happy to oblige and take them into physical custody. Usually drunk pedestrians caught jaywalking like idiots. Also earned them another traffic ticket for failing to sign.
3) Be nice to people. The prosecutors didn't give you a ticket. The judge didn't either. And court clerks can help you out in all sorts of ways... if you're not a jerk.
30 years in law enforcement here in PA. I agree with you about not showing up for a hearing (here the officer is the 'prosecutor' for summary traffic tickets). In PA, if the officer is a no-show, the case gets tossed. If the officer has training or on vacation, etc, he/she must give several days notice to the court to get a continuance.
Thank you for sharing Sir. And thank you for the job you do!
john smith , how is it legal for an officer to be a witness and a persecutor?
Question for you- what is the thought among law enforcement these days with how the public mistrusts and fears law enforcement rather than respect and appreciate them ?
@@christinagomez5079 The officer is mainly a witness but also has to make sure all his paperwork is accurate and establishes the facts in the case as to when and where the violation occurred. Crimes usually go to criminal court and if someone pleads not guilty a prosecutor is assigned. I believe he is probably talking about traffic violations.
I got pulled over for speeding in a school zone, on a Saturday. When I pointed out that it was Saturday the cop flinched and said he was letting we off with a warning. I think he forgot what day it was.
As far as negotiating remotely, I once got a traffic violation dismissed by mail, sometime way back in the early 1980´s (back before email existed, when dinosaurs still roamed the Earth). I was in San Diego (with Arizona plates) when my left headlight blew out. I made the next left turn a half block later, and only made it another half block further before I was pulled over and ticketed, literally in the space of a city block. The headlight was probably still hot, but I didn´t think to ask the officer to check, for whatever good that would have done.
I wrote the court a polite letter, explaining the circumstances and complimenting the SDPD on their efficiency as well as the courteousness of their police officers, both of which happened to be true. The judge returned my letter marked ¨dismissed in the interest of justice¨, all by snail mail. I wish now I had framed it.
Pay your out of state tickets..
Early 2000s I lived in GA and got speeding ticket in NC. I never paid it, about a year later I got a letter from the state of NC telling my license is suspend in the state of NC. I laughed it off at the time because I had no plans in going back to NC.
Many years later... my car insurance got wind of my license was suspended in NC, canceled my policy. Due to not having insurance my GA license then gets suspend.
It was a NIGHTMARE to resolve and took months to get all taken care of... PAY the ticket.. just do it..
Many years ago the states did not cooperate much regarding such matters. Now the are all in communication with each other.
I got a speeding ticket in Pa. in 1970. I was Licensed in Ohio and was in the Army and had orders for Germany. I didn't pay the ticket and when I returned 3 years later I was stationed at Ft. Rucker Alabama for flight school. I spent 22 years in the army and have been through Pa. many times but never stopped. I never heard anything from Pa.
I didnt pay an NC seat belt once. Didnt affect me until I tried to get a commercial license. It was a real joke trying to pay it.
Got a photo radar ticket from MD in Dec 2018 for an alleged speeding infraction from Sep of that year. Still ignoring it, although $40, and now 2019 is more than half over. Reason ignored: no Due Process, NO proof I was driving vehicle at the time, privatized company processing ticket, even wrong name on ticket (not even close). My LP recently renewed with no problems and my DL record is still clean as a “hound’s tooth.” SUCK AIR, MD!
The ticket you obtained in NC was written against your DL, right? If so, your DL number is linked to your name, SSAN and DOB. And, correct me if I’m wrong, it was issued by a living, breathing law enforcement officer, right? Someone who could testify against you? Of course, the info of the infraction would be available to your insurance company. Surely, though, a photo ticket against an out-of-state LP isn’t linked to a particular DL. Therefore, “civil infractions” against a registered owner doesn’t fall under the same thing. My state only suspends DL’s for not showing up in court for a moving violation, failure to pay child support, both CRIMINAL offenses; not for parking tickets and civil infractions.
Years ago I knew an officer who's dad was the sheriff in some small back hills county. He pulls over a speeder and give the speeder an option of paying the ticket right there, or going up in front of the judge right then. He would escort the violator to the courthouse. The driver said okay let's go see the judge. The sheriff says "Just to let you know the judge is on vacation and the acting judge will have the handle your case. " The driver said it was okay. The Sheriff said "Just to also let you know the acting judge here in this county is the county sheriff." The driver decided to pay the ticket.
I wouldn’t advise signing for a package at the door unless you know what it is for sure. If it happens to be contraband or it is illegal you are now in ownership of the item and can be charged for its possession.
In 1992 I was required to post $67.50 for a ticket (that was eventually dismissed). After court I was instructed to go to the clerk to get my money refunded. When I talked to the clerk she said excitedly "You're the one!!". As it turned out I didn't realize there wasn't 50 cents and because of their accounting methods she had to manually write the 50 cents into every county financial report for the several months the case was open.
Steve: True story, I've been driving a semi long haul for 25 years now. In 2016 I was driving through NY and got pulled over for a burned out headlight. After giving the officer my documents, I told him I had a spare bulb and I would replace it while he was doing his thing. After several minutes he came back while I was just finishing up my bulb switch. He told me that his system showed that I had an unpaid ticket "of some sort" from 18 years ago. I simply have no memory of the ticket. He said all he had was the name of the town in NY (that neither of us had heard of). He was very forgiving and let me go if I promised to take care of it on Monday. I joked with him and said boy, they hold a grudge! He laughed. I made some phone calls on Monday. The ticket was for $50 which I paid over the phone. I still do not remember it at all, but couldn't fight that. I was surprised that it never showed up when I was renewing my license some 4 times and even moved from WI to IL!
Steve, I enjoy your channel and applaud your efforts at informing the public on consumer protection. Thank you.
Many years ago when I was delivering for UPS I had a package addressed to the district court clerk. It was a small but very heavy package. I walk into the office, set the parcel on the counter and asked for a signature. Well here come the bailiff who proceeds to open the package as the clerk asks who it is from. Well it turns out it is from a rental business in another city. By now the bailiff has the package open and finds a bag full of loose pennies and a note saying as you would not accept my company check for $50.00 I am paying in cold hard cash. The clerk states she is not going to accept the package. To late I state it has been opened so you have to accept the delivery. Needless to say she was not pleased.
I had heard that pennies are not legal currency if over 37 are used at one time. If so, the clerk could have accepted 37 of the pennies, held the rest for the accused, and forwarded a Fail To Pay warrant, couldn't she? Wikkipedia says this:
United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes and dues. Foreign gold or silver coins are not legal tender for debts.
- 31 U.S.C. § 5103
Contrary to common misconception,[38] there is no federal law stating that a private business, a person, or a government organization must accept currency or coins for payment. Private businesses are free to create their own policies on whether they accept cash, unless there is a specific state law which says otherwise. For example, a bus line may prohibit payment of fares in cents or dollar bills. In addition, movie theaters, convenience stores, and gas stations may refuse to accept large denomination currency as a matter of policy or safety.[3][4]
The principal purpose of that statute is to ensure the nationwide acceptance of U.S. currency, consistent with constitutional language that reserves to Congress the power to create a uniform currency that holds the same value throughout the United States. While the statute provides that U.S. money is legal tender that may be accepted for the payment of debts, it does not require acceptance of cash payments, nor does it provide that restrictions cannot be imposed upon the acceptance of cash.[39]
@@mariahbrewer9590 US treasury web site says almost the same thing except for the government part
@@mariahbrewer9590 Federal have ruled that clerks DO NOT have to accept coins, feces covered bills, etc. They have a right to receive payment in the form they deem best. Just like a store would. If you asked for a refund from a store for say $200 dollars would YOU accept pennies? Or how about 400 50 cent gift cards for McDonalds only good in Russia? Nope.
I got a ticket in NV in the late 80's for doing 110 eastbound on I-80. I was 19, and my whole family was on a long road trip and it was my turn to drive.
I got a long lecture from the trooper -- NOT about speeding, but explaining how NV had been trying to fight the 55mph speed limit for years and how if I had just slowed down under 90 when passing through towns along the way, he would have let me go.
No points. Not a moving violation. A $15 ticket for "wasting a natural resource". For 110 in a 55. My mother made my dad pay it, since he was in the passenger seat and knew how fast I was going.
Nota bene: A 1987 Mazda 626, and it handled 110mph like a breeze. That was a great car.
Steve, it's been 5 years but I love your mic collection. Simpler than all the signage you have now as well.
his "set" has certainly evolved over the years
I live in Tennessee and around 2003 I got a ticket in Louisiana. I mailed them a check and they mailed it back and wanted a cashiers check. After hearing your video I'm glad I went and got a cashiers check. I almost didn't pay it.
I went to court 5 times in Lakewood NJ and the cop never showed up when I was 18 .The judge refused to dismiss the case and made me do community service for three months . If it happened to me today he would never get away with that bs .
Twenty years ago, I hired a lawyer and drove 6 hours to UP michigan to fight a scam ticket and compensated a witness to go up as well. I get to the court house to have my day in court, and they told me the cop was not available and the case would be continued. I was able to talk to the prosecutor and they were willing to settle the case and dismiss the ticket, but you are right that it won't work. In Illinois, they specifically assign court dates based on all the other traffic tickets a cop has each month or period, so you can be sure the cop will show up.
I've never had a moving violation. Motorcycle since 1989. It's just not something I do. BUT...some of these myths are hilarious! It's good to know the truth, and I loved the laugh. Thanks, Steve!
I like how lawyers always take pictures in front of law books. Lehto took it to a whole new level by taking a video in front of a bunch of mic's to let you know he's serious about podcasting
I was a cop in Alabama and signing the ticket is basically your bond, your just signing. If you refuse you are arrested for whatever the ticket was so say speeding. You now have to bond out with a cash bond or through a bondsman.
I always wondered, interstate compacts are specifically prohibited by the federal constitution. How are the driver license compacts allowed?
Several decades ago we drove from Michigan to Texas. While going through one of the Southern States, we were pulled over for speeding. The ticket was for doing 71 in a 70 - and this was before RADAR guns. We were required to go straight to court to pay the $20 fine, which was a huge amount at the time.
Actually, I have twice shown up for a traffic ticket and had it thrown out because the officer wasn't there. After that, there was one time I showed up for court in N.C., the prosecutor took me aside, and told me to plead guilty to this charge (It was 20 over, so I was subject to suspension, I was hoping to get the judge to knock it down...) or he would not call the case before the judge, and that would show up as non-compliance over at the DMV, and my license would be suspended forever. Well, I refused, thinking that I was going to have my day in court, and sure enough, he didn't call my case. I waited till the end of the docket, and flagged the judge before he left the court. He told me he knew what I was going to say, but said there was nothing he could do until the case was called before him. That was the end of that.
Later I found out that the officer involved had left the force under less than ideal circumstances, and was not going to be showing up. Rather than let me off, the prosecutor suspended my license forever. That was almost 30 years ago, and as far as I know, it is still suspended in N.C.
At that point, I left N.C., and the US, and emigrated to Canada.
Steve, I lived in Indianapolis 20 years ago. I had the exact situation with the "no show" cop. Sat through all the other speeding tickets that morning. Finally there were about a half dozen of us left. Judge called every one, said basically "no cop, no case" and slammed his gavel down and said "have a nice day" , which we did! You could have knocked me over with a feather!
Cop pulls me over when I was young. I get out in snow at 1 am. Just left work. He asked me why he pulled me over. I didn’t know, and silly me said “I guess I was going a bit fast.” (Probably 3 to 5 miles over) He looked startled. He eventually said “ Not only that , you ran a stop sign “ He decided to just let me go.
I was a little surprised by the signing for a package analogy- my father told me about case here where someone connected to the police department sent drugs to an individual to try to get them into trouble. I believe the woman’s lawyer advised her not to touch the package and leave it outside, where the delivery person had left it.
Michigan is notorious among truckers for writing tickets for one or two mph over. The speed limit on I-75 used to be 60 until recently. Most company trucks are goverened at 62.
Texas Rangers had to shut down the Kendleton TX police department for corrupt traffic stops. When I drove down hwy 59 , I always went 5 under.
I got a ticket once for parking in London. I requested the CCTV recording, which showed me in a loading bay with a 20 minute limit unloading some heavy luggage. I contested it by mail and won. It would have been the first break in my record. I got my license in 74 and have never had a violation.
As I understand it, the states that require you to sign the ticket do that because your signature is your bail -- you promise to either pay the ticket or show up in court. If you don't sign it, it's not a crime, per se, but the traffic offense is a crime and they'll arrest you on that until you arrange bail (which will still be your signature promising to show up in court).
Most of the time adjourning is to make them fighting for their ticket if you're going down anyway. It can make the cop no show. Most judges around here will throw them out. I wouldn't say anything if I didn't do it...twice.
Steve you rock and I wouldn't dare think I have the stones to argue with you. Keep up the great podcast!
Just going to point out that to anyone saying "I got a ticket in X state and I've never had a problem in Y state after Z years" really proves nothing except you've been lucky so far. Case in point, my father grew up in New York and, at some point just before moving to Michigan, got a speeding ticket. He moved from there to Michigan sometime in the late 60's I think, then moved to California in 1976.
Then he gets a notice in California sometime in the late 2000's / early 2010's regarding issues with his licence and insurance issues, to which he promptly follows up. It was that ticket from New York, ~40 years before. I remember that week of him running around, calling people and having to shell out a decently large amount of money to get the entire thing resolved.
He too had never had a problem with a speeding ticket he got in another state...until he did ~40 years later. The ostrich strategy just isn't worth the headache.
Some States signing the ticket, simply means that you affirm that you will take care of it. Refusal is saying that you do not plan to take care of it and they arrest you, without bond, until the next court date.
I know this is an older video but I gotta say I like what you do Steve! I need to find an attorney like you here in PA, and here is why...
I got pulled over for speeding on my motorcycle. Cop says I was doing 67 in a 55....I state I didn’t feel I was going that fast and when he asks where I’m goin I say I’m just heading to work. He comes back with with a ticket of a “moving violation” instead of for “speeding” and in a acts like I should be so grateful for this “break”....As this ticket wont have points attached to it....I say very little and the whole time he is arrogant and on some little man ego trip.....typical for most cops in this state!! This gets better.....or worse?!
I take the ticket and decide to plead “not guilty” and send it to the DM(district magistrate)....I almost always plead not guilty to make them earn my hard earned money!! A couple months and it’s my hearing date. I go to dm and the cop is there...I kinda knew he wold be just by his attitude when he issued the ticket! A few mins pass and he asks who I am and I state my name and why I’m there....He starts to look over some papers he has and goes on another major ego trip, saying why am I fighting this ticket cause he gave me a big “break” and how I should be so great full to him.....AND if I proceed with this already scheduled hearing in front of the DM that he will reverse my ticket from the moving violation back to a speeding ticket!!!! I was total floored and could not believe the despicable attitude of this cop...I didn’t know what to do....The cost of the ticket would still be about the same, about $170 but then I would also have points added to my record.....
Is this legal??? He basically threatened me and was gonna go back and change the ticket!! I really need to know the answer to this for future reference....
I did plead guilty and paid the ticket....Mostly for Fear that this crazy cop might try and drum up some other false charge and try to arrest me....yes he was that crazy! This is why no one likes or trusts cops!
In Washington state, if you refuse to sign, they will write you another ticket for refusing to sign. If you refuse to sign that ticket, they arrest you. I've seen it happen.
It's all fun and games until the cops show up. Then it turns into a game of hide and seek. :/
I know of an instance several years back where someone from Canada was driving near the Arizona-California border got a ticket for going 4 mph over the speed limit. He asked if could pay his fine to the cop or where he could send his payment. He was told he couldn't just pay the fine and that he had to appear in court at a future date. Obviously, this was way before zoom hearings and the date was far enough into the futute that he would have had to make a return trip.
My last ticket was in downtown Cleveland for running a stop sign. As it turned out, it was a well known trap due to being very easy to miss. (They've since marked the intersection better).
I went to court and was unsuccessful in fighting it. I went to the cashier and paid the stated amount in full.
3 months, or so, later I got a notice of bench warrant and pending license suspension for not paying the "remaining balance" of the fine. What???
It was about 35-40 dollars, so I paid it just to prevent a hassle. I never figured out what happened there.
I had some traffic violation stuff 38 years ago in Virginia (with a NJ Driv License) that was never fully resolved.
I tried to find the current status a few years ago, to see if I needed to take care of it.
I couldn't find any record of it.
Seems that luggage did get lost.
Love your videos Steve !!
You'll find it creeping back up at the worst possible time.
A couple of comments. First you are right, the one to overpay the ticket by a penny doesn't work. I tried and I made a penny donation to some long-forgotten municipality. The second one is how to turn a fix-it ticket into a $700 fine - ignore it. True story. A friend of mine was driving my 1983 escort and got a ticket for a loud muffler. Of course she didn't tell me about if until it was 3 days before I had to have the car fixed. I didn't have time to fix the car so I told her to call the court and they would probably give her additional time. I fixed the car and thought everything was hunkey dorey. She moved to Colorado and a couple of years later she came back to Michigan. She was in a car that got pulled over and she was arrested for not dealing with the ticket. Her fine was $700 which I paid because otherwise she was going to stay in jail and I would have to take care of her 3 kids and her derelict boy friend who were at my house. I paid the money. So the moral of the story tickets rarely go away and they're sort of like negative savings bonds. The cheapest time to deal with a ticket is when you should, they NEVER get cheaper!
I got a ticket in the 1990s in TX (97 in a 60 or 65) and didn’t pay, MO suspended my license
All of my recent tickets have been 3-5km over.
They lowered the error tolerance to just 2km ages back.
This guy is so true, I got a ticket when I was in college in Phoenix Az back in 1992 and ignored it, five years later I moved to Iowa and lived in Iowa till 2013 and never heard anything about it. Then in 2013 I moved to Washington state and had to get a new licence and the ticket showed up and I had to pay the very old ticket.
I had a situation where I was fighting a ticket and the officer didnt show up due to bad weather.
I mentioned to the guy sitting beside me that is the officer who wrote my ticket. The guy told me to tell the Justice of the Peace ( Canadian court) when asked if I could come back to say that I am willing if the court required but it would cause undue financial hardship missing work another day.
JOP asked and I answered as suggested and ticket was dismissed.
I nodded and thanked the guy on the way out of the court.
Steve, years ago, I was almost hit with tar truck(the type for paving roads with hot tar in the trailer of the semi)..When this happened I moved over and "clipped" a small car, and that small car TOOK OFF!!! When the Police Officer arrived 3 people were there as witnesses. The police officer gave me a ticket BUT he told me that because the car took OFF and witnesses vouched for me he wouldn't SHOW UP TO COURT. Terrified (I was 28 yrs old) I asked him to repeat what he said, and the officer did repeat that he wouldn't SHOW UP BECAUSE he believed what happened couldn't have been avoided.
Still, for 20 yrs I kept that paper in my purse that stated the ticket was thrown OUT.....(this was in 1982).
**********************************************************************
I did laugh....it's amazing what people will believe!
I was living in Upstate NY. about 50 miles south of Montreal in the early 90’s. I was on my way to Albany when I was pulled over going 74 in 65 zone. The ticket was written by a local officer from one of the small towns. I don’t remember the name. I was in college full time had 2 small children and working 30-40 hours a week. I had forgotten about the ticket and the court date. I called the courthouse apologized for not sending the ticket in nor making the court date (which was that day). Explained my current life circumstances and I asked politely how to take care of the ticket. The person I spoke (that answered the phone) told me to send the fine for the ticket ($75) and he said I wouldn’t get any points. It happened to be the judge and said he understood my situation. I sent the money. That ticket never showed up on my driving history.
I once had a great plea deal from a rookie DA's assistant. Police officer wrote down petty misdemeanor for 132mph in a 60. Which is actually a gross misdemeanor, 1 year minimum sentence, reckless driving added on, and automatic license revoked where I live.
They gave me a deal to pleas guilty to a 60 in a 55. No idea what the thought process was but I was happy to pay that ticket instead of the 132.
Back in the day when I was young and had a DUI I hired an attorney that was "supposedly the best for DUI's in the area". First offense went on for over 6 months. My attorney kept getting "continuous" filed... finally the prosecutor finally gave up. I got nothing out of it. I'm not saying I did right by drinking and driving but I'd rather pay an attorney (500 bucks at the time) instead of paying the courts, loosing my license, and whatnot. I never stepped into the court... he told me not to show up because "he is me". I was young but have grown up a lot since then and respect the laws.
Wisconsin is not a DL compact state, but Minnesota held up my license renewal because of an unpaid ticket.
I want to ad I really find your channel very informative for a layman such as myself. The way you put the information out makes it easy for someone like me to understand...thank you.
I've talked to prosecuters in a couple of states, plead my case to them, had the charge dropped to low enough to keep it from creating points and added insurance charges.
I got a ticket in Golden Meadow Louisiana for doing 31 in a 30. And another ticket in a town in Vinton, Texas for doing 57 in a 55.
Vinton is actually in LA; going west on I-10 you encounter Vidor, TX.
There needs to be a law that prevents the police from doing this. No doubt that cop would get an ear full from me. I would take off a day of work and go to court just to go there and prove a point. I may also call several TV stations till I can find one that will do a story on it. Steve's advice about calling the DA is a good one, they may dismiss it over the phone.
In high school my friend got a ticket for 36 in a 35. Cop said he had zero tolerance for teen drivers and if he had it his way they wouldn't issue licenses to high schoolers.
Golden Meadow and New Llano in Vernon Parish are notorious for speeding tickets.
My parking ticket years ago identified my blue chevette as a grey station wagon. That was insufficient to void the ticket
Thank You for clearing up all these stupid myths! Every time I hear of someone say one of the first three you mention, I want to disembowel them with a wooden spoon. Problem is they always know someone who tried one or the other and got away with it. Hogwash!
If it were that easy, everyone would do it. I’m not an attorney but I know better. The best thing you can do which does work is show up to court and ask for a fine reduction. The judge will almost always do it. They are just happy someone is willing to pay because so many others don’t bother.
the judge is a 'fellow loyer' so if you are paying a 'fellow loyer' to represent you, magic happens
One day in the mid 80s I was driving to an appointment on the W. side of Chicago, it was a beautiful day early spring light traffic and I was not paying attention.
I motorcycle cop pulled me over for speeding, I WAS SPEEDING for no particular reason I was early to my appointment. The cops was polite and aske me if I knew why he stopped me. I said, yes officer I was speeding, he asked me how fast I was going I told him the truth, he asked me WHY I was speeding and I answered that I was NOT PAYING ATTENTION and I was not in a hurry.
The cop looked hard at me then smiled, he said “ you have been VERY HONEST about this” handed my license back to me and said “be careful, don’t speed have a nice day”.
This was NOT the first time something like this has happened to me in Chicago, the Chicago suburbs however can be very different..
I lived in the Chicagoland area for 33 years and never had a bad experience in the city.
From what I understand about signing tickets, not signing means they have to take you into custody to have you face the citation charges in court ASAP(which can still mean sitting in jail for a week if they're busy).
I can't see them charging for disobeying police orders or whatever for refusing to sign. It wouldn't hold up anyway if you were forcefully coerced into signing it.
Funny you mentioned Drivers License Compact. Twenty years ago I was pulled over for speeding in Texas and my home state did not have an agreement with them at the time. I had the option of paying the fine then or waiting until jail the court opened in the morning for the judge to hear my case since. Needless to say I paid it being as I had no plans to spend the night in jail and was guilty as hell anyway.The state trooper followed me down to a convenience store and filled out the paper work in the parking lot while I purchased the money order.
In Florida an officer has seven days from writing a ticket to register it with the clerk of courts or you can move to dismiss it this has worked for me.
So here’s something that concerns me.
Years ago, a friend got tail ended at a set of lights, (I think he was waiting on red but turning right, so Should have gone, but that’s not how it works in the UK. A bike cop saw & gave my friend a ticket for what ever. As he regularly has vacations in the US, he paid the ticket. He then got sued by the guy who hit him....
All very iffy, until you know that the right turn Can be done on red, as I understand it.
Looking to have a vacation in the states, will do some online Driver’s Ed before I go.....
Steve, I've seen a video here on youtube where someone appeared because they received a ticket on a number of violations and the officer didn't appear for any of the court hearing that had been scheduled. The person arguing with the judge stated that they had appeared several times and that the officer never shows up in court. That's when the judge started asking questions and I think the judge said that it was unacceptable for the officer to show up and that they were considering dismissing the citation/charges.
It happens and can be a possibility. The point I am making is that it is not a sure thing. I've had people tell me they just keep adjourning until the cop misses and then BAM! Case dismissed. Obviously, that's not how it works.
@@stevelehto tell me about it. what gets me is how much everyone seems to become what I refer to as "armchair lawyers". That they think by reading the constitution, the bill of rights and Wikipedia, that they are a professional attorney. The important thing to remember is how you present your case to the judge because he's the final arbiter of what punishment you'll receive. It's always best to consult legal counsel because they actually have expertise in the law, not some guy on the street corner who "thinks" he knows how the law works.
It's like people who do these so-called "first amendment audits" or who video record police in public. While it's true that you have a first amendment right to videotape in public, people tend to confuse "public access" with "public property". With recording police officers, it's always best to err on the side of caution, not look for how often you can catch a police officer doing something wrong.
It's like the old saying goes, "your right to swing your fists ends where my nose begins." I'm just reminded of that old phrase, it's not healthy to poke a sleeping dragon. I bring these up because the majority of people who look for confrontation often have an ignorance of how the law works and what they are allowed to get away with.
In Massachusetts, you can’t renew your driver’s license if you have an outstanding traffic ticket from another state. My roommate found this out the hard way when she went to renew her license and she was required to pay a years-old speeding ticket she got while driving in New York on business.
I feel like if it costs you time off work and the cop gets paid when he shows up, they would treat that slightly different if the cop doesn’t show up. Because if it costs you $200 to show up and now you have to do it again you’ll lose $400 before you even get a chance to talk about the ticket.
I was a police officer 16 years ago in New Mexico. At that time traffic offenses were misdemeanor crimes and as such a violator was subject to arrest. In lieu of arrest the officer would, at their discretion, allow you to leave the scene with your signed promise to appear. Failing to sign that promise meant the officer had no other option but to arrest you and take you to jail. As for warning citations, there was a separate statute that made failing to sign a warning citation a misdemeanor offense and again left the officer no other option but to arrest you and take you to jail. In short, sign it if you wish to remain free.
Thank you Steve. I always find your channel very helpful
In 1987 I bought a car in California and, since I was moving to Pennsylvania decided to wait till I got to Pennsylvania to register it. I got stopped in Oklahoma and ticketed for not having my vehicle registered. I ignored the ticket, registered the car in Pennsylvania, and have never been back to Oklahoma since.
I live in Columbus, Ohio city police don’t really show up for speeding tickets, 3 times I pleaded not guilty and the officer didn’t show up was dismissed, I don’t think they have time to bother with it. The local municipalities police alwAys show in their Mayer’s courts.
I thought my 64 in a 60 was going to be a story but you outdid me. Many years ago that happened. The whole time the cop talked to me i kept saying, 64 in a 60. It was only 50 miles away. I thought about showing up in court, just for the hell of it, just to keep saying 64 in a 60. He then gave me the option of 64 in a 60 or a seat beat violation. This was one of the few times i was actually wearing a seat beat. The fine was 10 dollars.
I got a ticket in Milwaukee. The judge just offered everyone two options. A reduced speed with reduced points plea at ticket amount or a change to a parking ticket with no points, and increased fine. It was a very efficient process. Name, plea, next.
In Texas, a ticket requires a signature but all the signature is is a promise to show up in court. Its says that on the ticket but there is always a stubborn ass that refuses to sign. One thing cops on my area like to use as an excuse to stop drivers late at night is they say they can't read your license plate, even though its not dirty, lights are working and no ball on they bumper. I have never heard of anyone getting a ticket for that but they do use that for an excuse to stop drivers. REcently I got a ticket in the mail for letting a non licensed driver drive my truck. I had this truck that I wasn't using anymore and it needed some work done to make it drivable. I sold it to my grandson and he had the mechanic that he hired to come pick it up. I signed the title and he got a 30 day permit to drive the tuck. He went out and got drunk, hit a guardrail (minor damage) and left the truck there. Now the truck busted a water hose and thats why he pulled over and accidentally hit the guardrail. There were open containers in the cab. Thats against the law in Texas. A wrecker driver saw the truck and called the DPS officer. They towed it. I found out and I had to pick up the truck because the title hadn't been processed yet. When I got to the wrecker yard the lady there called the DPS officer and he showed up. He ask me questions , I paid the impound fee and the mechanic took the truck. A few days later I got a ticket for letting my grandson drive the truck. Long story short, I fought it and won. The judge was a retired DPS officer from when I was a teenager and we were friends back then. I'm 63 now. We have been friends along time. The officer didn't shoe up but the judge ask the question in a way that led me to say the right answer. My grandson on the other hand pleaded guilty for driving the truck. I think he could have beat the ticket because they could not prove he was the one driving the truck, right?
The best Ticket Fax I ever read was "Nokona's Speeding Ticket FAQ". To the point- mainly just be nice to the cops (don't give them a reason to remember the stop) and try an cut a deal before instead of fighting in court (which can piss off the judge like many of these games in your video).
I had many many tickets when I was young, but TWO were ones I didn't deserve at all. Went to Court, and the damn Judge still ruled against me even though the Cops never showed. Corrupt system. It breeds contempt for the system. I was targeted in San Diego because of riding a Motorcycle. I was not a Biker Dude, just a kid.
Steve, I'm watching this in 2022, January. I really love this content style. I'd love to see some new videos like this with personal stories.
Oh by the way, nice microphone!
In PA there's a 2 year statute of limitations on traffic citations. If you receive a citation and don't respond to it, and are able to avoid the warrant for 2 years you can walk into court, plead not guilty and walk out scot free. However once you plead guilty, it never goes away.
Back in the 80's before the Internet connected them to the mainland my brother was stationed at Pearl Harbor. He left Hawaii with a ton of points and unpaid tickets and they never showed up on his record back here in the states. They might be one of the 6 states who still don't share your record.
I love that one about not signing the ticket. For whatever reason, people have convinced themselves that signing the ticket is admitting that they were speeding or whatever. Signing the ticket is nothing more than your promise to take care of the ticket whether it be paying the fine or sending it in with a plea of Not Guilty. It's a nonsurety bond. Instead of the cop cuffing and stuffing you, he or she is releasing you on your own recognizance. Refusing to sign the ticket is the same thing as telling the officer that you have no intention of sending it in with a not guilty plea, or paying the fine, or appearing, which in many places is an arestable offense. Most will probably explain it and give you one more chance to sign for the ticket before they yank you out of the car, and then proceed to cuff and stuff you. How possible would it be for them to hold you on no bond or no bail because of your attitude toward signing? Or does such a thing have to be issued via a court order?
Here is some interesting information. In NY, speeding tickets generate revenue for the state. Non moving violations go to the municipality. Contacting the DA for tickets under 20 mph over, are often reduced to a 10-01a (parking on the pavement) and a court fee. In one case I heard of it getting reduced to a ticket for littering as well. I will 100% recommend making that phone call or writing a letter to the DA.
In ohio your required to sign tickets promising to pay or appear. If you don't sign it, they take you to see the judge immediately, so your arrested and wait for court. No extra charge
Hay Steve, love your videos. Look up Hopewell, Va and see whats going on there. About 1.5 miles of route 295 goes through the town. They are out there all the time. My wifengot a ticket many years ago. Attorney had her plead guilty to malfunctioning equipment. Ironically that fine was about 5 times the amount of the speeding ticket. What a racket they have.
Seeing a lot of comments about dirty cops in those bible belt states. Yet ppl like to stereotype dirty NY cops
I've gotten two tickets dropped cause the cop didn't show. Another was the cop said my registration was out which it wasn't as he couldn't tell since I'm Texas it's on the front window and he was behind me. After he written a ticket for not having proof of insurance on me at the time. I argued since he know that my registration was current after he pulled me over he no longer had probable cause.
In Texas the signature is required on the citation and refusal is arrestable. The legal theory is when cited everything is arrestable and bond is required, the signature acknowledges you were ROR or released on your own recognizance.
Yeah that's what it is anywhere you need to sign. It's not a "crime" not to sign in itself like he said it could be. It's just that it's basically a recognizance bond so if you don't sign they have to arrest you and send you in front of a judge.
My understanding is, that in some states, by signing the ticket you are promising to appear in court to answer the charge(s) (unless you admit responsibility and pay the ticket before the court date). If you don't sign, they can take you to jail until you post bond to guarantee your appearance. They don't need an additional charge.
I don't know if it is still this way, but I remember seeing a piece on the local news in Milwaukee years ago, in which a representative for the Milwaukee County Sheriff explained that if a deputy stops someone from out of town for a traffic violation, that person has the option of paying the ticket on the spot, or going to jail. To facilitate the process, the deputies would take credit cards.
The Sheriff's Departement is the primary traffic enforcement agency on the freeways in Milwaukee County, so they write a lot of traffic tickets.
I got a ticket for going one mile over and i was behind a school bus at the time - I fought the ticket and the judge wouldn't dismiss but reduced my fine to $10. Then he had a talk with the officer........
The cop no show dismissal worked for me. I had requested a continuance to consult legal advice. Upon the next court date the officer was not present due to a family medical emergency. My case was dismissed. Although the next guy who had a DUI with the same officer was not dismissed. This was in the infamous New Rome Ohio speed trap.
I found this on line regarding the Interstate Drivers License Compact:
Only five states - Wisconsin, Tennessee, Georgia, Massachusetts, and Michigan
- are not part of the IDLC. The other 45 states have agreed to notify
one another when a driver is arrested or convicted of DUI / DWI.
+craig girolami craiggirolami And even the states that aren't part of the compact will share the information also. I know because I have seen it happen to clients who got tickets in other states - and they showed up on the MICH driver's license abstract.
Here in Oz our traffic violations are generally on the spot fine. You get the ticket and you pay the fine done. Of course if you didn't do it you can go to court.
In Australia my license was due to be Suspended due to points (P2), so I moved state and avoided that.
I got a ticket in FLA , which was non reciprocal which I tore up. I got a letter saying my driving rights there were suspended. I wasn't going back ever, so fine. 7 years later I got a letter saying because I had done what was required my rights were restored. Past the statute of limitations, I would think.
That thing about other paying was in fact the rule for a few months years a go in the UK, then they changed the rule. The thing is all it did was extend you time.
11:05 the guy who used to cut my hair (back in Maryland) had gotten a speeding ticket in California when he was like 25... and forgot to pay it. They put out a warrant for his arrest (since he also didn't show up for the court date) so he could never drive in California again. He was always nervous whenever he'd travel to the west coast, that he'd have ANY run-in with the police and they'd arrest him :)
I’m a cop in a Compact state. What happens if someone from a non-compact state gets a ticket in a compact state and they don’t take care of it, is that their driving privileges in the compact state are suspended. So when I stop them, their driving status in the licensing state shows valid, but then it will also show that they are suspended in the compact state. So then we charge them without driving with privileges in our state. So if you are licensed in a non-compact state you are only good there.
I was in the Navy (Circa 1992) and got pulled over near a now closed down Naval Air Station in Illinois. I had recently transferred from Ca. and still had my Ca. DL. The officer approached my window, asked for the DL, Insurance, and reg. I handed them over, and he walked away. He came back a few minutes later and was mad. Like fuming, ready to blow a gasket mad. "You'll have to follow me back to the station, California won't let me take your license." Take my license I asked?! Why would you take my license?! Evidently Illinois ha/still has a problem with people not showing for court or paying their tickets. Their solution? They take your DL, and you drive on the ticket. You get your DL back when you 1) pay the fine, or 2) show up in court and pay the fine. LOL! If you don't show, they suspend your DL! Well he got an emergency call so I didn't get the ticket, but I will NEVER forget how mad he was that he couldn't inconvenience me and take my DL.
Love your stories, thanks.
Just wanted to say I appreciate your delivery. Your 7 minute videos would take 30 minutes if you were from my hometown in southern U.S. Keep up the great work!
nature nerd in the south,no business can be conducted without first inquiring about how is your momma doing a ND making sure the family is doing good
Yep that's very true because ive seen the cops having to let them know that if they don't sign it. They can go straight to jail