dealing w/ Tickets
How many of us hate getting traffic tickets? Actually, don’t answer that; it’s one of the most inconvenient things to deal with when it comes to having your driver’s license. But to be 100% honest, nine out of ten times you did something wrong to deserve that ticket. Regardless of whether or not you’d like to believe it, it’s rare for a cop to pull you over without reason. You could have been going just five miles over the speed limit, but you still gave the officer a reason to pull you over.
Once you get pulled over there is a 95% chance that you will receive a ticket. Occasionally you can get away with a warning, although that is something that happens but once in a blue moon. If you address the officer with the right attitude, you might get lucky, but remember: they do have a quota to meet so you might not get so lucky. The best thing you can do is be polite to the officer, so you can go on with your day.
There are two different kinds of traffic tickets you can receive: a non-moving violation and a moving violation.
A non-moving violation can be a seat belt ticket, parking ticket or even a ticket for having an air freshener hanging from your rearview mirror. These types of tickets can easily be paid online, and you will not have to take any time out of your day to appear in court, though you will have to deal with the inconvenience of spending some extra money.
Moving violations come with points that are added onto your driving record. This kicks off a nasty domino effect that can result in increased insurance rates or the suspension of your license if you accumulate too many points. But that’s actually where it ends; in the beginning of this process you’ll first have to appear in municipal court. Moving violations are taken seriously and you will be required to appear in court in person. From the court’s perspective, a driver’s license is a considered a privilege that can be revoked if necessary.
Now here is where it gets tricky: most people think they have to accept the consequences that are being presented, but that’s not necessarily the case. Always, and I mean always, plead not guilty to the ticket. In so doing, you’ll give yourself a chance to speak with a prosecutor. For those of you who don’t know who the prosecutor is, you should keep reading.
The prosecutor is the person who reviews all the paper work presented in the situation at hand. They will make the ultimate decision of what your punishment–or I should say consequences for the ticket you received–will be. With that being said, the prosecutor is the person you’ll want to speak with about your ticket, don’t waste your time trying to explain yourself to the officer because once again, there is a 95% chance you’ll be getting a ticket after being pulled over. Once you get the chance to speak with the prosecutor, you can explain what happened and see if the prosecutor agrees that you ought to be able to downgrade your ticket or not. Going to court with the right attitude and the true story increase the likelihood of a downgraded ticket, especially if your driving record is pristine. Additionally, you can provide proof of any paper work for which you may have been ticketed. For instance, if you didn’t have your insurance card in the vehicle, but did have insurance at the time, you have an opportunity to provide proof of insurance. Or, say you had a broken tail light and got it fixed. The prosecutor will consider these things and help you out a bit.
After speaking with the prosecutor, you will go back into the court room and wait for your name to be called. Once you’re in front of the judge they will state the charges and consequences along with a fine based on what you’ve been charged with. The judge will ask if you are able to pay the fine in full or if would you like to enroll in a payment plan. It’s usually brief and if you’re anybody like me, the judge might crack a joke and tell you he better not see you again.
If you can, pay the ticket right away. Doing so saves you unnecessary hassle in the long run. Many of us, unfortunately, can’t immediately afford the fees that are required to settle a moving violation and the courts understand that. So, there is a system in place where you can make monthly payments at a set price that best suits you and your budget. Be careful to not miss any of your payments though. Once you do, the court will send a warning. If the warning doesn’t resolve any issues you may have with late payments, the courts will contact the DMV and have your driving privileges revoked. You’ll still have to pay the court’s fines in addition to an extra one hundred dollars to the DMV for reinstating your driver’s license. Keep in mind that it’s your responsibility to contact the DMV with respect to reinstating your driver’s license; the court will not contact them on your behalf.
I’ve learned the hard way when it comes to understanding that driving is a privilege. If you’re still learning that lesson, hopefully the information contained here will help to steer you onto the right side of the road. Drive safe out there!