So I got a ticket. .
 

So I got a ticket for not stopping long enough before turning right on a red-light. Before the officer even gave me the ticket he specifically told me to contest the ticket in court, and specifically said that I could feel free to contact him for support on the issue. Anybody else gotten a more pathetic excuse for a ticket than that?

That is one of the oddest things I've heard today. Why would a cop tell you to contest the ticket even before he gave it to you. That's like asking your spouse for separation papers before the wedding.

He could have the hots for you and decided right then and there when he seen you that if you contest it, he wouldnt show up in court... Probably makes more sense than you think cause he offered for you to call him anytime.

Very curious...I was pulled over at DIA a couple months back for 60 in a 45, just outside the parking garage. The limit near the garage is 45 and jumps to 65 as you round a righthand curve. Anyway the officer said, "you probably spend enough on insurance for this car, and we are not supposed to give warnings out here. I am going to site you for defective equipment for no turn signal. No fine and no record. " I thanked him and was on my way. Seems some Denver police officers like Boxters!

similar thing happened to me, but it was about the insurance card, i had an old one in the car (forgot to put updated one, so the date was expired), and when i got pulled over they said just go to court and they will dissmiss it, and they did.
so he gave me the ticket anyways...im like whats the point of giving me a ticket that you know i wont have to pay for. but then there are people that just dont have time to go to court so they just pay.
it was funny tho too, couse he gave me a ticket, i looked at it, and he wrote tht i drove a 2001 Impala...i have no idea how he would mistake aporsche for a chevy(no one in my household under the insurance drives impala)

I'm no expert, but I believe that in cases such as DJ's - officers have to issue a ticket, regardless of if it will be dismissed.

BUT - your ticket would be one that is issued at the discretion of the officer where I live, and when I have been pulled over for simmilar issues, I only got a "warning."

Don't know if you have something different in the law books where you live... If it isn't law though - I side with CJ!

- C5150

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It sounds like he's operating under a quota, like many police departments have, given depleted coffers. That appears to be the most logical explaination. For what ever reason he likes you, and hinted to fight it.

Let's see... The Officer was sent there specifically to watch that intersection, due to accident data, citizen complaints, whatever. So he's out there writing tickets, when he'd really rather be looking for crime, watching girls, eating a Double Quarter Pounder with cheese, whatever. All day he's stopping people for minor violations, like he's been directed to do, and he's been verbally assaulted 115 times, by a bunch of little pricks who wouldn't dare say **************** to him if he wasn't in uniform (in the old days, it was the other way around). Then he stops Mookarma. Mookarma is polite, complies with the Officer's requests and doesn't call the Officer's Mom any names. In return Mookarma gets a little helpful advice. Is that so hard to figure out.

Sorry to ruin your homosexual fantasy, CJ.

lol. . on a bike right? They sit right there and wait for people. . I'm actually heading that way at 5am tomorrow. I 'ran the red light' down in Highlands Ranch, so I would have had to go down to Castle Rock to contest it and I go back to Florida before my court date so I would have had to appeared in Castle Rock at 8am and put myself on the docket and yada yada yada so I just paid the ticket instead of fighting the man and his crap.
DJGrizzly, the cop was actually in the lane of traffic I was turning into, but probably about a quarter mile or so back. . it's a T-intersection, and hardly even an intersection, so cops don't hang out there much!

Any of you realize that perhaps the cop was saying to contest it because they will get more money from you that way? Many officers are actually PAID to appear in court, so no more of that "dismissed because the cop didn't show". If you were to contest and be found guilty anyway, you would pay the full ticket fine plus court costs.

I got pulled over in California (I'm from Oregon) about 2 weeks ago initially for the trailer lights being out in a pickup with an empty trailer we were driving down with. I was also following traffic, when I should have been going slower because of the trailer. The cop was actually very nice, and focused most of the conversation on the trailer lights. But then gave me both the speeding ticket and the equipment ticket. He also said I could contest it, but knew I was from Oregon.

It's a slippery slope, and when you've been pulled over for speeding and the radar number and everything is recorded, there's not much argument or much you can do in your defense, short of begging the judge to reduce the fine or withhold points on your license.

ZING! LOL hey i was assuming the thread starter was a female or opposite sex as the police officer.

ALWAYS fight your tickets. Wish I knew this when I was an under 25 driver.
Go to court, try and find the apathetic prosecutor who just wants some revenue and make a deal "I'll trade you this 55 in a 35 for a no seat belt, no front plate and I'll throw in double parking"

Your Cop had a quota, 'round here I notice the speed traps go up around the end of the month on the local roads. So I avoid getting off the highways at all costs.
My lady friend just moved to a town notorious for your type of tickets, I'm already planning escape roads. The only thing worse then getting a ticekt by these small town cops is sitting through the half hour stop (which always involves at least two police cars). They always try and convince me they are doing me a favor by only giving me a $180 non-points ticket. Gee thanks.

p.s.
I will never understand why cops don't wear body armor. When I was in Puerto Rico on vacation even the traffic cops wore vests.

They do, Every ride along i went on, they gave me a new pinnacle brand vest. They wear them also.

really? I've yet to see one here in Jersey. Scary to think local cops would get them before the guys in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Pinnacle Armor make a pretty wide variety of gear - not all suited to military. But the new SOV body armor looks very promising. Expensive starting at around $4500 per.

You should contest your ticket if you believe that there is a legitimate ground to do so. When the judge is deciding your case, they will make sure that the government (i.e., the police officer) has satisfied the burden of proof. If not, the case is dismissed, simple as that. A simple radar guy readout on record does not mean that they will win - - out from where I'm from, the police officer needs to provide records of calibration and the such during trial. Although many of you may think that it's always their word against yours, it's not as simple as that. Oftentimes, the Judge will use a checklist to make sure the government has met all the elements of the offense. In presenting a defense, excuses such as "I didn't know I was going that fast" or "I didn't see the sign" etc., does not hold water. Make sure you know what the elements of the offense you've been charged are, and then raise the fact that as a matter of law, the government did not prove its case. That, will get you off - - unless, the government did satisfy its burden of proof.

By the way, police officers are required to go to court and it is not a good thing if they do not show. Also, they are paid to go.

Speaking from the perspective of someone who's caught a couple of rounds, $4,500 seems like small price to pay.

I think even a $50k price tag would be a no-brainer for me. Let's see, which do I like more, my car or my life? Btw, it should be provided by the employer.

It is absolutely (and literally) unbelievable that US soldiers are sent to BATTLE anywhere without body vests. Unbelievable. Not providing ALL available protection should be a crime, just like selling a car without brakes is.

Z.

Nice site on whether and how to fight traffic tickets:

http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/ObjectID/35DA00C9-1662-4DC8-8280B197AB0C4CA9/catID/CF015A63-6B69-4EED-A34B6F4035C8BE0E/104/263/ART/

I think Grizzly’s explanation is most likely, but…

Did anyone ever see the movie “Super Troopers?” The cop could have been doing it to just to see the look on your face.

A couple of guys I was in the Army with became cops. They tell me that they get very very bored.

One of them has related several odd stores such as one about pulling over a girl, feeling sorry because she was very unattractive and letting her go with no ticket based on that reason.

My other friend picks days to pull over certain types of people, on some days he will only pull over Puerto Ricans, the next day it might just be white people, etc…