help! I got a ticket tonight....

**Jessesbride** · 01-15-2008, 11:16 PM

I was coming home from work tonight & I got a ticket 3 doors down from my house!!! The cop said that I "floated" thru the stop sign... hello! I STOPPED! I had my 11 yr old in the car with me & TRUST ME WHEN I SAY HE WOULD'VE SAID "MOM YOU DIDN'T STOP AT THE STOP SIGN" IF I HAD ACTUALLY NOT STOPPED... PLUS!!! it took them 2 1/2 blocks to "realize" that I supposedly didn't stop

(that's when they finally turned on the sirens)! AS IF!!!!

Sorry I'm venting but I am so irritated!!! I haven't had a ticket in over 7 yrs for a very good reason!!!! & I KNOW THAT I STOPPED! Anyone else have to deal with this? & yes, if I was at fault I would've acknowledged it but....!!! SORRY NOT GUILTY (this time!) Stop signs for me are like seatbelts... absolute habit & cannot not do it! ya know?!

We are planning on fighting the charge but do they ever believe the accused?

I know that the devil is trying to irritate me & at the moment he's doing a good job of it... ok off my rant box now!

Kim

**REJB** · 01-15-2008, 11:40 PM

Can you take defensive driving?

**brainyblonde** · 01-15-2008, 11:52 PM

I would go to court on this, maybe you can get a reduced fine and/or PBJ.

**Jessesbride** · 01-16-2008, 12:03 AM

we are going to court & hopefully they will give me a deferred sentence or something along that line. OF COURSE I'm praying that they will drop the charges (ok prob not going to happen, but will still pray about it!

)... the thing that gets me is that they waited until I turned the corner ~left then right (to get to my street) & then waited another BLOCK & a 1/2 to turn on their sirens? hello that doesn't make any sense! dh thinks they might've looked away & when they looked back they'd missed me stopping & then when I got going again???? thought that I'd not stopped? IDK... I'm not as irritated... tho still not happy with BOGUS charges....

I'm sure I could take defensive driving, but then that is how I drive anyways... (learned to drive in Wichita KS... had no choice but to learn to drive defensively lol...)

I have court Feb 13th (kinda sucks b/c then we'll be missing our bible class minutes away... & it's at 6pm??? seriously? at 6? or just sometime that day? see how long it's been? *sigh*

Kim

**Squirt** · 01-16-2008, 12:14 AM

Perhaps the cop saw you "float" (or whatever) through the stop sign and wondered if you were impaired and was waiting to see if you were going to do something else, such as swerve left of center, and that's why he waited.

Definitely go to court; you might be able to get your costs reduced.

**sdrjeolsen** · 01-16-2008, 12:45 AM

I'd go to court too. My dh got pulled over many years ago and got a warning for the same thing. We felt he stopped too, but the cop said you have to come to a full and complete stop, counting one-thousand-one, etc. till you get to one-thouseand-four, for it to be considered a full and complete stop. I thought it was just small town mentality.

You can usually plead to a lesser charge, so fewer points and then take a defensive driving course. A lot of times the insurance wont count it against you if you take the course, in fact, you can get a lower rate after you complete it. My dd has gotten 2 tickets and both got reduced/dropped with a def. driving course.

**powerfm1** · 01-16-2008, 06:17 AM

I've gone to court and won. Half the time the cop doesn't show up for this stuff (because it is minor) and you win by default.

**lwlynch** · 01-16-2008, 06:42 AM

my sister had the same thing happen, and she went down and talked to the top officer and it was dismissed (but that was years ago, before all the cop shows and how mean they had to get) but i would definately go to court and tell your side.. wouldnt hurt

**KKCondrey** · 01-16-2008, 09:51 AM

Depends, if it will make the insurance go up I'd definaly fight it. If not and its cheaper I'd go on and pay the fine. (aren't they cheaper if you pay them prior to the court date on some offenses?)

**Marie78** · 01-16-2008, 10:03 AM

I had this happen to me and I was extremely angry, just as angry as I'm sure you are. I had lived 3 years in an apt. complex that had a 3-way stop and I had to inch up to see around a snow pile one winter. The cop saw me inch up and told me I had not come to a complete stop. Even though after I inched up I was stopped. I could tell he was looking for trouble, it wasn't even a main road it was a small apartment complex at 9am in the morning. I was on my way to the 1st of my three jobs at the time.

Needless to say, working 3 jobs I just didn't have any time to contest that stupid ticket. I paid it and I don't recall an increase in my car insurance. This was several years ago, but I am sure I would remember if my insurance had gone up.

**Katybird** · 01-16-2008, 10:32 AM

I would definately go to court and contest the ticket. You will be able to have your say in court and it is possible that the officer will not show up for court. I hope it all works out for you.

**larabelle** · 01-16-2008, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Katybird

I would definately go to court and contest the ticket. You will be able to have your say in court and it is possible that the officer will not show up for court. I hope it all works out for you.

I agree go to court. I have never been in your situation but I have a friend who was. She went to court but...she did not win and had to pay the ticket and court fees but at least she got a chance to say what she thought. I did take a defensive driving class to lower my insurance costs. There were several people in the class there due to traffic violations. The way I understood if they attended the class then their tickets were dismissed. I know that you feel beaten down right now but think positive you might go to court and win!

**leezza** · 01-16-2008, 10:51 AM

Yes go and give your side of the story, I would suggest the following:

Dress well

Take DS with you as a witness

Write down what you want to say now so you don't forget anything

Above all be very polite (which I am sure you are).......because, even if it doesn't work out in your favor you leave everyone in the courtroom remembering you for how much class you had

JMHO,
leezza

**CristiK** · 01-16-2008, 10:55 AM

Hopefully it will go better then all the folks who tried to contest the day I went to court. I was just pleading "no contest" in a traffic accident but alot of people were contesting. The judge just kept smiling while the person gave their reasons and then smiled as he said their original ticket amount and sent them on their way. He was kinda enjoying it, I think. My insurance didn't go up though and maybe your won't either.

**Jessesbride** · 01-16-2008, 11:38 AM

When I look on the ticket it actually says that the violation was disobey stop sign. Which is ridiculous b/c when I stop, I stay put until my car "bumps back/lurches back" KWIM??? make sure the coast is clear & then go... it's a game I play with myself (since I was a teen.. i know, i know... but it's actually kept me out of wrecks & from getting "pulled over" UNTIL now...). THERE WASN'T ANYONE AROUND!!! What did the cop think that a car was just going to materialize out of nowhere & I was going to hit it or something? & I understand about thinking about drunk driving *it was around 8:30 pm... & I had my son in the front seat but the fact that they waited so long makes me just wonder if they wanted to "meet their quota" now if it was something like, IDK... speeding or something (which I've really been working on not in the past 6 months)??? but this is kinda retarded. I'm sorry, no one is around & I DID NOT count to 5 or 10 to see if someone else would show up... I kinda feel like, ok, you were obviously not paying attn when I DID STOP so now you wanna make me pay cuz you weren't paying attn? *sigh*

At this point it's not about $$ or even insurance (we have the $$ to deal with it but I am getting punished for something that I didn't do!)... I KNOW that I STOPPED and being told I didn't doesn't sit well with me... I have issue with lying I HATE IT & WON'T DO IT & now I'm being told by a cop that I'm a liar! NO that does not sit well with me. Now if I'd gone thru it or whatever, I would just pay the ticket cuz that's what I get for not paying attn or whatever, but no... I KNOW that I stopped ...

YES, when I KNOW that I'm right, I am like a bulldog with his only bone with the matter... But if I am in the wrong (& even when I'm not sure if I am right or wrong) I will say it & take my dues... BUT WHEN I'M RIGHT & I KNOW IT... GOOD LUCK MAKING ME KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT ABOUT IT (Maybe cuz it doesn't happen too often???)!

Thanks for letting me rant & I will put everything down in writing today because I do want to make sure that I have it down for court & I will dress up & bring my dh & of course, my ds with me. I think I will go ahead & have ds write down in his own words about what happened last night too! & thank you for the advise...

Kim