off topic but.... - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

tagyak · 03-10-2011, 02:58 PM

hey guys,

just wondering if any of you had gotten a ticket for tailgating? i have to go to court tomorrow to fight a ticket. i normally would just pay up and forget about it, but this time i have too.
i am not qualified to go to traffic school and if i get another ticket on my record my insurance co said that they'll drop me (08-09 were expensive). so i have to be a good boy till next january when these tickets clear.
so if anyone out there who have experienced a ticket like this or has some good advise, besides stop speeding stop tailgating and obey the traffic laws, please chime in.
i greatly appreciate it.

tim

MuddyMike · 03-10-2011, 03:11 PM

I usually request trial by written declaration. It tells about it on the back of your ticket somewhere.

I got a cell phone ticket, and actually just went to court yesterday to request a TBD. Basically you pay your bail, and they give you some time to fill out your statement.

You can either mail or hand in your statement.

If you don't feel comfortable doing it, there's many services out there that will charge you about $100- to file it for you. (search mr. ticket)

What you have going for you is that the cops get paid more to be in court on the days they assign you, so there's a good chance they will be there.

With a TBD, they have to fill out paperwork, and often they may not even send it in.

If you are found innocent, then you will get your bail amount sent back to you.

if you are guilty, you can still appeal it and fight it in court.

This is how I understand it anyway. Over the last 10 years or so, I've gotten found innocent on 3 speeding tickets. We'll see what happens with this cell phone ticket.

You can find a lot of info online about it. It's intimidating, but it's pretty easy. You just fill out the form explaining that you are not guilty without incriminating yourself, and send it in. It usually takes about 3 months to get a verdict.

tagyak · 03-10-2011, 03:42 PM

thanks for the info. in this case, my trail date is for tomorrow, can i still request for an extension and a trial be declaration? or is it too late to do this?

MuddyMike · 03-10-2011, 03:44 PM

i'm no expert, but if 'trial date' is the date on your ticket, then probably. just go to the traffic offenses counter and ask.

WahooUSMA · 03-10-2011, 06:21 PM

Good luck, Tim. Was it CHP or City PD? What did he/she state in the narrative? Did they just cite you for 21703 vc or are the additional violations?

tagyak · 03-10-2011, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WahooUSMA

Good luck, Tim. Was it CHP or City PD? What did he/she state in the narrative? Did they just cite you for 21703 vc or are the additional violations?

it was city pd. said that i was speeding doing 45 in a 35 and made some illegal lane changes but just cited me for 21703 vc. this was early a.m. during the work week.
i think the cop was being nice in his own way. but still a jerk for giving me a ticket instead of a warning.

jorluivil · 03-10-2011, 03:43 PM

Schedule an arraignment with the Judge and ask for second offender traffic school, if he allows you to do it you could be taking a 12hr or 16hr course. A few years ago I received two moving violations in just as many months and tried to fight the second one because I had already attended traffic school on the first one.

Long story short...

If I decided to fight it the judge said he hit me with the stiffest fine possible if I lost but if I pleaded guilty (child restraint and speeding) to both counts he would allow me to attend second offenders traffic school, I pleaded guilty and was given a 16 hr course. At this point you have nothing to lose so give it a try.

03-10-2011, 02:58 PM	#1
tagyak Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Alhambra Posts: 506	off topic but.... hey guys, just wondering if any of you had gotten a ticket for tailgating? i have to go to court tomorrow to fight a ticket. i normally would just pay up and forget about it, but this time i have too. i am not qualified to go to traffic school and if i get another ticket on my record my insurance co said that they'll drop me (08-09 were expensive). so i have to be a good boy till next january when these tickets clear. so if anyone out there who have experienced a ticket like this or has some good advise, besides stop speeding stop tailgating and obey the traffic laws, please chime in. i greatly appreciate it. tim

03-10-2011, 06:21 PM	#5
WahooUSMA Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Rancho Cucamonga Posts: 753	Good luck, Tim. Was it CHP or City PD? What did he/she state in the narrative? Did they just cite you for 21703 vc or are the additional violations? __________________ GO ARMY BEAT NAVY! Bad decisions make great stories!

03-10-2011, 03:11 PM	#2
MuddyMike Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Temecula, CA Posts: 111	I usually request trial by written declaration. It tells about it on the back of your ticket somewhere. I got a cell phone ticket, and actually just went to court yesterday to request a TBD. Basically you pay your bail, and they give you some time to fill out your statement. You can either mail or hand in your statement. If you don't feel comfortable doing it, there's many services out there that will charge you about $100- to file it for you. (search mr. ticket) What you have going for you is that the cops get paid more to be in court on the days they assign you, so there's a good chance they will be there. With a TBD, they have to fill out paperwork, and often they may not even send it in. If you are found innocent, then you will get your bail amount sent back to you. if you are guilty, you can still appeal it and fight it in court. This is how I understand it anyway. Over the last 10 years or so, I've gotten found innocent on 3 speeding tickets. We'll see what happens with this cell phone ticket. You can find a lot of info online about it. It's intimidating, but it's pretty easy. You just fill out the form explaining that you are not guilty without incriminating yourself, and send it in. It usually takes about 3 months to get a verdict.

03-10-2011, 03:42 PM	#3
tagyak Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Alhambra Posts: 506	thanks for the info. in this case, my trail date is for tomorrow, can i still request for an extension and a trial be declaration? or is it too late to do this?

03-10-2011, 03:44 PM	#4
MuddyMike Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Temecula, CA Posts: 111	i'm no expert, but if 'trial date' is the date on your ticket, then probably. just go to the traffic offenses counter and ask.

03-10-2011, 03:43 PM	#7
jorluivil Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 6,856	Schedule an arraignment with the Judge and ask for second offender traffic school, if he allows you to do it you could be taking a 12hr or 16hr course. A few years ago I received two moving violations in just as many months and tried to fight the second one because I had already attended traffic school on the first one. Long story short... If I decided to fight it the judge said he hit me with the stiffest fine possible if I lost but if I pleaded guilty (child restraint and speeding) to both counts he would allow me to attend second offenders traffic school, I pleaded guilty and was given a 16 hr course. At this point you have nothing to lose so give it a try.