What should I tell the judge when I go to court for my red light ticket?

[BENZ BOY15]

What should I say? 

[cawimmer430]

"F*ck you!"


?

[dazzleman]

Camera ticket or traditional ticket?

If it's a camera ticket, why would you bother going to court since it puts no points on your license?

In any case, I'm not sure what you can say when you're dead-to-rights guilty.  Probably just call it a mistake, rather than a deliberate action.  Explain that you drive like a ditzy chick and pay attention to everything but that road, but that you'll try to do better in the future...

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

^Rite! You'll end up paying Court cost if you go to court! Just pay the fine. Then get some anti photo plate covers off Ebay! 

[Raza]

Tell him that you're a moron.  That'll save time.

[MaxPower]

In any case, I'm not sure what you can say when you're dead-to-rights guilty.  Probably just call it a mistake, rather than a deliberate action.  Explain that you drive like a ditzy chick and pay attention to everything but that road, but that you'll try to do better in the future...

That's about it.  If a cop caught you running a red light and you have no proof otherwise, the judge is going to rule in a second against you.  You're just wasting everyone's time and money by going to court.  If you're guilty, suck it up and pay the fine.  Don't be a whiner.  If you have evidence that shows you didn't run the light then, by all means, introduce it.  Otherwise, just pay the stupid ticket.  Your chances of winning a "your-word-vs.-the-cop's word" battle in court are about as good as you winning the lottery.

[dazzleman]

Going to court is a pain, but it can result in a reduced fine.

Connecticut has a system where you see a state's attorney (prosecutor) when you go to court, and based upon your record, they offer you a deal to plead guilty without taking it all the way.  If you have a decent record, the fine they offer will be significantly less than the face fine on the ticket.

However, if you reject the plea offer, you must return on another day for trial, with a judge and the LEO who issued the ticket in attendance.  If you're found guilty after that court appearance, you pay at least the face fine on the tickwt plus court costs.

With my last ticket, I took the plea deal and saved about $100 off the face fine.  One time I went to jury duty, I heard this PITA woman whining about how her husband had taken a speeding ticket to trial, been convicted, and was fined all sorts of extra money.  It was pretty funny.

With California, my understanding is that with a first offense, you can get rid of the points by taking a driving school class for violators.  Maybe BenzBoy can pursue that, if it's a real ticket.

[Catman]

Is this your first citation?

[dazzleman]

I don't think it's even a real ticket, if he got it at all.  BenzBoy drives like a ditzy chick, and ditzy chicks rarely get tickets...

[BENZ BOY15]

It was a camera. My mom opened the letter just as I got home for spring break, she couldn't be that mad: she just got one herself....

Anyway, it is my first ticket. So, maybe I'll go to court and just ask for traffic school.

[TBR]

If it doesn't carry points, don't bother. Between court fees and the cost of going to traffic school it will more likely than not be just as expensive to go that route.

[dazzleman]

I agree.  If it's no points, just pay it.  And I don't think camera tickets can carry points since the car's owner, not necessarily the driver, is the one who gets the ticket.

[rohan]

What should I say? 

"I'm guilty and I'm sorry." 

[TurboDan]

It was a camera. My mom opened the letter just as I got home for spring break, she couldn't be that mad: she just got one herself....

Anyway, it is my first ticket. So, maybe I'll go to court and just ask for traffic school.

Benzie, as everyone else said, if it's a camera ticket, don't go to court!  Just pay the damn thing. The point of going to court is to get rid of the points of the ticket that can raise your insurance rates. Nobody really cares about the fine for a minor traffic citation. Red light cam tickets don't carry points, so there's really no point in you going to court.

How much is this ticket? It can't be THAT much to be worth going to court over and wasting your time and energy when the potential reward (a reduced fine) is so little in the first place.

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

I'm not sure about the fines where Benzo lives,but they're $95 here in Cleveland.

[hotrodalex]

I'm not sure about the fines where Benzo lives,but they're $95 here in Cleveland.

I think he can find $95 laying around somewhere....

[Byteme]

What should I say? 

Tell 'em you screwed up, you realize you did and ask if you can take defensive driving or get deferred ajudication in lieu of a ticket and fine and points on your record.

[BENZ BOY15]

It's a $490 fine. But nothing's going to happen soon because my mom is actually the registered owner of the car and we have to file an application with SF to change it and so it will take a while.

I also got a $1,200 refund from the guvment so, that helps!

My parents weren't too pleased...they and the neighbors make fun of me for it.

[TurboDan]

Here's where your $490 goes:

For starters, there was the $100 base fine. Most of that goes to Emeryville, and the leftovers go to Alameda County.

Then comes the real hit:

-- A $100 state penalty - $70 of which is divvied up among a dozen programs, including crime-victim restitution, witness protection, a Department of Fish and Game preservation fund and even a fund for victims of traumatic brain injuries. The other $30 goes to the county's general fund.

-- A $70 county penalty that goes for automated fingerprint identification, court and jail construction and other programs.

-- A $20 penalty for a state DNA crime evidence collection program.

-- A $55 fee for more court construction.

-- A $20 assessment for the county's emergency medical system.

-- A $20 court security fee to pay for all those deputies and screening devices at the county's courthouses.

-- And a $20 surcharge that goes straight into the state's general fund.

But wait - there's more, including:

-- A brand new, $35 assessment that the Legislature approved last fall to help cover $5 billion in revenue bonds for even more courthouse construction - a program pushed by then-state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata.

-- A $1 night court fee.

-- And finally, a $49 fee for the privilege of signing up for traffic school. (More than half that fee was just added - again, to pay for Perata's pet courthouse renovations.)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/02/BAJE166JS2.DTL

For the record, I've never even heard of a speeding ticket this high, much less a red light cam ticket.

[BENZ BOY15]

I was shocked. But it's San Francisco.

[sparkplug]

Tell the judge you are blind.

[Rupert]

"I'm guilty and I'm sorry I'm an idiot for even being here." 

Fixed it.

[Madman]

Tell him you didn't know you had ran a red light because you were drunk at the time.

Oh, wait a minute......... Nevermind!




Cheers,
Madman of the People

[Catman]

It's a $490 fine. But nothing's going to happen soon because my mom is actually the registered owner of the car and we have to file an application with SF to change it and so it will take a while.

I also got a $1,200 refund from the guvment so, that helps!

My parents weren't too pleased...they and the neighbors make fun of me for it.

$490 for running a red light?  That's cruel and unusual.

[Tave]

Yeah that's real steep. I'd be in court for sure on that one.

Tell the judge that you made a mistake and you feel sorry, but you also think the fine is excessive. Tell him you're a poor college student who studies every day and can live off top Ramen for a year with that kind of scratch.

[Rupert]

Yeah that's real steep. I'd be in court for sure on that one.

Tell the judge that you made a mistake and you feel sorry, but you also think the fine is excessive. Tell him you're a poor college student who studies every day and can live off top Ramen for a year with that kind of scratch.

But you shouldn't lie to a judge! OK, OK, I'll stop ragging on Benz...

[BENZ BOY15]

Yeah that's real steep. I'd be in court for sure on that one.

Tell the judge that you made a mistake and you feel sorry, but you also think the fine is excessive. Tell him you're a poor college student who studies every day and can live off top Ramen for a year with that kind of scratch.

That would be a lie. I'm bad at lying. I'm a college student who has a lot of money that wasn't earned by me....but I could pay this fine tomorrow. My parents are dealing with it now. They're not even mad. They're happy and proud that I got the internship in DC, an interview for an congressional internship here in SD, a couple of job offers...they're just like at least he's "planning for the future! Yay!"

Or could it be that they want me to apply to jobs here so I'll stay with them instead of going to DC. My dad took me out to an absurdly expensive  and AMAZING dinner tonight and said he was very pleased with my grades, progress & ambition and the one thing I have to do for him is call the internship office for an interview the first thing in the morning. And he's been on my ass about these applications to get them in and accepted, so they can keep me here.

God my parents just can not let go! Hahahahhaha. I feel sorry for them too, I wouldn't want their oldest son to leave for summer too. My dad wants to play squash with me. My brother is begging me to stay to surf with him and hang out with him and ride horses together. I guess our family is so close, closer than other families. I talk to my parents every day when I'm away at college, my brother every day, even my neighbors. Even they say I should do the SD internship instead of the DC internship!

Conspiracy!

Anyway, they want to pay for it and get over it. They didn't even raise the price issue. They're changing the name first. I'll get back to you after that.

[Tave]

 

[BENZ BOY15]

I know...it's bad.

[dazzleman]

I know...it's bad.

At least you recognize that.  This is a classic case of upper class parents using money to try to control their kids in an unhealthy way.  I can see where a lot of your anxiety comes from.  Break away for your own good.