Got A Citation, What Should I Expect?

Had a scary experience last Sat afternoon when a few of us called it a local bowling club for a beer. A bloke came up to us to have a chat about the fact his son had just bought him a brand new Bonneville. I looked at him, I guess mid to late sixties and about 5'8" tall and thin build. I asked him if he had ridden lately and his reply was "I rode some dirt bikes when I was young" then he asked if we thought it a good idea to get the dealer to deliver the bike to his house or should he ride it home from the dealer, who happens to be in the middle of Melbourne a big city with unforgiving drivers everywhere. We convinced him to have it delivered and for him to try pushing the bike up and down his drive to see if he can get a feel to the weight of the bike. An 865 Bonneville is a big bit of bike. I really hope he doesn't try riding it on the road

 

You look older than 17 IMO.

 

Mid life crisis

 

Big contributor to motorcycle fatalities out here the mid life crisis, they go out and buy some big bloody Harley and then come unstuck

 

Let's hope the guy gets through it.

 

Yup, here to. Go on craiglist list and thats all ya see are hardly's for sale with low milage. Hope the bloke takes some kind of training course

 

Damn it duccmann, you're an insider- you're supposed to get a larger avatar.

Sorry kid, got off topic.

You must show the judge REMORSE. " I now realize that I posed a danger to those around me, and first the responders if I had caused an accident".

See if you can get your dad to go to court with you. Tell the judge that your dad has decided to sell your bike and won't let you buy another one until you show more maturity and responsibility. Also play up the fact that it's your first offense and would like the opportunity to keep a clean record.

Short of that, request the cop come to court with the records that show the last calibration of the radar. If he doesn't show up, your case is thrown out. I haven't gone that route so you might want to look into what happens if he does show up...

 

Dang it.... I know....maybe get a fake cast along with what RobVG suggested
Icing on the cake.
Just noticed we haven't heard from Jake....maybe he got a wuppin

 

Here, you don't produce those type of records because there are none. As a matter of routine, and proper operation of a radar device, you calibrate the radar at beginning of a shift, and after each time you issue a ticket, then again at the end of shift using certified tuning forks. If the unit worked before and after, it was accepted it worked at the time. Also, they will not convict on radar evidence alone. The officer must observe and estimate your speed. The radar confirms that estimation. Amazingly, a person gets very accurate in their estimations.

A bit of a related story here. Years ago here in BC, you could not issue a ticket to a young offender. You had to prepare a long written Report to Crown Counsel, (our version of a DA) and the young offender had to appear in court. He could not just pay a fine and go away. The fine amount was left up to the sitting Justice of the Peace.

I issued a ticket to a person whom I realized at the end of the day was in fact a young offender. I phoned him and got his father on line instead. Told him about what happened and that I was pulling the ticket, and considering all things, I was not going to prepare that report and was considering the issue a warning.

Dad thanked me and told me that he had suspended his son's driving privileges for a month.

Justice served.

 

Seeing eye dogs and wheelchairs are good too. Parents work but grandmas are better.

 

Save the State of Louisiana under Code Napolean, any and all records of repair and calibration of speed estimation device are due in court if demanded, This also included the technician who performed said test and calibration. The tuning fork test is a field calibration. Tuning forks are precision instruments and unless properly cared for can be off. This coupled with guess work by the issuing officer as to terminal velocity, can lead to grounds for dismissal

Traffic court is transparent in the States. Hit a session or two. Watch for the pro traffic lawyers. They are easy to spot. Learn the language. A variation on this theme is Federal Court if one gets cited in a Federal Park or Military installation. Same deal..if the citing officer does not show, ya walk.

Lots of dirty tricks by law enforcement. In WA, getting busted for speeding by a stater will have you in court in some county as much as 100 miles from where you live. They will also schedule an appearance in the dead of Winter just to get your payment. The trick is to request a venue near your home turf. This must be done on the spot and at the time of the writing of the citation. Do they tell you this Sure they do..LOL

Down the road paying a fine by one or more ways seems easy. All this shit goes on your record and is cumulative. The insurance outfits have access to these records and they make their money by charging for insurance. The more guilty pleas the higher the rates.

A simple search will provide any number of traffic court lawyers in most metro areas. Average price in the SeaTac area is around 250-300 pesos. A more sophisticated search will bring up traffic lawyers that have bike knowledge and some of them even ride.

 

As far as the officer showing up for court that day, I would think that the chances are pretty good. That's probably how he knew what court date to put on the ticket. I have never seen that, in the past the notice would come in the mail, thankfully that's been quite a few years ago.
Best of luck
John

 

In Missouri, your first appearance is when you're given the option of pleading "Guilty" and pay the fine, or "Not Guilty" and pleading your case at a later date. That is when the LEO has to show up. And of course if you lose the price goes up.

 

The citation was issued by CHP that is if the post is real or somebody just fishing.. Since CHP unlike watching Panch and John on TV who were able to save the universe whilst astride Harleys, it could be expected that the real CHP Officer just might know the court dates.

The issuing officer is not obligated to show in court. The court recognizes this for various reasons and the resulting mechanism is that the accused walks.

CHP is listed in the local phone book and the dude to talk to is the PIO. who will take the guesswork out of the equation.

 

Of course you have all this documented and proven and ready to demonstrate to us skeptics. The LEO does not have to appear. Unlike us real bikers, they have lives and are not operating on motorcycle anecdotes, and all kinds of shit we hope is true but ain't.

 

Okay twit, direct quote from the Missouri DMV, that's Department of Motor Vehicles to you unwashed:

"In Missouri you have two plea options: guilty and not guilty (you cannot plea "no contest" in a Missouri court). Regardless of plea, you must enter it within 30 days of receiving your ticket."

Furthermore:

"What it Means to Fight Your MO Traffic Ticket

If you decide to challenge your traffic ticket, you must enter a "not guilty" plea. This means:

You are exercising your right to challenge the ticket in court.
You have the option of representing yourself, or hiring a traffic ticket attorney.
The court may rule in your favor by either reducing the charges or dismissing the ticket. You still must pay court and, if applicable, legal fees.
The court may find you guilty. Points will be assessed to your driving record and, depending on the circumstances, your MO driver's license may get suspended. You must also pay fines, court fees and, if applicable, legal fees. Depending on your car insurance provider you may see an increase in your auto insurance premiums."

The above means that "... this may include interviewing witnesses and obtaining a copy of your driving record." Witnesses include the citing officer.

Anything else dickhead? Apology by the ignorant skeptic duly accepted.

 

Wow wow there buckaroos

 

OMG! I have created another vertically challenged monster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c54SvkgQ04A

 

Taz....love that guy..doesn't speak English thow

 

This Buckaroo would be broke living in a police state like Missouri where guilty as charged seems to be the rule of the day. What should be noted is that if the issuing officer does not show up in court, Ya walk. Nolo Contendre/case dismissed.