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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 289
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 289 |
So you go to the court date, and enter your plea? Then you have to go to court a second time? I thought you would show up to enter your plea, and I thought if the officer isn't there they would drop the fine. How does this work?
I just got a ticket this morning. The car my step-dad gave me is a Nissan and I think the speedometer is off. I got a ticket for 82 mph in a 65 mph, they want $213.00 for the ticket. Ouch!
I think I will go to court over this ticket. I have had tickets in the past and just paid them. But damn! $213.00?
I can't really afford that.
I am trying to be able to pay for the tranny on my car to be fixed and I just bought a house and my money in my pocket is very slim right now.
Any ideas?
1995 Contour LX
238,000 miles
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 289
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 289 |
Oh yea, I forgot, I bet another reason I was pulled over was because the car I borrowed, had MN plates. MN plates + driving in WI is trouble.
1995 Contour LX
238,000 miles
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 624
Veteran CEG\'er
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Veteran CEG\'er
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 624 |
You do not have to appear in court to enter a plea. I just called the court and pled NOT guilty. They gave me a court date and I showed up then. I document my phone call to the court.
Sold 1998 Contour LX 13.868 sec 1/4 mile time.
Two years of rental cars, seriously.
Holding out for 07 Cobra Mustang.
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Scourge of the Master Debaters
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OP
Scourge of the Master Debaters
Joined: Jul 2002
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Yeah, the bailiff at my initial date explained that you don't actually have to come to court to plead not guilty. The new date is only a pre-trial hearing where you meet with the city attorney to discuss the case. If you can't cut a deal you'll go to trial, and that's where the cop has to show up. They have to pay the cop for his time in the courtroom (which may be overtime for him/her) as well as the usual overhead for prosecuting a stupid traffic ticket, so they'll offer you something just to avoid all that. I got nailed on Lake Drive, right by Layton Ave. Yup, that's right, I got nailed RIGHT IN FRONT of the police station. I thought the speed limit was higher than it was, and that the cop shop was further north than it was 
Beer is my Gatorade.
Hooray Beer.
'98 "Sport" Pacific Green
'98 E0 SVT Silver Frost
Pictures
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 289
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 289 |
So, did you go to court yesterday? Did they take off one point?
Do you think I should pay my $212 fine and take the 4 points? My driving record doesn't have any points against the 12 that we are allowed.
Is it worth going to court over? Or should I suck it up and pay the fine?
1995 Contour LX
238,000 miles
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,714
Scourge of the Master Debaters
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OP
Scourge of the Master Debaters
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Actually its tomorrow, and no I won't be going since I have a lawyer representing me. Now that I added a second car to my insurance I'm really hoping to get the ticket reduced so my insurance company doesn't get too pissed. I may start shopping around preemptively.
To answer your question: always challenge a ticket. Almost every court (in Wisconsin anyway) will reduce the points on a ticket by a little bit (I've been talking with laywers). If you really don't want the hassle of going to court and you don't want to pay a lawyer you could just pay it and get it out of the way, but I think its worth it to get it reduced. Its likely that you'll be paying the same monetary fine no matter what; they'll just reduce the points usually.
Last edited by hetfield; 06/04/03 04:45 PM.
Beer is my Gatorade.
Hooray Beer.
'98 "Sport" Pacific Green
'98 E0 SVT Silver Frost
Pictures
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 289
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 289 |
So, whatever became of your ticket? Did they reduce the points/fine?
I just ended up paying the $212.60 fine. I didn't have the time to go to court.
1995 Contour LX
238,000 miles
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,714
Scourge of the Master Debaters
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Scourge of the Master Debaters
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Haven't heard a word from my lawyer. He was supposed to meet with the city attorney on the 5th... almost a month ago. I'm sure he probably rescheduled the date with the attorney, otherwise he would've called had a deal been made. If I start to get paranoid I'll give him a call.
Beer is my Gatorade.
Hooray Beer.
'98 "Sport" Pacific Green
'98 E0 SVT Silver Frost
Pictures
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,714
Scourge of the Master Debaters
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Scourge of the Master Debaters
Joined: Jul 2002
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Welp, everything seems to be taken care of, but not without some drama. I got a letter in the mail from the Cudahy municipal judge basically asking why I haven't paid the $107 I agreed to pay by August 4th so they would dismiss my ticket. If I didn't pay in a week they'd find me guilty of the original charge, which would mean suspension of my license. They were also assessing a $25 late fee.
Confused, I called my lawyer, and his assistant got back to me to let me know they struck a deal back in June. She lost my file in a pile of paperwork, so she never notified me. They cut a check to the City of Cudahy for $107 + $25. I pay them $107. Most importantly, the ticket will disappear. Whew!
Beer is my Gatorade.
Hooray Beer.
'98 "Sport" Pacific Green
'98 E0 SVT Silver Frost
Pictures
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Joined: Mar 2002
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Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Mar 2002
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Sweet deal Mike! Glad your lawyer picked up the late fee--woulda been nice if they'd let you know what was going on though. 
'95 GL White
I've got mods.
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