How not to get out of a traffic ticket.

[raymond]

I bet all of us secretly wish we could have done what this guy did.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/biz ... 78514.html

[Bill, Idaho]

I actually had a kid pulled over for about 10 different traffic and vehicle violations. When I walked up and asked him if he knew why I was talking to him he replied," to sell me tickets to the policemans ball?". With a straight face, no less.

I told him he was half right. He got a puzzled look on his 17 year old face and asked me which half. I told him the "ticket" half, not the "policemans-ball" half. They think we make this stuff up.

[moose53]

I actually had a kid pulled over for about 10 different traffic and vehicle violations. When I walked up and asked him if he knew why I was talking to him he replied," to sell me tickets to the policemans ball?". With a straight face, no less.

I told him he was half right. He got a puzzled look on his 17 year old face and asked me which half. I told him the "ticket" half, not the "policemans-ball" half. They think we make this stuff up.

I used to love the ones that would say something like" Why you stopping me? Shouldn't you be out fighting crime someplace??"

Jim

[fred431]

I could write a book on all the excuses I have gotten. The most memorable was when I stopped a guy for speeding who I had clocked on radar. This guy took me to court. His excuse to the judge was His radar detector didnt go off therfore he couldnt have clocked me on radar

[Bill, Idaho]

I sort of had the same excuse one time (out of many times--that seems to be a popular excuse). I don't know how it's done in other states/jurisdictions , but around here, the pre-trial for a traffic ticket is a half hour before the actual trial time. The idea is that at the pre-trial the prosecuting attorney and the recipient of said ticket meet, and the PA explains what the persons options, fines, etc might be. The underlying reason or goal, is to find out if the person wants to plead or go to trial. Then after the PA has met with everyone who is scheduled for that day, the judge comes in and the games begin. Those that decided to plead do so, and those that want a trial get their day in court.
Anyway, I like to get there during pre-trial and literally stand there with the PA and the offender to make sure the PA doesn't wheel-and-deal my ticket away, and to assist in "influencing" the offender in case they try to outright lie to the PA. This one time, I wrote a speeding ticket, the kid says his radar detector didn't go off, and he shouldn't be held liable. I stood there and told him with a straight face, (without the PA having any idea of what was coming) "ya' know, every radar-detector company says that they will pay any tickets gotten while using their detector, so technically, the court can't accept your money, only the radar-detector companies money.....you're screwed" The kid, AND THE PA, stood there with the thousand-mile-stare on their faces. I waited a second and then proclaimed, "yeah, the court quit accepting proxy payments on these things years ago". I instantly turned and walked away. They stood there facing each other without moving. I couldn't take it any longer and walked back smiling. Both figured they had been had, and all three of us chuckled.
He paid the ticket.

[fred431]

I dont have that problem here as we all prosecute our own traffic tickets and are 100% in charge. If I want to plea bargain its my call. The judge calls the case and asks the defendant how he wants to plead If he pleads not guilty then the judge asks him if he wants a trial. If he says yes then games begin immediatly. The joys of working for a small department. Our PA only handles criminal cases.

[Cobra5]

I like traffic court in Chicago. The judge takes care of all the repeat offenders than calls all the first time offenders up and dismisses their cases. It also helps if the officer that issues the ticket doesn't show up to court. Can't blame the cop because traffic court is usually scheduled on his day off.