Traffic violation procedures
in Criminal and Misdemeanor Law ·
Just before midnight in Midland, five friends were hanging out on some benches. We had one bottle of wine and two empty beer cans sitting around us. Suddenly, two rookie cops roll up and hand out five separate citations for drinking in public. Since we aren't exactly experts on misdemeanor tickets—and since the info on the citations was actually wrong (they even listed the wrong street!)—we didn't sign them. Well, one guy did, because he knew signing just meant acknowledging receipt. That was probably a mistake on our part, but the officers didn't bother explaining what the signature actually meant.
What’s the move here? Should we contest this or just pay the fines? Do we have a shot in court? It’s not about the money, really; it's just frustrating dealing with this level of stupidity, from both sides.
Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.
What’s the move here? Should we contest this or just pay the fines? Do we have a shot in court? It’s not about the money, really; it's just frustrating dealing with this level of stupidity, from both sides.
Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.