Traffic violation procedures

Basically, we’re all doing just fine, provided there aren't too many creeps hanging around...
A good chunk of them end up facing a judge if their neighbor Peter decides to report them...

Of all the things that could possibly be breaking down right now, you really had to go and grab this one...

If we're talking about 'personal' stuff, then that’s a whole different ballgame, which you didn't really clarify up there. And honestly, there's really no point in us getting into a fight over it 😉

So, I ended up clipping a Ford in a parking lot that wasn't even properly marked, and the fender got a little dented... nothing major, really, but I sat there for about ten minutes waiting for someone to show up, and since nobody appeared, I had to head out to pick up my kid from school. Of course, within half an hour, the police were already looking for me—it’s funny how there’s always some busybody watching when you least expect it, but the second you actually need someone, the streets are empty... I ended up getting hit with $900, which means three points on my license and a three-month suspension. I’ve already filed an appeal, mainly arguing that I didn't feel any impact at all and had absolutely no way of knowing I’d damaged the vehicle, especially considering I haven't had a single ticket or point on my record in sixteen years of driving... if they don't significantly reduce the penalty, I might try to petition for community service instead, though honestly, nobody around here ever actually shows up to do the work—everyone just makes excuses... Interestingly, the officer who cited me actually gave me some advice on the appeal, mentioning how he managed to talk his way out of something similar once, and I even heard about another guy who was eventually cleared entirely, so what do you all think?

1. When you're filing an objection, you don't actually have to write out some massive, detailed explanation... you can just state the objection itself and leave it at that.
2. Instead of paying a fine, you might be able to get by by doing some community service work worth up to $167.

rowdybadger3 said:Look, Jonathan Bishop76, that might work in theory, but the packaging explicitly says..........
The American language is incredibly precise in certain situations....

When I get a delivery receipt back signed by a household member, I consider that a valid delivery—regardless of what some specific wording on that slip might imply. You can spend your time complaining and trying to prove you didn't receive it, or who exactly took it, but go ahead—keep playing linguistic acrobatics if you enjoy it that much.☕

Jonathan Bishop76 said:When I get a delivery receipt back signed by a household member, I consider that a valid delivery—regardless of what some specific wording on that slip might imply. You can spend your time complaining and trying to prove you didn't receive it, or who exactly took it, but go ahead—keep playing linguistic acrobatics if you enjoy it that much.☕

There's a big difference between what you *think* is right and what the law actually says.
I personally feel like I pay way too much in taxes, too, but there isn't much I can do about it—and I bet you’d agree with me on that, simply because that's how the law works.
The law is based on established rules, not personal feelings. If we went by everyone's individual opinions, half the country would probably be behind bars by now—myself included, for example.

I respect your expertise, really, but with all due respect, I received different information from someone I consider just a hair more competent than you.
☕

Regardless of any family ties, I trust him implicitly...

I won't even tell you how he’s gone so far as to give advice to lawyers in certain situations—strictly off the clock and unrelated to his own courtroom cases, of course.

rowdybadger3 said:Look, I’ve been in misdemeanor court before—the judge there was probably roughly my age... (I'm 30)... and honestly, I gotta admit, she was a pretty cute blonde. 😉

Thirty is a perfectly fine age for a judge, but if I recall correctly, William Edwards14 is working in law now—which is why I'm saying it doesn't seem like they've been around that long

Anyway, that's totally off topic

I don't have the energy to get into the whole delivery mess right now😢

crimsonsailor7 said:1. When you're filing an objection, you don't actually have to write out some massive, detailed explanation... you can just state the objection itself and leave it at that.
2. Instead of paying a fine, you might be able to get by by doing some community service work worth up to $167.

Man... if that's how it works, I'll gladly serve nine days in jail if I have to...👎 or I'll just pull some strings in court, hire a high-powered attorney, and go from there...

rowdybadger3 said:There's a big difference between what you *think* is right and what the law actually says.
I personally feel like I pay way too much in taxes, too, but there isn't much I can do about it—and I bet you’d agree with me on that, simply because that's how the law works.
The law is based on established rules, not personal feelings. If we went by everyone's individual opinions, half the country would probably be behind bars by now—myself included, for example.

I respect your expertise, really, but with all due respect, I received different information from someone I consider just a hair more competent than you.
☕

Regardless of any family ties, I trust him implicitly...

I won't even tell you how he’s gone so far as to give advice to lawyers in certain situations—strictly off the clock and unrelated to his own courtroom cases, of course.

That's just my take—and that's how I operate. No one else has ever swayed my decision by telling me to "listen to my father" or whatever else; if you want to believe whoever you like, that's your problem...☕

Hey everyone... you all look like you're having a blast over here... let's keep it civil, okay? No fighting... hahaha, I'm just kidding. Honestly, I don't even have the energy to get into an argument with you guys, so I'll just sit back and lurk☕

Hi everyone on this thread (I've read all the 😁)...

I'll try to lay out my problem and my uncertainty regarding it as briefly as possible.

Basically, I committed a minor traffic violation. I didn't sign anything at the scene. I think the fine is excessive (especially since I work out in the field, so my driver's license is EXTREMELY important to me), so I decided to see if I could let the whole thing expire through the statute of limitations. Within eight days, I filed an appeal (which I did sign) after getting some advice from a law student—nothing major—and now I'm just waiting for court summonses to arrive, which I fully intend to ignore... blah blah (we've all seen this here)

...and I've told everyone at home at least 50 times not to accept or sign for any mail addressed to me (especially those blue envelopes from the court)

In the meantime, my old man couldn't help himself from messing things up. He goes ahead and signs for it, and only then does the mail carrier hand over the blue envelope. I should note that the blue envelope explicitly instructs the carrier: "deliver the shipment to the recipient only upon signature on the return receipt, which the carrier must return to the sender." This essentially means it was improperly delivered. But regardless, it's inside the house...

My question is this:

Should I simply not show up to court when scheduled under the pretext that "I never received the notice," or should I send them a letter explaining that I am prevented from attending that day (which is the truth) and requesting they schedule a later hearing (which I will also ignore)?

Thanks.

P.S.

The paperwork doesn't specify where or how to contact the court if I can't attend the hearing, but it does state that for failing to receive this notice, the defendant can be fined up to $1667. It also mentions that in the event of non-appearance, a bench warrant may be issued at the defendant's expense.

If you can't make it, just mail a letter to the court using case number xxx—it should be right there on your paperwork—and make sure to attach proof of why you can't show up.

Basically, they’ll grant it, but don't go thinking it's set in stone.

Thanks, but I don't really see that as an option since this isn't for work...

What am I supposed to do, photocopy my bus pass???

What actually happens if I just don't show up?

placidowl24 said:Thanks, but I don't really see that as an option since this isn't for work...

What am I supposed to do, photocopy my bus pass???

What actually happens if I just don't show up?

Nothing scary... they'll just have the spider-bots arrest you... at your own expense, obviously...🥳

Not sure if this is the right spot for this, but I didn't want to risk starting a whole new thread.

Long story short. On Friday, I had a run-in with a total jerk cop.
Basically, I was driving out of Chicago toward a smaller town, and near the TVIm facility, I decided to pass two cars right where the line was broken. One of them happened to be a cop car. There was also another car behind me before I made the move. Since it was 5:30 PM and pitch black out, I wasn't even paying attention to what kind of cars they were. Who actually looks at brands when they aren't expecting something to go wrong?
Anyway, I pass them and keep going, picking up a little speed—nothing crazy. Suddenly, near the turnoff, there’s a patrol car behind me. I pull over, and this cop hops out and starts claiming I passed three cars on a solid line. His explanation was totally nonsensical; he wasn't even using legal terms, just getting all worked up and repeating that I "need to fix my driving." My friend was in the car with me, just sitting there looking pale. Basically, he grabbed my license and registration and walked back to his cruiser (he didn't even tell me to wait). After a while, he comes back, hands me my papers, turns around, and heads back to his car without saying a word. When I asked him to explain what violation I actually committed or what the fine would be, he just told me everything would come in the mail. He didn't give me anything to sign or anything. Honestly, the whole thing felt super shady.
I know for a fact the part about the number of cars is a lie (I can count to three, thanks), but I'm not 100% sure about the solid line. There's a solid line about a couple hundred yards further down by the Octanova gas station.
I'm definitely planning to fight this, and my friend offered to go to court with me to back up my story. Everything he said was completely irrational, and she's certain it wasn't a solid line and that I definitely didn't pass two cars.

Jonathan Bishop76 said:That's just my take—and that's how I operate. No one else has ever swayed my decision by telling me to "listen to my father" or whatever else; if you want to believe whoever you like, that's your problem...☕

Wow... talk about disrespectful toward your old man... honestly, he'd eat you alive if he felt like it.

rowdybadger3 said:Wow... talk about disrespectful toward your old man... honestly, he'd eat you alive if he felt like it.

And the fact that they didn't reject it on a technicality just means your lawyer—or whoever was handling this—dropped the ball. It doesn't make you some kind of legal genius.........
I mean, if you specify that something needs to be hand-delivered and they just play deaf to the request.......
Ahem, cough, cough... let's be real, the rebuttal for all those points hasn't even been met yet..........

placidowl24 said:Hi everyone on this thread (I've read all the 😁)...

I'll try to lay out my problem and my uncertainty regarding it as briefly as possible.

Basically, I committed a minor traffic violation. I didn't sign anything at the scene. I think the fine is excessive (especially since I work out in the field, so my driver's license is EXTREMELY important to me), so I decided to see if I could let the whole thing expire through the statute of limitations. Within eight days, I filed an appeal (which I did sign) after getting some advice from a law student—nothing major—and now I'm just waiting for court summonses to arrive, which I fully intend to ignore... blah blah (we've all seen this here)

...and I've told everyone at home at least 50 times not to accept or sign for any mail addressed to me (especially those blue envelopes from the court)

In the meantime, my old man couldn't help himself from messing things up. He goes ahead and signs for it, and only then does the mail carrier hand over the blue envelope. I should note that the blue envelope explicitly instructs the carrier: "deliver the shipment to the recipient only upon signature on the return receipt, which the carrier must return to the sender." This essentially means it was improperly delivered. But regardless, it's inside the house...

My question is this:

Should I simply not show up to court when scheduled under the pretext that "I never received the notice," or should I send them a letter explaining that I am prevented from attending that day (which is the truth) and requesting they schedule a later hearing (which I will also ignore)?

Thanks.

P.S.

The paperwork doesn't specify where or how to contact the court if I can't attend the hearing, but it does state that for failing to receive this notice, the defendant can be fined up to $1667. It also mentions that in the event of non-appearance, a bench warrant may be issued at the defendant's expense.

It was improperly served, and any attempt by an aggressive judge like Jonathan Bishop76 could end quite badly.......
Don't sweat it; just enjoy the laugh at the expense of the clueless mail carriers...

Keith Nguyen7 said:Not sure if this is the right spot for this, but I didn't want to risk starting a whole new thread.

Long story short. On Friday, I had a run-in with a total jerk cop.
Basically, I was driving out of Chicago toward a smaller town, and near the TVIm facility, I decided to pass two cars right where the line was broken. One of them happened to be a cop car. There was also another car behind me before I made the move. Since it was 5:30 PM and pitch black out, I wasn't even paying attention to what kind of cars they were. Who actually looks at brands when they aren't expecting something to go wrong?
Anyway, I pass them and keep going, picking up a little speed—nothing crazy. Suddenly, near the turnoff, there’s a patrol car behind me. I pull over, and this cop hops out and starts claiming I passed three cars on a solid line. His explanation was totally nonsensical; he wasn't even using legal terms, just getting all worked up and repeating that I "need to fix my driving." My friend was in the car with me, just sitting there looking pale. Basically, he grabbed my license and registration and walked back to his cruiser (he didn't even tell me to wait). After a while, he comes back, hands me my papers, turns around, and heads back to his car without saying a word. When I asked him to explain what violation I actually committed or what the fine would be, he just told me everything would come in the mail. He didn't give me anything to sign or anything. Honestly, the whole thing felt super shady.
I know for a fact the part about the number of cars is a lie (I can count to three, thanks), but I'm not 100% sure about the solid line. There's a solid line about a couple hundred yards further down by the Octanova gas station.
I'm definitely planning to fight this, and my friend offered to go to court with me to back up my story. Everything he said was completely irrational, and she's certain it wasn't a solid line and that I definitely didn't pass two cars.

Even if you did cross a solid line, no judge is going to rule against you... though maybe Jonathan Bishop76 would.😂

rowdybadger3 said:Even if you did cross a solid line, no judge is going to rule against you... though maybe Jonathan Bishop76 would.😂

The saga continues. My coworker went to check today to see if any actual charges had been filed yet. So far? Absolutely nothing in the system. All we can find is some speeding ticket from back in October that’s just sitting there waiting for a judge—I only even looked up how to file an appeal just to see what the process was like. If nothing has popped up since last Friday, I doubt anything ever will. Seriously though, what the hell is even happening?😲