Traffic violation procedures

Ugh, I honestly don't get how I got hit with a fine from $333 under Article 45, Section 4, when that exact same section says the penalty is $167????? 😕😕😕
Is it actually possible the officer just totally blanked or something?

He was even showing me the Traffic Safety Act, pointing out which article and section I supposedly violated. I read the first paragraph of the article and stopped there because, newsflash, I didn't know the Law inside and out yet—I had no idea the penalties were listed right there. Then, fifteen minutes later, my citation and the payment slip both say the fine is $333. 🤷

Also, does it matter who called the police to the scene? Some friends are telling me that whoever calls the cops ends up paying them. What is that supposed to mean, and how much does it cost? 🤷Because I called them thinking I hadn't done anything wrong, and then... well, this happened.

And here's a little personal observation. I'm a Midwest girl from New Orleans, driving my fiancé's car with plates starting with VK..., the accident happened in San Diego, and honestly, I feel like I got targeted by local bias. 😲It feels like people from San Diego can do whatever they want on the road, while anyone else with out-of-town plates gets picked on. 😠
I’ve noticed the same thing at parking lots, too. The guy checking for parking permits seems to only target cars with out-of-town plates, while he just breezes past the local ones. I actually pulled over once just to watch him work!!! It's unbelievable! 😲Is it like this in other cities too?

darkraven17 said:Ugh, I honestly don't get how I got hit with a fine from $333 under Article 45, Section 4, when that exact same section says the penalty is $167????? 😕😕😕
Is it actually possible the officer just totally blanked or something?

He was even showing me the Traffic Safety Act, pointing out which article and section I supposedly violated. I read the first paragraph of the article and stopped there because, newsflash, I didn't know the Law inside and out yet—I had no idea the penalties were listed right there. Then, fifteen minutes later, my citation and the payment slip both say the fine is $333. 🤷

Also, does it matter who called the police to the scene? Some friends are telling me that whoever calls the cops ends up paying them. What is that supposed to mean, and how much does it cost? 🤷Because I called them thinking I hadn't done anything wrong, and then... well, this happened.

And here's a little personal observation. I'm a Midwest girl from New Orleans, driving my fiancé's car with plates starting with VK..., the accident happened in San Diego, and honestly, I feel like I got targeted by local bias. 😲It feels like people from San Diego can do whatever they want on the road, while anyone else with out-of-town plates gets picked on. 😠
I’ve noticed the same thing at parking lots, too. The guy checking for parking permits seems to only target cars with out-of-town plates, while he just breezes past the local ones. I actually pulled over once just to watch him work!!! It's unbelievable! 😲Is it like this in other cities too?

From what I understand, the fine doubles if there’s any property damage involved. That's probably why you're seeing $1,000 instead of $500.

darkraven17 said:Ugh, I honestly don't get how I got hit with a fine from $333 under Article 45, Section 4, when that exact same section says the penalty is $167????? 😕😕😕
Is it actually possible the officer just totally blanked or something?

He was even showing me the Traffic Safety Act, pointing out which article and section I supposedly violated. I read the first paragraph of the article and stopped there because, newsflash, I didn't know the Law inside and out yet—I had no idea the penalties were listed right there. Then, fifteen minutes later, my citation and the payment slip both say the fine is $333. 🤷

Also, does it matter who called the police to the scene? Some friends are telling me that whoever calls the cops ends up paying them. What is that supposed to mean, and how much does it cost? 🤷Because I called them thinking I hadn't done anything wrong, and then... well, this happened.

And here's a little personal observation. I'm a Midwest girl from New Orleans, driving my fiancé's car with plates starting with VK..., the accident happened in San Diego, and honestly, I feel like I got targeted by local bias. 😲It feels like people from San Diego can do whatever they want on the road, while anyone else with out-of-town plates gets picked on. 😠
I’ve noticed the same thing at parking lots, too. The guy checking for parking permits seems to only target cars with out-of-town plates, while he just breezes past the local ones. I actually pulled over once just to watch him work!!! It's unbelievable! 😲Is it like this in other cities too?

Honestly, it’s pretty much the same story in every city out there—especially the smaller ones—including yours. You could almost call it a "positional rent."

Hey everyone

I really need some advice here, please

Things have gotten pretty bad for me lately... (link)

How does someone even go about making $2,000? Like, what’s the daily rate at a jailhouse work program?

And is there any way I can set that money aside until I finally wrap up my degree? 🙂

mistyseal11 said:Hey everyone

I really need some advice here, please

Things have gotten pretty bad for me lately... (link)

How does someone even go about making $2,000? Like, what’s the daily rate at a jailhouse work program?

And is there any way I can set that money aside until I finally wrap up my degree? 🙂

dude, check that link again 🙂 because whatever it's pointing to doesn't make any sense at all...

crimsonsailor7 said:dude, check that link again 🙂 because whatever it's pointing to doesn't make any sense at all...

look, there are way more posts on this, I didn't want to just link one single thing when the actual info isn't even in that one part... you gotta look at the whole thread🙂

so... it's like $500 for the registration fee and then a $300 fine....

I don't actually have to pay the registration fee... but whatever....

I guess I'm gonna have to find a way to deal with that $300 fine, whether I pay it or do community service....

so I'm just wondering... what are my options here...

and like it says right there.... I'm a college student, I've got no income, and I'm not living with my parents or getting any help from them.

Can someone please give me the full rundown on what’s actually going on here? This whole thing about the college transcripts doesn't seem to have anything to do with misdemeanor charges... I mean, what kind of penalty are we even talking about? wtf...

crimsonsailor7 said:Can someone please give me the full rundown on what’s actually going on here? This whole thing about the college transcripts doesn't seem to have anything to do with misdemeanor charges... I mean, what kind of penalty are we even talking about? wtf...

So basically, I blew through a red light...

And they caught up to me like two miles down the road just to try and sell me some bullshit story.
I already filed an appeal and I've got three witnesses backing me up.
But honestly, that's not even my main point right now.

The real question is, if this appeal doesn't go through... 🙂

thanks 🙂

if they don't let it slide, just ask them about setting up a payment plan...

and thank God, it looks like we've already covered pretty much every single option in this thread 🙂

I went ahead and sent a quick text to that 102 number to cover my parking for twenty minutes—just enough time to reach the charging station—only to find I’d already been slapped with a citation in the meantime. Any advice on how to handle this? I don't have my own income since I'm still a student living at home, and frankly, I'm too embarrassed to go begging my parents for the cash.

Honestly? Just head down to the collection office. Ask if they have an attorney on-site. Trust me, a little bit of charm goes a long way these days—I’m not talking about anything shady, just being persuasive. I've been there. Spin a little tale about how your friend suddenly felt sick and you had to rush her to a nearby clinic or dentist near the parking garage. Throw in that you're a college student, too. Most of those older folks working there are retired or just looking for a reason to be kind.

I mean, would a decent lawyer at one of those firms really turn away a girl in distress? Don't go thinking they’ll just forget about your ticket.

BTW—from what I know, once you register, you usually have a fifteen-minute grace period before the ticket officially hits the system. Tell them you were planning to sprint back to the car, but your friend needed you to stay by her side, and you were so panicked you completely blanked on checking your phone.

Yeah, a good story combined with the right attitude can sell just about anything. Definitely.

Hey, quick question here. 😁
Is there any way to avoid community service if I show up to court with a receipt proving I already paid the fine?
Thanks.

Look, I’m hoping someone here can weigh in with some actual experience or legal knowledge because I'm feeling pretty stuck. A tow truck hauled my car away, and if we're talking $300 total fines, this all started over a month ago. I still haven't paid. I filed an official appeal because back then, I was eight months pregnant and heading to the Democratic Party headquarters; I parked where everyone else usually parks—it was empty at the time—since it's closer to the office and I really need to stay off my feet right now. To make matters worse, I lost my job after my contract ended right when I told them I was pregnant. I laid all of this out in my appeal, submitted it five days after the tow, and included all the necessary paperwork as proof. I sent everything over to Times Square in New York City, but two weeks later, they just sent me a notice saying my case is being handled by the municipal court over on Kennedy. Now, nobody will give me a straight answer. Why am I being summoned to court? Should I be waiting for a specific ruling, or should I just pay the fine now? My biggest fear is that interest is going to start piling up on top of the penalty. They'll call me to court eventually, but I have no idea if they're going to hike the fine just because I've been waiting this long, or when they'll actually contact me, which is stressful since I'm due to give birth any day. I even called the court, and they claim there's nothing in their system yet, even though I got that notice a week ago stating it was their responsibility.
Does anyone have any insight here?? What should my next move be? Am I going to get hit with interest or an increased fine??? And if I end up having to go to court, am I looking at extra court costs on top of everything else? Does anyone know how this works???🤷😕

Since you’re pregnant, I really hope they give you a break on this one. I recently tried to appeal a parking ticket by asking for a simple warning instead, but they shot me down—now I’m stuck paying the full amount. Total bummer.

p.s. The fine just sits there in limbo while they process everything; once you get the official notice, you've either got to pay up or face the music. I think court costs run about $37. Anyway, don't let this stress you out. Just rub your belly and say hi to the little one for me. Good luck!!!😉

Look, if that's the case, then $37 I’m looking at more than just an immediate payment, isn't that right? And am I going to be hit with interest on top of all that? Besides, by the time they actually get around to calling me, I'll probably have already gone into labor.

From what I’ve gathered on this forum and my own recent run-in with the law (a fender bender left me with $333 fines + $33 extra fees, so I filed an appeal), once you get hit with a fine, that's it. It won't get any bigger—it can only go down if they actually listen to your appeal and reduce or scrap it. One thing I did notice, though: you always end up stuck with the towing fees. Like, if you got slapped with a $167 tow + $133 ticket, even if they grant your appeal and kill the ticket, you're still on the hook for the tow truck. Correct me if I'm wrong on that one.
There aren't any interest charges on the fine either. Once you file your appeal, the whole thing is basically "frozen" while it waits for a court date.
When I turned in my appeal to the Democratic Party, I asked the clerk if I should at least cough up the $33 for those service fees, but she told me not to pay a dime and just wait for the summons. I asked when that might happen, and she just said she had no clue and that it would take a while. That's just my experience, anyway. Hope this helps someone.😉

If you already filed an appeal, don't pay a dime. Honestly, they might just drop the whole thing since you're pregnant and out of work right now. I got hit with those $33 court fees on the spot along with my ticket, so I have no clue why yours hasn't shown up yet. Maybe it won't even matter since it was just a spider.
If only some lawyer on this forum would actually chime in...
I really want to help you out, but I'm stuck... I feel for you, especially being pregnant...😢

Somebody please help her!!! Surely there's someone here who actually knows what they're talking about!!!!

Back in July 2008, I was involved in a fender bender where I was at fault. The real kicker is that I was driving in the shoulder—it’s a minor thing, really, but it changes the whole math. Everything would have been fine if the lady I hit hadn't called the cops, who then came out to document the scene. I was buckled up, blew a perfect 0.00, and was keeping it right at the speed limit just to follow the rules—it was just that yellow line issue...

So, my question is: how much am I looking at in terms of fines and court fees for this violation, and what are my actual chances regarding the statute of limitations?
Also, do you think an appeal might work? The officer noted down my occupation as a full-time student—which I can definitely prove with my transcripts. I don't have any income, my parents aren't exactly wealthy, and this is my first offense.

One more thing—I haven't received anything in the mail yet, not even a formal notice... (any idea how long the wait usually is?)

So, I'm a little confused here... why hasn't the Democratic Party sent me that option to do community service instead of jail time? Basically, I got hit with this ticket $167 (honestly, felt like a total scam because the cop claimed there was a 70 mph sign right there, but I later realized I didn't see it because it literally DOESN'T exist), and I haven't paid it or filed an appeal yet. I was told that if I just left it alone, I'd eventually get a notice to choose my payment method, but now I've suddenly got a threat of wage garnishment from the IRS???

Hey, quick question.
Is there any way to dodge community service if I just show up to court with a receipt proving I already paid the fine?
thanks

Can someone actually answer me? It’s a pretty straightforward question.
please 🤷