Help with Traffic Ticket

[johnny]

I know you all will probably say ya right you are guilty but there is my story.
I am driving in a residential area today and approach an intersection with a 4 way stop as i am coming up to the stop sign i notice a cop car sitting up the side street waiting for people to run the stop sign. I see him, look right at him, come to a complete stop and then proceed. Next thing i know he is pulling me over and giving me a ticket for going through a stop sign. I am like WTF? i stopped, he says ya but not for long enough.....what a joke.
So what i am thinking happened, when i pulled up to the intersection and seen him, when i looked his head was down looking at his computer, so i am thinking he looked up to only see me going through the stop sign, he didnt see me stop. So i get a ticket when i did nothing wrong. This ticks me off so much. he says he has to give me a ticket because they have had complaints in the area.
So how do i get off this ticket? i should have to lose 3 points and pay $110 for nothing.
i already have some ideas for my defense. anyone else have any??
like go target people who should be targeted, not respectable members of society.

 

[thompo69]

I know you all will probably say ya right you are guilty but there is my story.
I am driving in a residential area today and approach an intersection with a 4 way stop as i am coming up to the stop sign i notice a cop car sitting up the side street waiting for people to run the stop sign. I see him, look right at him, come to a complete stop and then proceed. Next thing i know he is pulling me over and giving me a ticket for going through a stop sign. I am like WTF? i stopped, he says ya but not for long enough.....what a joke.
So what i am thinking happened, when i pulled up to the intersection and seen him, when i looked his head was down looking at his computer, so i am thinking he looked up to only see me going through the stop sign, he didnt see me stop. So i get a ticket when i did nothing wrong. This ticks me off so much. he says he has to give me a ticket because they have had complaints in the area.
So how do i get off this ticket? i should have to lose 3 points and pay $110 for nothing.
i already have some ideas for my defense. anyone else have any??
like go target people who should be targeted, not respectable members of society.

Did you see him looking down at his computer, or is that just a theory? Was anyone else in the car with you who may have seen him looking down? Are you sure you came to a complete stop, meaning all forward motion of the wheels halted? Something they nail people for a lot is "rolling stops" where it often feels like you've come to a stop, but your wheels never actually stop completely.

 

[l69norm]

.... I am like WTF? i stopped, he says ya but not for long enough.....what a joke. So what i am thinking happened, when i pulled up to the intersection and seen him, when i looked his head was down looking at his computer, so i am thinking he looked up to only see me going through the stop sign, he didnt see me stop. ....

Did you see him looking down at his computer, or is that just a theory? Was anyone else in the car with you who may have seen him looking down? Are you sure you came to a complete stop, meaning all forward motion of the wheels halted? Something they nail people for a lot is "rolling stops" where it often feels like you've come to a stop, but your wheels never actually stop completely.

If he actually acknowledged or said you had "stopped" but "for not long enough", then you might have something because the HTA just says "stop". I don't think the HTA says how long in time a "stop" actually has to be. It's just forward motion of the wheels completely halted. If he actually said you didn't stop, you are probably SOL.

It would be a tough one to show he was looking down at the computer unless you somehow get him to admit this in front of the judge.

 

[Fabulous]

Plead NOT-GUILTY, it'll be at least 8-12 months before you see the court room. Chances are the cop no-shows.

Although I'd like to know what makes you more respectable than anybody else? or how should the cop know that? respectable people make mistakes too

 

[l69norm]

...Although I'd like to know what makes you more respectable than anybody else? or how should the cop know that? respectable people make mistakes too

I've noticed the police are using "judgment" type traffic stops as an excuse to pull people over to see if they've been drinking (i.e. ran a red light when it was really yellow, didn't come to complete stop when you really did, etc..). They aren't allowed to pull someone over at random to see if they've been drinking unless they are obviously weaving etc.

If they get too much attitude, I could see the officer going out his way to write a "bad" ticket, even though they know it might not stick.

 

[toughb]

Agreed...

Plead NOT-GUILTY, it'll be at least 8-12 months before you see the court room. Chances are the cop no-shows.

Although I'd like to know what makes you more respectable than anybody else? or how should the cop know that? respectable people make mistakes too

******************************

That explanation is unique and frankly the cop probably won't show up.

It's worth the time. Who needs probable insurance premium increases.

 

[masterchief]

Why do you all think that the cop will not show up. This isn't 1970 anymore. Do you realize that most court dates are framed to work within the officers time off so he can come in.

The best part is, since it's a day off it becomes a time-and-a-half day which is $60/hour. Of course they'll show up, so they can wait all day and get paid to be there. What will most likely happen is that at the trial the office will probably drop the charges.

 

[Anderson]

I know you all will probably say ya right you are guilty but there is my story.
I am driving in a residential area today and approach an intersection with a 4 way stop as i am coming up to the stop sign i notice a cop car sitting up the side street waiting for people to run the stop sign. I see him, look right at him, come to a complete stop and then proceed. Next thing i know he is pulling me over and giving me a ticket for going through a stop sign. I am like WTF? i stopped, he says ya but not for long enough.....what a joke.
So what i am thinking happened, when i pulled up to the intersection and seen him, when i looked his head was down looking at his computer, so i am thinking he looked up to only see me going through the stop sign, he didnt see me stop. So i get a ticket when i did nothing wrong. This ticks me off so much. he says he has to give me a ticket because they have had complaints in the area.
So how do i get off this ticket? i should have to lose 3 points and pay $110 for nothing.
i already have some ideas for my defense. anyone else have any??
like go target people who should be targeted, not respectable members of society.

So You are so respected yet others are all guilty and not respected ? Gotcha !

First of all, you did not stop completely, hence the ticket.He did not glance and miss your stop or he would have not ticketed you. He could get as many tickets as he wants and he does not need to ticket cars that stop.

 

[STASH]

The problem is the courts believe the cops before citizens. I've seen this many times. Once the bastards write the tickets, your behind the eight ball right away.
I get pissed when they lay charges and weren't even there to see what happened. Yet you were there and your statements seem to mean nothing.

Don't forget boys the law has it's own " inner circle club " Cops and judges blow each other......your just in the way

Plead not guilty...fight it brother

 

[Mable]

You have received some not so good advice. Be careful of laymen providing legal advice. I have practised for some time now and recently got a client off from a charge of passing a stopped school bus. Regardless of the facts here it is probably worth while to fight the ticket. There are many defences and even a so called simple traffic case can get quite complicated. That last trial I had lasted all day! It is important that you review the Provincial Offenses Act as well as the cases regarding errors on the Certificate of Offense. Get your disclosure ! That will tell you a great deal on how to proceed. You also need to know how to ask the cop the right questions to generate reasonable doubt. So do not give up. I have advised family members how to represent themselves and they are 5 for 5. Wins that is. 100% success rate. Neither the cops nor the Crown are usually ready for the trial. And oh yes, the delay time from filing your response to the trial is as little as 3 months, not 8 months. My last case took 3 months and 10 days to get to court.

 

[l69norm]

...Do you realize that most court dates are framed to work within the officers time off so he can come in...

Isn't it the opposite now, they deliberately pick a day he will be working so they don't have to pay him overtime?

 

[DistantVoyeur]

Isn't traffic court set on specific days? Like Tuesday and Thursday, or something like that?
Seem to remember it being something like that out here (Niagara), but maybe with all the tickets in the GTA they have it full time?

 

[Mia.Colpa]

No witnesses, you're done like dinner if you try to represent yourself. It's your word agains the cop and the cop virtually always wins in this scenario.

If you get a lawyer, perhaps he can trip the cop up with the right questions and create doubt in the judge's mind, the legal cost might be worth losing the points so your insurance rates don't go through the roof.

Also, yes the cop will show up. Those days are long gone where the cop hardly shows up.

I've used retired traffic cops to get me off some very high speeding tickets, it's all about who you know, and this guy knew the cop and negotiated my ticketed into the garbage. Good luck.

 

[Fabulous]

And oh yes, the delay time from filing your response to the trial is as little as 3 months, not 8 months. My last case took 3 months and 10 days to get to court.

Well I think that depends which area court you have to plead in, because I got a careless recently, pleaded not guilty on April 26 and the court date is set for April 8 next year.

Got another red light special before that, February or March I think, and still no court date set.

Yes people, please get off the road when you see me coming, ;-)