CITATIONS AND TICKETS

Parking Tickets:

If you get a parking ticket, pay it. If you have an exorbitant number of tickets you may consider fighting them, but you may be better off just paying them. Also, consider yourself lucky that your car was not towed.

Repair Ticket:

If you get a ticket for a minor repair such as a rear tail light lens that is broken, a head light that is out, fix the problem; it will take care of the ticket. The easiest way to avoid getting a ticket is to blend in with the crowd. Keep your car in good repair. It will pay off in the long run.

U turns:

You should prepare before you arrive in court in order to defend this type of situation. Research the vehicle code and look for the particular section of code that gives all the details that must be proved against you. The prosecution and the ticketing officer have the burden of proof in order to prove you guilty. Most vehicle codes will specify when a U - turn is illegal. Usually it is within a residential area and within so many feet of an intersection. Check with your local zoning office and see what type of district you are in and then return to the scene, measure off the distance from the corner where you made the U - Turn and refer to different land marks on the side of the road. Your best hope is for an officer that does not show up in court. Should he show up, you can give the prosecution the tiniest details and hope that these smaller known facts will cause the officer to slip up and contradict his testimony.

Red Lights:

These types of tickets are difficult to beat simply because it is your word against the officer’s as to the position of your vehicle at the time that the light actually turned red. The most important thing that you will have to prove is the position of your vehicle at the point that the light turned red. You have to be able to prove that you were not in the intersection at that time. The best location for the officer in this type of case, as far as you are concerned, is behind you or at least parallel to you. That would make it difficult for the officer to assess the exact position your car was in at the point that the light turned red. If the officer was approaching from a right angle, it may be difficult for him to give an accurate view of your vehicle and you may even state that he was not able to see your vehicle and the traffic light at the same time. There may also be some obstructions that may prevent him from having a clear view of the intersection such as hedges, fences or buildings that may be in the way. This could bring up the possibility of a theory of blocked visibility which may assist you in defeating the ticket.

Stop Signs:

Stop signs are very similar to red lights in the fact that you have to defend them in about the same way. If the officer is directly behind you, it’s difficult to assess the exact position of your vehicle in relation to the stop sign. When an officer is checking to see if your car actually stopped at a sign, the nose of your car will actually elevate slightly when it comes to a complete rest. The best place for an officer to observe this is from a 90 degree angle to your vehicle. If it is behind your car, he obviously can’t see the hood of your car and make the determination. Basically any position that’s perpendicular to your vehicle is impossible to win, since the officer has a complete view of your vehicle.

THE END

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