Well on the first of November, I was driving my MPV at like 2:30 am and I hit the intersection right as it turned red. Of course if I was driving the R, I would have clearly made the light, but my MPV is slow. well either way the guy pulls me over and tells me that I can either go to traffic school and get the point removed and pay the ticket, or I can say "no contest" and then it will be up to the judge to decide whether or not I should have to pay by using my previous driving record as a basis. He said option number three would be to argue the ticket in court.

I am not gonna do option number one because then I have no chance of getting off the hook.

Option number two. If any of you have chose this option and won, please post what your driving record was previous to the violation. I have been driving for almost three years with not one moving violation. Perfect record until now. Please give me some advice. thanks.

option number three is to argue in court. If I choose to do this, what evidence do I need to ask the officer to recall to get myself out of the ticket? I know that if he doesn't show, then I am off the hook, but what if he does show?

He was not waiting at the intersection I ran, he was in the middle of the block perpendicular to the road i was driving on, he saw me go by drove up to the intersection turned the corner, followed me for a block and then lit me up.

So what should I do???

this is a $273 ticket by the way. I should have just sped my way through the light and gotten a 45 in a 25 instead of a red light ticket. thanks for all the help in advance.

-Ken

If you are uncomfortable posting, but would like to help me, feel free to PM me.

Note that this happened on the first, the same couple of days the quota is due for officers to give tickets. This is CA police and I have to go to court today to set up a date.

 

You ran the redlight and you got caught.

Just pay the fine.

 

That's a LARGE ticket. I'd go to driver's school (or whatever they call it) and get it off my record, but the fine, wow. It's hard to argue going through a red light...

 

the red light run was questionable. I hit the second line of the crosswalk as the light turned red. The law says that if you are past the second line of the crosswalk before it turns red, then it is not a red light run. But it was the perception of the officer that I need to question. He could have had a bad angle and not been able to see the lights clearly. This could have gone either way.

 

What's with the ticket $$$? I ran a red light and got caught by the camera. It came out to only either $50 or $75.

 

CA is a bitch....dammit that ticket will dip into my mods if I have to pay it. someone has to have gotten out of the ticket before.

 

"But officer! It was dark-orange!"

 

Damn, 273 bucks. I just got one. I think the class is 100 bucks and 75 for the ticket. plus 10-15 bucks for court cost. Im just going to pay and take the class and hope I dont get another ticket within 6 months

 

You guys need faster cars.

Light turns yellow.

Mash gas.

Light turns red just as you pass under it.

 

Reid,

I really wish I was driving my R that night. But I was going to my friends house and his neighborhood is known for stolen Hondas so I drove the pimp *** MPV. Damn this sucks

 

Good book... I have it.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books

 

Hey I got a red light ticket when i went thro a green light. And i was in the ITR. I was just following my friends S2k. We were just cruising at like 30mph on the street. I ended up going to court and the cop didnt even show up.
I rather pay a lawyer than waste my time in school.

 

Thats what I did once i seen it turn yellow, and seen the cop posting a few feet back from the light(damn jerk, not even clocking). But he seen different

 

you're young and got caught. Pay the ticket.

 

Just pay it and take traffic school. It is a hefty fine...but you really don't have a chance at fighting it and winning.

Yeah the cops perception is questionable...especially considering it was close and it was 2:30am...he probably wasn't as alert as he made you think that he was. That doesnt' matter thoguh....in the case that it is your word against his..the cop will win every single time. Just take it int he shorts and smile. Sorry dude.

 

i ran a red light and the cop let me go cause he liked my car. luckiest day of my life. plus i had this pathetic look on my face and i also told him i didn't even see the light. wow he musta let me go cause of my stupidity as well

 

damn i wish that would have worked for me. He told me that whenever he pulls someone over, he enforces the more severe penalties. I really wanted to ask him not to show up to court, but I think that would have gotten me into deeper ****.

I just went to schedule my court date. 12/31/02 New Years Eve. Hopefully he has some dinner to go to with his wife or something.

 

Jessie James" Pay Up Sucka"

I do feel your pain tho...

 

do whatever u can to avoid points on your license...u can pay a huge fine now, or pay and pay and pay a hell of a lot more in your insurance for the next few years.

you probably woulda got pulled over anyway if you were driving the R and made it through the light A) you were probably speeding to get thru the light B) you are driving an ITR "fast at night like a maniac like it is a racecar"

 

Why doesn't anyone just prepare to come to a stop when they see a yellow? What's the rush anyhow.

Pay the fine and take it as a lesson learnt.

 

it was one of those, I'm sure I can make it situations. I saw the light turn yellow, I was like 35 feet from the intersection, so I just gassed it through, unfortunately it was too close to call.

 

yup...face it like a man!!

 

Damn, this is a harsh crowd...

Don't just pay the fine...

Fight it... why? Cause you can. Regardless if you're guilty or not... The court system is filled with holes that you can take advantage of...

Try it!

 

as far as the legal side is concerned, the law is different in every state and every officer has their own "interpretation" of the law, as they are allowed to w/ their discretion. (to each his own on that part) But as far as the whole "crosswalk" theory, I would not mention that in court.

Cops LIKE going to court, they get paid OVERTIME to be there, so he WANTS you to take it to court. You will make him HAPPY by showing up there, when you get there, talk to him about it. See if he is willing to work with you on dropping it to a non moving violation, either way he's got his court time.

You can also get a traffic lawyer, they can usually persuade the officer and/or judge to drop the ticket to a non point violation.

If you have any further questions, let me know....

EDIT...BTW, why the hell is a red light ticket so much $$ there?? Here a speeding ticket starts at just under $200, while a running a red light will cost you $76

CA sucks, eh?

 

i got flashed by the cameras, saved by no front plate