Traffic Court

[Julie Greengiant]

I'm going to traffic court this week (south ogden) to contest a ticket, but I've never actually been before. Can anyone tell me what to expect or how exactly it works. I went to criminal court once when I was 18 but I don't know how similar they are.

 

[franklin]

I'm going to traffic court this week (south ogden) to contest a ticket, but I've never actually been before. Can anyone tell me what to expect or how exactly it works. I went to criminal court once when I was 18 but I don't know how similar they are.

Expect to be guilty. You can't win unless the officer doesn't show. Also, it's probably an arraignment & not court.

I'm going next week (first ticket in about 10 years even though I drive 85 miles/day). My only goal is to tell the officer what a dumbass he is, then pay the fine. I would have done it on the roadside but I wasn't in the mood for getting pistol whipped and hauled in for assaulting police officer. Cops is ********.

 

[Julie Greengiant]

Expect to be guilty. You can't win unless the officer doesn't show. Also, it's probably an arraignment & not court.

I'm going next week (first ticket in about 10 years even though I drive 85 miles/day). My only goal is to tell the officer what a dumbass he is, then pay the fine. I would have done it on the roadside but I wasn't in the mood for getting pistol whipped and hauled in for assaulting police officer. Cops is ********.

Bummer. I thought that it was almost a given that the officer isn't going to show up?

 

[LogGrad98]

Good luck in south ogden. My son was targeted due to his age and a bored cop. My daughter was with him at the time, he was 17 she 15. She attested he wasn't speeding. And being local we had a freind who stopped where my son was stopped because they knew him and watched the cop pull him over. They thought the cop had pulled him over because of some problem, so they thought they would see if they could help. It was for speeding though. They told the cop they had been following my son all along that road and he was never going more than 5 mph over the speedlimit, no more than anyone in front of or behind him. The cop told my son he clocked him at 15 over the speed limit (which would have been 50 mph) but the cars directly in front of him and behind him weren't speeding apparently. He threatened our friend with jail if he didn't just move along (to frank's point). Our friend even showed up at court to testify. In court the officer said he clocked him at 50, the judge refused to allow our friend to testify, and said the fine stood and he could do traffic school to remove the points. Loads and loads of ********. Warm up your checkbook unless you bring a lawyer with you.

Sorry to hear about it. Hope it turns out better for you.

 

[Darkwing Duck]

Good luck in south ogden. My son was targeted due to his age and a bored cop. My daughter was with him at the time, he was 17 she 15. She attested he wasn't speeding. And being local we had a freind who stopped where my son was stopped because they knew him and watched the cop pull him over. They thought the cop had pulled him over because of some problem, so they thought they would see if they could help. It was for speeding though. They told the cop they had been following my son all along that road and he was never going more than 5 mph over the speedlimit, no more than anyone in front of or behind him. The cop told my son he clocked him at 15 over the speed limit (which would have been 50 mph) but the cars directly in front of him and behind him weren't speeding apparently. He threatened our friend with jail if he didn't just move along (to frank's point). Our friend even showed up at court to testify. In court the officer said he clocked him at 50, the judge refused to allow our friend to testify, and said the fine stood and he could do traffic school to remove the points. Loads and loads of ********. Warm up your checkbook unless you bring a lawyer with you.

Sorry to hear about it. Hope it turns out better for you.

What road was this?

Guess I can ask Julie the same question.

I'm pretty sure if you're talking about 40th, then you're going to lose.

 

[♪alt13]

Good luck in south ogden. My son was targeted due to his age and a bored cop. My daughter was with him at the time, he was 17 she 15. She attested he wasn't speeding. And being local we had a freind who stopped where my son was stopped because they knew him and watched the cop pull him over. They thought the cop had pulled him over because of some problem, so they thought they would see if they could help. It was for speeding though. They told the cop they had been following my son all along that road and he was never going more than 5 mph over the speedlimit, no more than anyone in front of or behind him. The cop told my son he clocked him at 15 over the speed limit (which would have been 50 mph) but the cars directly in front of him and behind him weren't speeding apparently. He threatened our friend with jail if he didn't just move along (to frank's point). Our friend even showed up at court to testify. In court the officer said he clocked him at 50, the judge refused to allow our friend to testify, and said the fine stood and he could do traffic school to remove the points. Loads and loads of ********. Warm up your checkbook unless you bring a lawyer with you.

Sorry to hear about it. Hope it turns out better for you.

I thought you were in Reno?

 

[colton]

I'm going to traffic court this week (south ogden) to contest a ticket, but I've never actually been before. Can anyone tell me what to expect or how exactly it works. I went to criminal court once when I was 18 but I don't know how similar they are.

I went once in Wisconsin, not sure how similar that is to Utah. I got a ticket mailed to me for failing to stop for a school bus, which I contested. The driver showed up (to my surprise), and the judge said something like, "Well, since he's in a position of authority, I have to take his word over yours even though there is no proof." Gives WAY too much power to e.g. school bus drivers. I'm sure it's even more that way with police officers--even though I completely respect them, in my opinion there's got to be some hard evidence on which the ticket is based, or the system is just ASKING to be abused.

Anyway, I basically kept saying, "Look, I don't know what the driver thinks he saw, but I have NEVER failed to stop for a school bus." In the end, the judge did reduce the ticket a bit, or remove the points, or something like that.

 

[franklin]

The absolute worst I've seen was in Midvale. I watched a co-worker and friend wait for a stop light to change, and crossed the street without pushing the stupid button. No traffic to be seen. Sir Badass decided to give her a J-walking ticket (while I heckled the hell out of him hiding in my car).

She went to court to challenge and the city court told her she had to pay for a lawyer and the court fees if she wanted to use her constitutional right to make them prove her innocence.

Midvale, the Price, Utah of Utah.

 

[LogGrad98]

What road was this?

Guess I can ask Julie the same question.

I'm pretty sure if you're talking about 40th, then you're going to lose.

It was actually 300 W into the terrace. It was a time when the terrace contracted with south ogden and the county for police coverage.

I thought you were in Reno?

I have lived all over, but I have spent the bulk of my life in Utah, grew up in Washington Terrace, lived in Clearfield, North Ogden. Have also lived in Portland, OR, Vancouver, WA (basically the same thing across the river), San Bernadino for a short while, and Reno in 2 different stints now. Looking to try to move back to SLC area but jobs are slim pickings in my field there. Hoping to transfer to Draper with eBay.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Expect to be guilty. You can't win unless the officer doesn't show. Also, it's probably an arraignment & not court.

I'm going next week (first ticket in about 10 years even though I drive 85 miles/day). My only goal is to tell the officer what a dumbass he is, then pay the fine. I would have done it on the roadside but I wasn't in the mood for getting pistol whipped and hauled in for assaulting police officer. Cops is ********.

That is awfully damn slow. I've probably cussed u a few times.

 

[franklin]

That is awfully damn slow. I've probably cussed u a few times.

Heh. I'm a serial car pool violator too. That should really get your butt plug spiking out.

 

[Darkwing Duck]

It was actually 300 W into the terrace. It was a time when the terrace contracted with south ogden and the county for police coverage.

30, there. I assume up the hill. Was it before or after the widening to two lanes? Terrace is Weber County Sheriffs, now. Still 30, but I've seen people go 45 down it (hell, my friend does 45 down it). I'll get up to 40 going up the hill and level out my speed when the hill levels out, especially since you should always expect a cop in that dance studio parking lot.

 

[LogGrad98]

30, there. I assume up the hill. Was it before or after the widening to two lanes? Terrace is Weber County Sheriffs, now. Still 30, but I've seen people go 45 down it (hell, my friend does 45 down it). I'll get up to 40 going up the hill and level out my speed when the hill levels out, especially since you should always expect a cop in that dance studio parking lot.

He was coming up the hill and had just passed the light by terrace depot, in a row of like 5 other cars in front of him and behind him. If he was going 50 so was everyone else, and he picked the young kid in the middle of the pack to pull over. ********. The cop was sitting in the little auto shop parking lot across from TD hidden behind the auto shop in the dark (it was like 9:00 pm in the winter). Pulled him over right in front of the fire station.

 

[Hotdog]

Fighting the ticket depends on whether or not the cop gave you a reduced charge or not.

If the cop DID knock the ticket down ftom something like 15 to 5 then you might as well not go because like everyone else has said, you won't win. I think there is even a chance they charge you with the full amount over. I've been told by the prosecuting attorney they can do that. Not sure if it is true though.

If you weren't given a reduced ticket by the cop at the time then it is a must you go because it is most likely the prosecuting attorney will make a deal with you just so they dont have to go to court with you and waste everyone's time. They want to avoid that. Be prepared to make the trip a couple times though. The first time you might just be going to plead not guilty and that's it. They want to squeeze you a little, but you gots to call their bluff. You will get a discount if you hang in there long enough. They really want to avoid court.

I have taken the process all the way through court, but with no luck. I should have just taken the deal. You will lose everytime. The cop will show up and the judge will side with the cop unless you are great at selling a great b.s. story, or arguing. Franklin would probably be good at it. Do it if you want to have a little fun too. Its kind of fun playing lawyer and asking the cop questions on the stand. And it feels good to waste their time and money since they are wasting yours. The cost for the court session will be way more than your stupid little fine. So that feels good knowing that they wasted their time and money with you.

 

[bigb]

The first time you will go to enter your plea. If you plead not guilty you'll have to set up your next time in when the city attorney will try to work a deal with you. They usually offer a plea in abeyance. That means you pay a fine and a little extra "abeyance" charge. But if you go the time frame outlined without another moving violations the ticket disappears from your record.
I was told by a cop buddy of mine that if you choose to fight it and go to court, the cop basically gets subpoenaed and has to show up to court. Just like everyone else has said, the judge will side with the cop 110% of the time.

 

[Chad Feldheimer]

Everytime I have tried to fight a ticket it hasn't done much. Expect to have to pay the ticket. I've plead not guilty and stood in front of the judge and had him say you sorry you have to pay anyway. I told the judge I didn't speed. Judge said well you don't have any evidence that didn't speed. So guilty until proven innocent. I've had fines reduced but the tickets stick which sucks because they stay on your driving record.

 

[LogGrad98]

I haven't had a ticket in over a decade. Even before I sold my vette. I got pulled over a few times but avoided the ticket because I have a nice rack.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using JazzFanz mobile app

 

[Julie Greengiant]

The first time you will go to enter your plea. If you plead not guilty you'll have to set up your next time in when the city attorney will try to work a deal with you. They usually offer a plea in abeyance. That means you pay a fine and a little extra "abeyance" charge. But if you go the time frame outlined without another moving violations the ticket disappears from your record.
I was told by a cop buddy of mine that if you choose to fight it and go to court, the cop basically gets subpoenaed and has to show up to court. Just like everyone else has said, the judge will side with the cop 110% of the time.

Thanks, this is really helpful. I was wondering if I had to meet with the city attorney beforehand or if I just go in and talk to the judge.

My citation was the result of an accident in which there were no witnesses and the officers did no investigation and didn't take my statement. If I was a conspiracy theorist I might say this was because of the research I did after the fact and found that the kid who hit me is the son of a high level police official in Ogden. Fortunately, I just believe it was negligent police work.

 

[TroutBum]

The #1 way to get out of a ticket is: Don't speed. The next best thing: when the cop asks you how fast you were going, say exactly what the speed limit is. The instant you claim that you were only going 5 over, like everyone else, you're toast. My last two times getting pulled over ended up with the cop saying that he clocked me at 10 - 15 mph over, but I said I was going the limit. I didn't get a ticket either time -- and one was in Idaho.

I've fought 10 or so tickets over the years and I've lost every one of them. The only time I came close was the three people in front of me all had their cases dismissed because the cop didn't show up, and lo, my cop didn't either. When I stood up to take my dismissal, the judge said, "I'm not about to dismiss 4 in a row"... And then had me reschedule another time to come back man, I was bent.

 

[franklin]

Everytime I have tried to fight a ticket it hasn't done much. Expect to have to pay the ticket. I've plead not guilty and stood in front of the judge and had him say you sorry you have to pay anyway. I told the judge I didn't speed. Judge said well you don't have any evidence that didn't speed. So guilty until proven innocent. I've had fines reduced but the tickets stick which sucks because they stay on your driving record.

Judges is like moderators. They can't get in the habit reversing infractions.