traffic violation fulton county - need help (law, safer)

[jimmy page]

i got a move over citation recently. i was coming off from wills park exit 10 and getting on to 400. i had to take exit 9 to go over to north point mall. i saw the cop ticketing a guy very close to exit 9 and i immediately slowed down. i tried to move to a left lane but couldn't do it due to oncoming traffic. so i slowed down to 25 miles/hour and passed the cop(he was inside the car at that moment). immediately another cop comes (he was waiting close to exit behind this first cop) and gives me move over violation ticket. i tried to explain my situation that i had to take exit 9 and i tried moving to left lane but he didn't agree.

what are my chances of avoiding/contesting this ticket successfully in fulton county?

thanks.

jimmy.

[jimmy page]

and by the way the fine is $700.

[axemanjoe]

Well, I'm a 32 year police veteran, now a LT with a metro area agency. This law was a feel-good law that in my opinion does absolutely nothing to accomplish what the legislators and police advocacy groups thought it would. I don't feel any safer conducting traffic enforcement operations now that this law is in effect, and I haven't seen where it's done one bit of good, aside from making some officers feel like they accomplish something when they issue a citaion as in your example. It's not gonna make any of us or the public any safer when most of the motoring public doesn't even know the law is in effect. So how can there be any expectation of compliance when there is no understanding or awareness of it. It's like going into a building and then being told you just came in through the exit. How are you supposed to know when the doors aren't marked accordingly??????

The statute is very clear, a motorist is required to move over provided there is somewhere to move over to. You'll have to provide evidence that you had no where to move over to in order to get a not guilty verdict or a dismissal. I'd say go to court. Our Judge is very liberal with this statute, most get tossed cause it's just a waste of legislation. Lots of folks will disagree with me, but that's my 2 cents, FWIW.

[cityrover]

slowed down to 25.. what were you thinking?! next time stop next to him and see if that works better


you just demonstrated in front them you had no idea what you were doing and got ticketed for the highest fine they could give you. sad reality lately. rule 1 with emergency vehicles on the road: do not freak out.

[cityrover]

Originally Posted by axemanjoe

Well, I'm a 32 year police veteran, now a LT with a metro area agency. This law was a feel-good law that in my opinion does absolutely nothing to accomplish what the legislators and police advocacy groups thought it would. I don't feel any safer conducting traffic enforcement operations now that this law is in effect, and I haven't seen where it's done one bit of good, aside from making some officers feel like they accomplish something when they issue a citaion as in your example. It's not gonna make any of us or the public any safer when most of the motoring public doesn't even know the law is in effect. So how can there be any expectation of compliance when there is no understanding or awareness of it. It's like going into a building and then being told you just came in through the exit. How are you supposed to know when the doors aren't marked accordingly??????

The statute is very clear, a motorist is required to move over provided there is somewhere to move over to. You'll have to provide evidence that you had no where to move over to in order to get a not guilty verdict or a dismissal. I'd say go to court. Our Judge is very liberal with this statute, most get tossed cause it's just a waste of legislation. Lots of folks will disagree with me, but that's my 2 cents, FWIW.

sorta hard for him to prove he couldnt move to the left considering he stopped in the middle of GA400.

btw thats alpharetta city limits too. fines are typically double there for any offense.

his court appearance is not in fulton co, but in alpharetta city

[axemanjoe]

Originally Posted by cityrover

sorta hard for him to prove he couldnt move to the left considering he stopped in the middle of GA400.

btw thats alpharetta city limits too. fines are typically double there for any offense.

his court appearance is not in fulton co, but in alpharetta city

Sounds to me like it would be very easy for him to prove he couldn't move left. Unless there's a video fo the event it's his word against the officers. Anyone familiar with the traffic in this area wouldn't have a hard time believing him.