Traffic Tickets - Worth going to court?? (Atlanta, Decatur: how much, lawyer)

[noah]

I was pulled over for running a stop sign in Avondale Estates and unfortunately was ticketed not only for that (which I agree I was in the wrong although it was more a rolling stop then flying through) but also ticketed over $100 for not updating my address within 60 days of moving (OUCH).

In your experience, is there a decent chance of having the fines reduced by appearing at my court date or would you just pay the fines as is.

[samiwas1]

On a personal level, I usually just pay the fine and go on with my life. I'm not taking a day off of work because I'll lose more by not working than by getting my fine reduced. Unless the fine is extremely high, or it is an offense which will affect my license, I just don't see the point in going to court.

[ATLTJL]

The math is simple: how much is your time worth?

You can either calculate how much you get paid at work, or how much your time is actually worth to you. How much would you pay, per hour, to be doing something you enjoy rather than hanging out at a courthouse?

I don't know what the chances of having the fine reduced are, but I do know I would rather pay $100 than go through the hassle of finding out.

[noah]

Thanks. My work allows enough flexibility that I can attend wuthout a problem and for me if it meant saving $50 or $100 it would be completely worth it. Anyone have any experience if it might be reduced, at least one of them

[PKCorey]

If it is the City of AE, I would take the risk and go to court.

If it is Dekalb County Recorders Court, it may not be worth it.

[Thulsa]

Originally Posted by noah

I was pulled over for running a stop sign in Avondale Estates and unfortunately was ticketed not only for that (which I agree I was in the wrong although it was more a rolling stop then flying through) but also ticketed over $100 for not updating my address within 60 days of moving (OUCH).

In your experience, is there a decent chance of having the fines reduced by appearing at my court date or would you just pay the fines as is.

Many places if you get the not-updating-address taken care of immediately, you can contact the Municipal Court Clerk, provide proof and get the fine reduced or even dropped. I don't know for sure about Avondale Estates for that one, though.

I haven't been to Avondale's court, but if it's like the others around here, you are given the option of pleading guilty with no talking to the judge, just get in line to pay on your way out, or
pleading not guilty and getting another court date where you can come back and get double the punishment for not playing the game right, or
pleading nolo and maybe maybe get a chance to beg for a reduced fine (only if you fixed the address)

I went to traffic court in Decatur.
Nolo worked for me but not for most others. I actually had a good excuse and got some $ knocked off. It wasn't worth it to me.

[eneq]

Go to court and speak to the prosecutor about getting it reduced. There's over a 90% chance you can get it reduced to some non-moving violation that won't cost any points on your license.

[netdragon]

Go in. At least in Atlanta (not sure about Avondale Estates, which is Dekalb, right?) I got called to the side and taken to another room for a forgiveness program for first-time small offenses that I think is from the state of GA (or is it only Atlanta?). That keeps it off your record. I think you forfeit that if you don't go in. However, don't let it go beyond the hearing if you don't get to enter the program. They can hit you much harder if they want to up to including prison time, just if the judge/jury doesn't like you. If you don't get what you want from the hearing, suck it up and pay. To go past that you'd want a lawyer and you'd lose more money anyway from the lawyer fees.

[shalc]

I say just pay it. In my experience, the judge dropped the address but hit me with a higher fine than if I'd just paid it, plus court costs...pretty much the same situation as yours with the driver's license and another violation. It would have been cheaper/easier to just pay the fine.

[Thulsa]

By the way, if you do go to the court, or try something other than just paying, please let us know how it worked for you. It might help others that need to interact with Avondale Estates traffic court.