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I mailed in my "not guilty" plea a week ago and already have my response later.
It acknowledges that they received my plea and says I will be informed of my court appearance by mail. I thought I'd get a reduced fine offer without going to court? I know when I did this 15+ years ago, I was nolled by mail.
It then gives me the option to do the Online Ticket Review Program and says I can get a nolle, reduced fines or court. MrGompers says this is a trap so... I still have to go to court to see if they reduce my fine?
I mailed in my "not guilty" plea a week ago and already have my response later.
It acknowledges that they received my plea and says I will be informed of my court appearance by mail. I thought I'd get a reduced fine offer without going to court? I know when I did this 15+ years ago, I was nolled by mail.
It then gives me the option to do the Online Ticket Review Program and says I can get a nolle, reduced fines or court. MrGompers says this is a trap so... I still have to go to court to see if they reduce my fine?
Since you plead not guilty the ticket will be transferred to the local court that has jurisdiction. That is who makes decisions regarding a nolle. So its still too early to know what will happen. Even if you have to go to court the fine(s) will be reduced.
The CT Judicial system has been underfunded by the state for years and have had their staff cut. Unless something changed recently 100% of "Court fees" are kept by the judicial system. The fines go into the general fund I think. Very common to go to court and have the fines zeroed out, but pay court fees of $40+. Not sure if the court fees have been raised recently though.
Since you plead not guilty the ticket will be transferred to the local court that has jurisdiction. That is who makes decisions regarding a nolle. So its still too early to know what will happen. Even if you have to go to court the fine(s) will be reduced.
The CT Judicial system has been underfunded by the state for years and have had their staff cut. Unless something changed recently 100% of "Court fees" are kept by the judicial system. The fines go into the general fund I think. Very common to go to court and have the fines zeroed out, but pay court fees of $40+. Not sure if the court fees have been raised recently though.
My luck court fees will be $300
So it looks like I have to go to court to see what will happen next.
So it looks like I have to go to court to see what will happen next.
I have been to court for traffic tickets in a couple of different states, so I can comment on the differences between them.
In New York, when you go to court to challenge a ticket, you generally go directly to the judge and the police officer who wrote the ticket will generally be there at the same time, so in theory you can proceed to "trial" right away if you choose (or you can plead guilty and pay the fine).
In Connecticut, it is a 2-step process. First you see a State's Attorney, who will look over the details of the offense and your driving history, and offer you a settlement which will generally include a much lower fine than the one listed on the ticket. If you accept this settlement, court costs will be waived. But if you reject the settlement offer, then a trial will be set for a different date with a judge and the officer who wrote the ticket present. If you are convicted at the trial, then you will be hit with the full fine plus court costs.
When I went to court for my speeding ticket in Connecticut, I accepted the settlement. I was guilty as hell, and I was happy to get the reduced fine, and I knew that my chances of prevailing in a trial were pretty slim, and not worth the risk of higher fines/court costs or the time/trouble to proceed.
My most recent speeding ticket was in New York and for that one, I didn't bother to go to court at all. The officer gave me a huge break and knocked 14 mph off the speed that he wrote on the ticket. Plus I found out that the conviction from New York would not appear on my Connecticut driving abstract. So I decided to just cut my losses and just pay the fine rather than take the trouble of going to court. I actually find watching the various cases and characters that appear in traffic court to be mildly amusing, so I was faintly disappointed with my decision , but I couldn't justify an hour drive in each direction to fight a ticket that had already been knocked down to something pretty insignificant. That was still the highest traffic fine I have ever paid - $185.
I have been to court for traffic tickets in a couple of different states, so I can comment on the differences between them.
In New York, when you go to court to challenge a ticket, you generally go directly to the judge and the police officer who wrote the ticket will generally be there at the same time, so in theory you can proceed to "trial" right away if you choose (or you can plead guilty and pay the fine).
In Connecticut, it is a 2-step process. First you see a State's Attorney, who will look over the details of the offense and your driving history, and offer you a settlement which will generally include a much lower fine than the one listed on the ticket. If you accept this settlement, court costs will be waived. But if you reject the settlement offer, then a trial will be set for a different date with a judge and the officer who wrote the ticket present. If you are convicted at the trial, then you will be hit with the full fine plus court costs.
When I went to court for my speeding ticket in Connecticut, I accepted the settlement. I was guilty as hell, and I was happy to get the reduced fine, and I knew that my chances of prevailing in a trial were pretty slim, and not worth the risk of higher fines/court costs or the time/trouble to proceed.
My most recent speeding ticket was in New York and for that one, I didn't bother to go to court at all. The officer gave me a huge break and knocked 14 mph off the speed that he wrote on the ticket. Plus I found out that the conviction from New York would not appear on my Connecticut driving abstract. So I decided to just cut my losses and just pay the fine rather than take the trouble of going to court. I actually find watching the various cases and characters that appear in traffic court to be mildly amusing, so I was faintly disappointed with my decision , but I couldn't justify an hour drive in each direction to fight a ticket that had already been knocked down to something pretty insignificant. That was still the highest traffic fine I have ever paid - $185.
Thanks for the info! I didn't expect to be called into court at all, kinda wish I'd paid the ticket just to get it over with. I am guilty, though I really didn't see it. I have no intention of arguing that in trial!
So there's no option to just pay it now, right?
And do they ever question you as to why you sent it in not guilty if you are now in court saying you are guilty?
Thanks for the info! I didn't expect to be called into court at all, kinda wish I'd paid the ticket just to get it over with. I am guilty, though I really didn't see it. I have no intention of arguing that in trial!
So there's no option to just pay it now, right?
And do they ever question you as to why you sent it in not guilty if you are now in court saying you are guilty?
Why are you surprised to get called into court? When you plead not guilty, you are requesting a court date for your case to be heard. It would highly unusual for them to dismiss the charge just because you pled guilty by mail.
Once you plead not guilty, jurisdiction over your ticket is transferred from the Centralized Infractions Bureau to whatever court your violation is assigned to based on location. If you change your mind and wish to plead guilty, I suggest you contact the court that now has jurisdiction over the case.
They did not ask me why I pled not guilty. They shouldn't since it's something you have a right to do.
Prosecutors usually never ask “why”, solely because 1) they don’t have time to listen to stories, and 2) they know the majority of people who received an infraction were cited justifiably, and are only there asking for a break. Their goal is to get you in and out as quickly as possible.
Prosecutors usually never ask “why”, solely because 1) they don’t have time to listen to stories, and 2) they know the majority of people who received an infraction were cited justifiably, and are only there asking for a break. Their goal is to get you in and out as quickly as possible.
Exactly. Once you come in to court, their goal is to get you out as soon as possible and cut their losses. Time is money. That's why they offer sweetheart deals on the fines to routine violators without extensive records of last violations. A prosecutor I met once told me that they justify this by saying "the process is the punishment."
Exactly. Once you come in to court, their goal is to get you out as soon as possible and cut their losses. Time is money. That's why they offer sweetheart deals on the fines to routine violators without extensive records of last violations. A prosecutor I met once told me that they justify this by saying "the process is the punishment."
Totally agree. This is why I’ve always felt, unless the driver did something completely unforgivable (in which case, they’d likely be in criminal court), they likely took the day off from work and went to court, so that’s punishment enough. Usually if it goes to trial, in my firsthand experience (on the other side), the driver was a total jerk to the prosecutor and they’re bent on sticking it to ‘em. And if that’s the case, I hope they enjoy paying court fees. They can be a jerk to the officer, but they’d better drop that attitude when they’re in court. It won’t go well for them.
Totally agree. This is why I’ve always felt, unless the driver did something completely unforgivable (in which case, they’d likely be in criminal court), they likely took the day off from work and went to court, so that’s punishment enough. Usually if it goes to trial, in my firsthand experience (on the other side), the driver was a total jerk to the prosecutor and they’re bent on sticking it to ‘em. And if that’s the case, I hope they enjoy paying court fees. They can be a jerk to the officer, but they’d better drop that attitude when they’re in court. It won’t go well for them.
Going to court is generally a real pain. Any time I have gone, it has involved standing in a long line to get in, waiting on another line to check in, then waiting around for my case to be called. Though I will say that watching some of the cases that came before mine was a bit entertaining. ...
What do you mean when you say "from the other side?" Do you mean as a defendant, or somebody working on the prosecution side?
I never took a ticket to full trial. I was always guilty as hell and I just couldn't justify it. I was happy to pay as reduced fine and put the whole thing behind me.
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, but I couldn't justify an hour drive in each direction to fight a ticket that had already been knocked down to something pretty insignificant. That was still the highest traffic fine I have ever paid - $185.
I am guilty, though I really didn't see it. I have no intention of arguing that in trial!
