need help first ticket ever (San Antonio, Anton: car insurance, condo, lawyer)

[chula21]

well im a young married teen and me and my husband got a very expensive ticket which we do not have the money to pay for it at all we tried to go talk to a judge to see what they can do for us but we got it in a different city far away what can we do to lower the price of the ticket or take it off i really need help!

[Paka]

Is it possible that the defensive driving course might work for you being the first ticket?

[Latinocowboy]

Originally Posted by chula21

well im a young married teen and me and my husband got a very expensive ticket which we do not have the money to pay for it at all we tried to go talk to a judge to see what they can do for us but we got it in a different city far away what can we do to lower the price of the ticket or take it off i really need help!

You must submit a request on or before your court date, requesting to take a defensive driver class. As a result, all you have to pay is the court fee of $111 (I believe, somewhere around that amount).

The information should be on your ticket.

[01Snake]

You're going to jail. You know that don't you?






Just kidding!!


As long as its in state and you were not going over 100mph you should be able to take a DD course.

[Steel Man]

If I am not mistaken, Defensive Driving Classes are more for keeping the offense off your driving records, thus avoiding possible higher car insurance rates (especially if you're a teenager). The class could also reduce your ticket "price" but it will not get rid of it as there are always some fees you'll have to pay. The worst thing you could do is ignore the ticket as the fines will increase and eventually they'll have someone come after you. If you're too far away and can't take the DDC, then the best bet is to borrow from your parents or in-laws and pay the fine.

[PopsGuysRule]

Originally Posted by chula21

well im a young married teen and me and my husband got a very expensive ticket which we do not have the money to pay for it at all we tried to go talk to a judge to see what they can do for us but we got it in a different city far away what can we do to lower the price of the ticket or take it off i really need help!

Please clarify:

Are you living HERE in San Antonio, and got the ticket elsewhere??
(if so, where did you get the ticket)

OR

Did you get the ticket here and you live elsewhere??
(if so, where do you live?)

[CreekKnoll]

You can also do a driving probation, which has the same costs as the defensive driving. The ticket stays off your record and all you have to do is not get another "moving" violation within a 30 or 60 day time period. Beats having to sit through a defensive driving course. I've done that a couple times.

[rd2007]

Might want to look up the new rules.. I can't remember if it's 30 or 35 MPH over the limit when you can no longer take the defensive driving course. I would personally look up a lawyer that handles these cases. My son got a doozy for his first ticket (following the family tradition I think) with a 90 in a 65. I made him get a lawyer and they worked out a deal with the court where he could take the DD course (for a second time) and be on probation for a year. They also split up the money amount since he's a young, poor teenager. Sounds like this situation will work for the OP as well. The lawyer is a little more expensive, but not that much at all and your odds of getting the best deal are much greater plus you don't have to go to court.

Now go get a radar detector.. All four of our cars have them and they save you a LOT. They're not perfect, but about 99% of the cops around here drive with their radar on 24/7, so you "see" them from at least a mile away..

[Cookiemeister]

When you go to court ask for "deferred ajudication" which means that you are not pleading guilty but you will have to pay a court fee and you will be on probation for 6 months and if you do not receive another ticket during that probation period the ticket will be dropped off your record and you won't get stuck paying higher auto insurance. Or you can pay a lawyer a few hundred dollars to take care of it.Or you can write the judge or jurisdiction requesting documentation related to the police report and if they do not send it to you then you can state that you are unable to defend yourself without these documentations and they will have to drop the case against you. I am not sure how this works or it it really works but someone told me this somewhere along the line... I have never tried it. I guess it is worth a shot. If the ticket in from out of town just call them or write them requesting "deferred ajudication", again you will get 6 mths probation but it won't be on your record. I do not believe that taking defensive driving will lower the fee very much but it will help reduce auto insurance as I stated earlier. Follow the instruction on the ticket and go from there. Call them if you are unsure of what to do. It depends on what the ticket is for and if you have to appear in court or not. It is not any more expensive to hire a lawyer to fix the ticket than it is to pay for the ticket. The lawyer would be the best route if you want to keep it off your record and not waste time taking defensive driving. You can take DD on the internet. Good luck!

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by rd2007

Might want to look up the new rules.. I can't remember if it's 30 or 35 MPH over the limit when you can no longer take the defensive driving course. I would personally look up a lawyer that handles these cases. My son got a doozy for his first ticket (following the family tradition I think) with a 90 in a 65. I made him get a lawyer and they worked out a deal with the court where he could take the DD course (for a second time) and be on probation for a year. They also split up the money amount since he's a young, poor teenager. Sounds like this situation will work for the OP as well. The lawyer is a little more expensive, but not that much at all and your odds of getting the best deal are much greater plus you don't have to go to court.

Now go get a radar detector.. All four of our cars have them and they save you a LOT. They're not perfect, but about 99% of the cops around here drive with their radar on 24/7, so you "see" them from at least a mile away..

I thought radar detectors were illegal. Not that I don't condone them, of course! I used to be known for my leadfoot, but I got a car allowance with my last job, and they were real sticklers about tickets. I didn't want to be put on probation at work, so I just slowed it down some.