Traffic ticket advice (Dallas, Austin: how much, attorney, inspection)

[mikejj2004]

I was driving between Austin and Dallas late one night when a large cockroach materialized inside my car, I took the first exit and before I knew it I had been pulled over by a small town cop saying I had run a stop sign that I never saw.

I am wandering if I have any case here that under the circumstances I could plead not guilty and get this maybe dismissed. I am eligible for drivers safety course and I'm wandering if I plead not guilty and am then found guilty, can I still take that?

Also they got me for expired inspection and claim I owe $154, I thought you had a few days to get it done then you pay like $25 and its dismissed.

[theloneranger]

Nope--you have to pay attention to the stop signs. Having a bug on your window isn't an excuse. If there had been a kid in the road, it wouldn't have been an excuse either, but you'd feel a lot worse about yourself.

You cannot take the driver safety course if you plead not guilty. You get one opportunity at the beginning of the trial, and to get the driver safety course you must plead guilty or no contest.

For inspired inspection, if the cops catch you, you get a ticket. Simple as that.

[joejitsu]

I would recommend taking defensive driving. You wills till have to pay, but the ticket wont go on your record. I'm currently in the process of taking it again. I just took it two months ago, but I got another ticket.

[nmnita]

Defensive driving is the only option you have. Either take it or pay the fine and have the ticket on your record. You ran a stop sign and have no current inspection, this is pretty cut and dry.

Nita

[IDtoTX]

I thought you could only take defensive driving once a year. If you get another ticket within that year it shows on your record. Is that not the case?

[An0nym0us88]

You can get a Traffic Attorney in your area. I had several friends had one and they usually win.

[joejitsu]

I thought so too, but at the courthouse they were cool with me taking it twice.

[bluescreen73]

If you can't take defensive driving, there's also deferred adjudication. You'll pay the fine (and court costs), but the ticket doesn't show up on your record if you get through the probationary period and keep your nose clean.

For the expired inspection, you have either a 5 or 10 day grace period to get it updated without receiving a ticket. After that there's a certain time frame where you can take the ticket to the agency that issued it and get the violation reduced or eliminated if you get the inspection within xx days of getting the ticket.

[theloneranger]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

If you can't take defensive driving, there's also deferred adjudication. You'll pay the fine (and court costs), but the ticket doesn't show up on your record if you get through the probationary period and keep your nose clean.

For the expired inspection, you have either a 5 or 10 day grace period to get it updated without receiving a ticket. After that there's a certain time frame where you can take the ticket to the agency that issued it and get the violation reduced or eliminated if you get the inspection within xx days of getting the ticket.

I thought this was if you FAILED the inspection, not if you hadn't bothered to get it done. Am I mistaken?

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by theloneranger

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I thought this was if you FAILED the inspection, not if you hadn't bothered to get it done. Am I mistaken?

My wife got a ticket (in my car no less) for an expired inspection. I took the ticket to the city after I got the car inspected and they knocked the violation cost down. It's been a couple years so I can't remember how much, but I know they reduced it.