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You wont even get to a trial, and will be in front of a judge for all of 5 seconds. The way these courts work its like a factory. You please not guilty, will probably talk to some assistant DA who will tell you they can reduce both tickets to one parking fine for $200-$300, no points. They will hand that info to the judge. When they call your name, judge will ask if you plead guilty to the charge he has in front of him (parking or whatever it is), you say yes sir, pay the fine, and be on your way. All they want is your money. They will do this same procedure for 99% of the people there. I one got a speeding, no turn signal, and no seat belt ticket in Nassau when I was 18, all got reduced to tailgating, which at the time was no points, and I paid like $200, instead of the probably $800 and a few points. For something like this, don't waste the money on a lawyer. Also, any tint on front windows in NY is illegal, so doesn't probably matter if he used a meter on them or not. Please don't stress over this, you will be amazed how easy and fast it is. Be sure to revive this thread when done to let us know how it goes.
You wont even get to a trial, and will be in front of a judge for all of 5 seconds. The way these courts work its like a factory. You please not guilty, will probably talk to some assistant DA who will tell you they can reduce both tickets to one parking fine for $200-$300, no points. They will hand that info to the judge. When they call your name, judge will ask if you plead guilty to the charge he has in front of him (parking or whatever it is), you say yes sir, pay the fine, and be on your way. All they want is your money. They will do this same procedure for 99% of the people there. I one got a speeding, no turn signal, and no seat belt ticket in Nassau when I was 18, all got reduced to tailgating, which at the time was no points, and I paid like $200, instead of the probably $800 and a few points. For something like this, don't waste the money on a lawyer. Also, any tint on front windows in NY is illegal, so doesn't probably matter if he used a meter on them or not. Please don't stress over this, you will be amazed how easy and fast it is. Be sure to revive this thread when done to let us know how it goes.
Same thing here. One speeding ticket in my life, on Salisbury Park Drive in Westbury about 20 years ago. Got it reduced to a tailgating charge. Took 2 minutes.
Same thing here. One speeding ticket in my life, on Salisbury Park Drive in Westbury about 20 years ago. Got it reduced to a tailgating charge. Took 2 minutes.
Mr B,
You're posting in the wrong thread. This one isn't 6 years old.
Dont sweat it, go to court and admit wrong and ask for lieniency, based on your driving record. Nassau you can do this, as DMan72 said, if it were Suffolk or NYC, youd be SOL. TWO VERY IMPORTANT THINGS:
1. Get dressed for the occasion, business attire, with a tie. Show respect for his/her court, the judge will notice and appreciate it. Theyre sick of seeing losers with ill fitting clothes in poor taste.
2. Do NOT take a defensive driving class until AFTER this is settled. The 4 point reduction only affects points assesed BEFORE the class. If your court date is after, the conviction is after so those points will not be reduced. Points are affixed to the conviction date not the violation date.
Dont sweat it, go to court and admit wrong and ask for lieniency, based on your driving record. Nassau you can do this, as DMan72 said, if it were Suffolk or NYC, youd be SOL. TWO VERY IMPORTANT THINGS:
1. Get dressed for the occasion, business attire, with a tie. Show respect for his/her court, the judge will notice and appreciate it. Theyre sick of seeing losers with ill fitting clothes in poor taste.
2. Do NOT take a defensive driving class until AFTER this is settled. The 4 point reduction only affects points assesed BEFORE the class. If your court date is after, the conviction is after so those points will not be reduced. Points are affixed to the conviction date not the violation date.
So you're saying plead not guilty, plead my case and ask for leniency. I will no doubt dress up in a suit/tie and take all of your advice.
Thank you for all of your advice. I'm coming off as a pansy, but I've never been in court before, am nervous (feel like I committed a serious crime) and will be sure to never end up in this situation again.
But what I am confused about is what do I say when I go to trial? I didn't realize I was speeding, I wasn't in the right state of mind, but if the cop said I was speeding, then I was speeding. I was going a bit faster than 30, but I didn't think I was doing 50. I only told the officer "Oh man, I apologize, I didn't realize I was going that fast". I actually thought I was getting pulled over for something else.
What could I possibly say when they ask me to state my case? If I say "I didn't realize I was going fast", I'm still guilty aren't I?
(I really am a first timer, I've never been in court before for anything).
You won't go to trial. First offense, speed not excessive and an equipment violation. You can negotiate a deal with the prosecuting attorney when you get to court. Plead not guilty via mail and you will receive a court date. On that date, see the prosecuting attorney and tell him you're willing to plead guilty to a lesser charge. Be aware that any moving violation will mean points on your license (and an insurance company problem) but an equipment violation will not cause you a problem.
2. Do NOT take a defensive driving class until AFTER this is settled. The 4 point reduction only affects points assesed BEFORE the class. If your court date is after, the conviction is after so those points will not be reduced. Points are affixed to the conviction date not the violation date.
This is exactly what I was thinking in terms of the defensive driver class.
Also, people which traffic violation agency is the one that has the reputation of refusing to negotiate on tickets? NYC? Suffolk County?
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