traffic sting-Ticket for not yielding to pedestrian- downtown tampa- fight?? (insurance, how much)

[abart]

I was on Twiggs St downtown going to a lightning hockey game and was pulled over in a traffic sting. It was 6:30 at night, not busy downtown at all, certainly nobody walking around. There were also police cars two blocks in front of me and I was assuming the TPD was there to direct traffic or control the streets for the game. All of a sudden right by the courthouse, an officer appeared at the curb of a crosswalk as I was driving through and then I was pulled over for not yielding, along with the two cars behind me. He was not even in the street while I was approaching. I cited with a $151 ticket and 2 points on my license. I would never intentionally blow through a crosswalk with a person in it! I also never drive downtown, as I work in North Tampa, and I am not someone who purposely ignores the law or encounters pedestrians downtown everyday. I've never even been pulled over before. I'm also 23 and don't want my insurance to go up and I really don't want a bad driving record as it has been perfect up until now. Should I request a court date?? I've heard they tape these stings so they are impossible to contest.

[housingcrashsurvivor]

If it was a taped sting then it would show your story, yes?

[abart]

I hope so, I'm just concerned that if his foot was in the street, according to the florida statutes, I couldn't win the case. Do you know if Tampa will charge court fees or more of a fine if I go to court and the citation stands?

[ferret111]

I'm not sure if I understand what happened. So there was a cop on the sidewalk looking as though he was going to cross, you didn't yield, and he wrote you a ticket?

[abart]

It was a set-up traffic sting, there was one police officer walking towards the crosswalk. He was the "pedestrian." As soon as I went through he spoke into his walkie talkie radio and a police car immediately pulled up behind me from a parking area with his lights on. There were two other police cars that pulled up behind the two other cars that were right behind me at the same time. They were doing it for a while, I'm sure they pulled over dozens of cars.

[rezfreak]

Well, here's the law, i recommend you read over it and see what applies to you.

I dont know if its different down here, but where i was from previously, if you fought it - it was not extra fees, just the time out of your day.

Pedestrian Laws (2) (http://www.dot.state.fl.us/safety/ped_bike/laws/ped_bike_pedLaws2.shtm - broken link)

[jetlag]

Call a traffic attorney and find out how much it'll cost to have taken care of. It will keep the points of of your licensed and will probably be less than $151. You won't have to do a thing but write a check.

[craigm1841]

you are not a lawyer. the law is not designed to work on your side in instances where you recieve a ticket. Police officers are on the same team as the city and by default are considered more honest then you. That is just the way it is. You can tell the judge the best excuse, or that the cop was wrong, and he has heard it before. Technically, based on message forums and conversations with friends and family, the police have never issued one ligitimate ticket in the history of law enforcement . Traffic citations create revenue for the city. Even if there is a lawyer on this forum they cannot provide you with solid legal advice- even if they do, the chances of them being well versed in traffic law is slim as it isn't every lawyers dream to be a traffic attorney. In reality, lawyers are just good researchers and have a knack for interpreting law, which law school helped create.

So... My advice to you is- get off this message forum before someone REALLY gives you bad advice, and because you are asking about what to do on this forum, I am guessing you may not be able to decern good advice from bad advice to begin with in regards to traffic law.

Check this guy out:

Keith A. Warshofsky, P.A.

I havent paid a traffic ticket or had points put on my driving record in years. this guy can find some pretty obscure stuff that nobody on this forum could figure out. Last time I got out of a speeding ticket because of the procedure the cop followed when filling out the paperwork for the court appearance I think. I was guilty as sin and even told the cop I knew I was wrong. I know a few people who have used him and he always pulls through.

I reccomended him to someone on here that was speeding in a school zone a few months back. I dont think he followed my advice, I suspect he paid the hefty fine and had about 4 points slapped onto his license.

You too can not take my word for it, and show up in the courtroom like a babling baffoon trying to cite law in front of people who have been studying law for 30 years- and try to convince the judge that a man or woman in uniform who makes very little money, working a very dangerous job, who has been charged with upholding the law, and was giving you a ticket in hopes of preventing a future tragedy that they are lying.

Good Luck.

If I could rep myself right now, I would.

[Kevin from Tampa]

wait, am I hearing this right? A sting set up to catch drivers not yielding to pedestrians in downtown Tampa?

wow.

[Mike1306]

Originally Posted by Kevin from Tampa

wait, am I hearing this right? A sting set up to catch drivers not yielding to pedestrians in downtown Tampa?

wow.

They have been doing it for a while and they have been ticketing jay walkers also.