First Traffic Ticket; Need Advice

Hello all,

I just got my first traffic ticket. Failure to Observe Signal. Ticket was issued in New Jersey. I was totally at fault and ran right through a red light. It was late at night and no one was on the road except the cop who was right behind me (i knew he was behind me, but after a 16 hour day in the hospital with my father my mind was in other places at the time). By the time i realized the light was red it was to late to stop.

Anyway, i can either pay 85 bucks and receive 2 points, or i can appear in court and try to make a plea. Since i am totally at fault in this case is it worth the time to make a plea? 85 bucks is not that big of a deal, i am more concerned with the impact on my insurance rate, especially considering my age and that my record was clean prior to this.

Any advice is helpful, thanks.

 

Always fight it, what's the worst that can happen you get the 2 points???

 

Well if it's anything like a speeding ticket here in Texas they can give you alternative options like watching an online course for 6 hours.

 

I dont know how if is in NJ but in texas you can take a defensive driving class, pay a reduced fee and it stays off your record. Depending on the violation you can also take probation for 60-90 days. If you complete the probabtion without getting another moving offense, it stays off your record. If you get another moving offense during the probation period, they both go on your record.

Agree, dont plead guilty.

 

Fight it, they almost always give you a reduced ticket. Usually failure to obey traffic device = no points.

 

If you explained your story to the officer like you explained it to us, he could use discretion in your case. it's too late now though.

 

I don't know how it is in New Jersey, but in California if you fight it you cant take traffic school after (erasing it from your record). So you fight it, pay less with the fine, but then your insurance goes up. If you pay it off and do traffic school no points on your record as long as its your only ticket in the last couple years. Costs you less in the long run.

 

Trust me i did. I received no sympathy. I made sure to be extremely respectful while addressing him also.

 

Typically doesn't help unless you're an attractive female or famous. All they can do is enforce the law so "tell it to the judge"

 

All you can do is just put the incident behind you and move on. Good going on being respectful though, that's key.

 

All good advice. Thanks all.

I think im gonna appear in court and try to make a plea for a lesser charge. Dont really have much to lose.

 

I would try and fight it. Tell the judge what you told us. Your fine will go up because of court cost, but you won't get the points usually. I've done it a few times with speeding tickets. I've never gotten points. Higher court cost is better than points on your license.

 

you have any attorney friends? They can get it reduced, or even dismissed. Otherwise, I would just save myself the trouble and pay it. I'm not sitting in court all day just to fight it. Now if you can take a DD class to get it reduced, then go that route.

 

Ask yourself what your time is worth. There's not a chance I'm using PTO to hang around in a courtroom all day and there's always the chance that you show up to fight and it's rescheduled.

 

In texas, you handle traffic tickets at a window. It takes 20 mins maybe. If you choose to see a judge, it takes more time. Is it really all day in NJ?

 

Depends on how many cases they have that day. Most I've spent was prob 2 hours.

 

In Fl the ticketing officer has to show up in court. If they don't, case dismissed.

If NJ has same, you could get lucky.

 

I fought my ticket once and got it revoked completely, the worst that can happen is 2 points added and insurance rates, the best that could happen is it gets revoked, i'd go with making a plea. Just let the judge know the situation you were in

 

Check with the court to see if there are options for deferred adjudication. Normally, you'll pay a fine and court costs and as long as you don't get another ticket within a certain period of time, they'll dismiss the ticket.