Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 09:03:45 -0800
Reply-To: Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Photo ticket at stop lights
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
Sean-
I agree with Isaac's course of action- go to the court, but plead "Not
Guilty"
They won't have anyone there to prove it was you behind the wheel, and they
can't ticket a vehicle.The camera certainly can't show up in court to
testify against you.
"Not guilty" puts the burden of proof on the court, and rarely is anyone
convicted on one piece of evidence.
Besides, as it has been said, it's not important eneough on a scale of
one-to -ten.
They have a speed reader -in -robes, ( here some guy in an office without
robes) who doesn't care what you say , especially if you have said you are
guilty.
Never say you are guilty- let the court prove it.
You can even find a traffic lawyer often for under 400.00.Your insurance
rate will go up more than that.
Robert
1982 Westfalia
"gotta do jury duty next month"
Isaac Taylor Wrote:
>From: Isaac Taylor
>
>Hey Sean, I don't know what it's like where you live, but here in
>Massachusetts the axiom is Deny Unto The Death. Every time I've been
>pulled over -- every time -- the cops themselves tell me "you should
>contest the ticket in court, and it'll probably be dismissed". And
>they are right: every time I've contested a ticket (which is most of
>the time) they are dismissed, rubber-stamp style. The traffic courts
>here are so swamped that basically anyone who bothers to show up in
>court has their case perfunctorily dismissed, not because they're
>(we're) in the right, mind you; but because the magistrates and
>judges don't have the time to so much as listen to you explain how
>the light was yellow, and it was raining, and your kid just dropped
>his pacifier, etc. Rubber stamp, and off you go. Deny, unto the
>death.
>
>Massachusetts writes a lot of tickets too, and our insurance rates
>are among the highest in the country. So you really do have to keep
>your safe driver rating as high (or low, or whatever) as possible or
>it can multiply your premiums by a shocking degree. So depending on
>where you live, and which way the winds blow there, I recommend you
>don't automatically pay the ticket, but rather risk the court
>appearance. It could save you cash in hand, and wasted time in
>traffic school, and future insurance hikes. I think it's worth
>risking the potential increase in penalty, to have a chance to avoid
>all that BS, don't you?
>
>-Isaac in Cambridge
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