Why are people scared to plead Not Guilty to traffic tickets?

[Mr Hate Coffee]

Quick story

When I was in college I got 3 tickets because I went around a car at a stoplight and made a right. Soon as I made the turn two cop cars swooped in and gave me tickets for Reckless driving, failure to obey traffic control, and driving on the right side of the road.

1st court date: I was nervous af because I was a broke college kid and didn’t need the points on my license. Judge called me up, I pleaded not guilty, and had a court date 6 months down the line. While I was there I saw hella Mexicans and nikkas in there just pleading guilty or no contest. shyt had me like

2nd court date: I had a court appointed attorney but when they called me up the prosecution didn’t even have information for my case. So it was dismissed.


At the time my mom and everyone thought I was stupid for fighting it. But why? What’s the downside? It’s on the cops to prove I did what they say.

Being in court those two days was eye opening because I watched so many poor people get raw deals just because they lacked knowledge and didn’t know how to fight their cases. Even if you can’t afford a lawyer it’s worth it to fight a ticket if for no other reason to get the payment delayed. Also, there are people walking away from real crimes so you might as well take your chances for some petty shyt.

 

[CreepyMcCreeperson]

Most people don’t feel like taking off work, so we just pay, and keep it moving unless we’re about to get our license suspended.

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

The 'downside' is spending 5 to 10 times the amount of money fighting the case, but it depends on what you were ticketed for.​

 

[Stir Fry]

https://www.thecoli.com/threads/beat-my-fifth-moving-violation-blessed.480655/#post-21723252

 

[OneManGang]

The two above me pretty much covered it, but I’ll add there’s the option of the cop actually showing up in court ready to hand you your L. So now you wasted your time and money, fighting dumb shyt you know you did.

 

[WesCrook]

Most people don’t feel like taking off work, so we just pay, and keep it moving unless we’re about to get our license suspended, or your insurance to skyrocket.

Fixed.

That's the main reason to fight. You can potentially save money and remain a Preferred member (very important).

 

[Eastside Get The Money]

Because if you get a civil infraction you probably guiltily. And if you fight it you gonna be supporting some random lawyers kid Christmas list and you gonna have to take a random Tuesday or Wednesday off work to show up in court.

Pay that $100, say fukk the pigs and keep it moving

 

[King Frost]

OP is right

civil or criminal, never plead guilty, let them do the work to convict you unless it's a drug trafficking case and they're handing out football numbers.

 

[Lord_nikon]

1. Extremely long lines full of minorities

2.Parking fees

3. some people live far from court

4. work

just depends i guess

 

[Jaylen Tatum]

probably cause they GUILTY AS fukk

 

[Born2BKing]

Court costs and having to take PTO from work to go to court.

 

[Lord_nikon]

The best thing to do is try to have your A1 driving game on,,

pigs love giving AA tickets

 

[Dafunkdoc_Unlimited]

I've actually plead 'Not Guilty' for a violation, but it was because I was right. Got pulled over in a little town named Avon-by-the-Sea. Give the cop my paperwork and he tells me my insurance expired. I was FULLY cognizant of that fact and explained to the officer that I'd just made a payment and was still in the 'grace period'. Dude didn't want to hear it, had my car towed, and gave me like 3 tickets. I get to court, show them my receipts and my policy showing, by law, I was FULLY insured when I was stopped so they dropped the charges and they had to pay to release my car from impound since it was their mistake.​

 

[Crude]

It's cheaper for most people just to pay and not fight it after you get done with court costs, taking off work, and driving there etc.

My mama got a ticket in coming from N.O. on I-10 leaving a conference. If you know anything about I-10 between N.O. and B.R. you know from about Kenner back to Gonzales it straight up swamp land and bridges. Mama gets to the bridge in LaPlace and the deputy said she was going 90 mph (my mom never speeds). It was going to be like a $500 plus ticket.

My mom got home and she immediately told me and my father that she's going back and fighting this ticket. Several weeks later my mom goes back down there and I decided to go with her because my dad was working or something that day. As soon as we pull up at this place I see a damn line out the building that includes a pregnant woman smoking a cigarette, dudes are slugged up that look like they just got out of doing a bid, etc.

I looked at my mama and she looked back at me. We were both confused as hell. I'm not sure how St. John the Baptist Parish does their court but we were in there with people fighting murder chargers (hell the guy sitting right next to me was fighting a murder charge, other cats were in the court for armed robbery, and other serious crimes. We were in there for a speeding ticket. I told my mom what in the world have you gotten me into.

It was a real shyt show in there that day but very interesting. We probably sat there 3 hours or so before my mom's name was called. They had these ADA's handling all the cases. The ADA that called my mom's name said I've watched you and your son sitting there and the officer that gave you this ticket did not show up today so I'm dismissing this case.

The funny part about all this is my mom got she and I a hotel room, burned gas traveling like 200 miles, and other expenses fighting this ticket. I told her you've spent the $500 coming down here and she said she didn't care and stated she'd do it again because it was the principle of the matter.

 

[Luke Cage]

alot of people don't realize that by pleading not guilty you now have the option to negotiate a deal as well. sometimes you can get a speeding ticket reduced to a parking violation so you don't get points taken off your license for example