boltonblue

ok so you get traffic citation and decide the cop was wrong and challenge the ticket.
Herre in good ol' Mass the process is:
Send in your ticket by mail and wait a couple of months until you get a hearing date.
Then you go before a clerk and a representative of the police who reads the charges.
You argue why that's not right. Sometimes the magistrate will throw it out or he can say
"your responsible" and you can A, pay the fine or B go before a Judge at a later date.
At that later date, the citing officer needs to be there to prosecute the citation and testify.
The judge then decides on the case.

now here's the kicker.
to get that hearing with the clerk you have to pony up $25, nonrefundable, doesn't matter who wins.
If you go before the judge, be ready to dig up another $50 to get that hearing.
and oh yeah, doesn't matter if you win, that money is gone.

So it can cost $75 to find a BS ticket, even if the cop was just plain wrong.

How does it work in your states???

Lainey

Same as it does in yours.

Did someone in the household get a ticket?

paS2K

Are you talking about a State Police ticket or a City Cop ticket?

A few years ago, I fought a ticket in Philadelphia and won. IIRC, I requested a hearing on the original citation (it was for "failure to yield" at an intersection where I was turning across oncoming traffic); I don't believe that I paid anything up front. I was called to the hearing officer pretty promptly; presented diagrams and my statement of what happened; hearing officer believed me and waived all charges.

I was flabbergasted at winning against the system...and this in an old Rustbelt City. If course it took about 2 hours of my time.

zzziippyyy

Wow taxachusetts really sock it to you eh. Up here the process is close to the same but if you do not want to plead guilty to the original infraction if it can be reduced ex: a speeding ticket they will offer to do so if you than agree to plead guilty. Thus reducing your fine and points lost from your license. There are no fees assessed if you waive that reduction and choose to have your case heard by the judge. If he finds you guilty you than pay the fine on the original infraction. Most peoe accept the plea bargain and lower fine/points. I think the date gains by this by needi g judge services and the cop to appear less and they still get most of the $ they were going to get anyhow.

MsPerky

Regardless of the cost, you have to decide whether it's worth your time. I got a ticket in Baltimore once that I wanted to fight, but the court was in Ellicott City, a long way from me. So I ate it. I'm sure police love out of state peeps for just that reason.

Zippy

Sounds like a "poll tax", you have to pay for justice.

Filthy Beast

Just pay pay it, its not worth your time or money. Been there done that

Legal Bill

Good for you, Jerry. Your dollars are going to the state justice system, which needs all the help it can get.

Lainey

I think that $25.00 fee could also help to stop wasting the court's time. While it may be worth a hearing to keep a minor speeding infraction off your clean record, too many people think they should fight a ticket, when they were actually were doing 80 in a 55.

But your honor, I have a clean record.....

Zippy

But then you have to pay money to prove you're innocent when you are. I don't see how that is fair.