Well, it was 12:30am, snowing and the road was wet. i was driving 35-45km/hr trying to find my friend's house. I came to a traffic light and it turned yellow and i decided to go pass it, i didn't step on the gas hard, just constant speed around 45km/hr, and stopped behind a taxi dropping off it's passangers right after the light. Few seconds later, a police car showed up behind me. I thought the police was trying to get the taxi going, then the taxi left, and i started going again, then the police flashed the light, it was after me!!! i pulled over, he said i failed to stop at red light, but i am 100% sure it was a yellow light!! why would i ran pass a red light when i was driving only 45km/hr. I feel like being rob. I rather get a speeding ticket than this. I didn't know what to say to the police and i was scared by his voice, tone, and this is my 1st time got pulled over. I asked my friends they told me 4 pt will be taken away for fail to stop at red light, here are the option:

1. pay the ticket

2. plead guilty w/ explanation

3. trial

Seriously, this is the whole story, i didn't lie about anything or hide anything. I just feel like being robbed by a police.

 

trial

 

actually is 3pt not 4. but seriously what is the chance of wining?
should i just pay the $190 fine, or pay $300 for the trial???

 

Not sure what the law is in Canada, but if you go to trial, it will be your word against the cop's. My guess is that your only chance for it's being dropped is if he doesn't show up. Is it worth your time and aggravation to be there? Take your chances...but I think I would just eat it and pay.

 

You MUST fight it. Running red's is quite serious.
You can either go it alone and ask the prosecutor or judge to knock down the penalty.
You can go it alone and hope the police man doesn't show in which case you win.

But I would pay one of those ex-copp guys who promise to win or you don't pay. It's well worth it in this case.

 

Yeah adelaide is right. Red light offenses are quite serious. You are looking at a good hike on your insurance premiums. I would say :

1. Get a 1st attendants appt or whatevr its called. See the prosecuter, explain what happened, if he/she says no way, then you can always ask for the trial opion.

2. Hire a x-coppers/ points or any other office to handle your case. It's not worth going to court and taking the chance.

Good luck!

 

thanks~
i will hire a x-coppers then~
thanks for the advices.

 

Also find out where the cop was when he saw you. If he was behind you, it would be really difficult to know where you were in relation to the light when it turned red. A few feet would make a difference between the red and the yellow at that speed.

 

i am not sure if the cop was behind me. I was trying to find my friend's place in really slow speed, consentrating on the rigth side. i am sure i didn't ran pass a red. Maybe it changed to red when i just passed the line. I think the cop parked his car in the side street. I stopped behind a taxi dropping of it's passengers about 3 car length after the light, about 10-15sec later the police showed up behind me (i have no idea where he came from), no signals yet, i thougth he was trying to get the taxi moving.

if he was behind me, he could of just flash the light right away and pull me over. i think he was trying to catch some drunk driver cuz my friend lives near a club. The 1st thing he asked me was "have u been drinking?", and next was "is this your car?". Then he said "you ran pass a red light".

 

called X-Copper, here's the quote they gave me:

if they succeed in knockin off the 3 demerit pts, then i will pay $500 flate rate + the fine (but no dermit pts).

if they fail to knock off the 3 demerit pts, then i will still have to pay $500 flat rate but they pay for the ticket.

just to let you know the ticket is only $190 + 3 demerit pts and this is my 1st ticket.

Should i trai or just pay??