On Columbus day I was driving my family back home from a nice brunch. I turned left from the restaurant onto a busy street and went on to the median. I was waiting to merge, but decided to drive toward the left most lane at the lights to turn a left. As I was going, out of nowhere a Honda Prelude zooms out of a side street onto the same median that I was on. She was turning left but facing the opposite direction as me and did not see me due to the heavy traffic. She crashed into the front of my Accord and blasted my radiator. We decided not to move the cars and called the cops. The cop said that it was totally her fault, but since I was driving on the median I was the one at fault.

I got a ticket for improper lane usage because I was driving on the median. Tomorrow is my court date and I have no idea what to do. Plead guilty or not guilty? The judge probably have no knowledge of my collision with the Prelude too. What I know is that I am guilty of driving on the median, but the police officer has no evidence of that except that our cars were crashed on the median. Should I point this out?

Thanks for caring and reading.

 

I just got an idea. What if I said that the cop wasn't there when I hypothetically drove on the median and that there was no way that he would have known. Would this work?

 

Right now you're only real chance of getting out of this ticket is if the cop doesn't show. Tell the truth and believe me the judge will reduce the fine!

 

Judges hear the same excuses over and over every single day. I'm 99% sure that you won't get away with lying. Just admit that you were driving in the median and ask the judge if he'd allow you to go to traffic school and getting a reduced fine/points.

 

Hmmm some will depend on what you admitted to the cop that day, because he WILL take notes usually to refresh his memory that day in court. If you admitted to any of his word games you are pretty much SOL, and your best chance is to (depending on your state laws) find a way to reschedule the court date and either see if you can elect traffic school , which will drop all points and reduce fine... id have to check the books though cause i think once you elect to fight then you have given up the right to traffic school. Id like to know the sprcifics of traffic laws and contestation in IL... im quite familiar with them in Fla because a cop will cite you for simply looking at him lol (sarcasm) but thats not too far from the truth.

 

Just tell the judge "my car got totaled in front of my family, isn't that enough of a fine sir" :sad face:

 

Nice tip SS2000GT. Thanks guys for the advice. I guess I won't lie and will just beg for traffic school. The ticket itself is just 5 points though...

 

The point system is different in every state. In Michigan you get your license suspended after 6 points.

 

Duh everyone knows blue license plates are a sure sign of danger, thats why they all migrate to florida - so they can take out 2-3 more other cars before they get suspended. LOL just a joke aimed at our beloved winter residents and cheers to 35 in the fast lane on 75 ^^ i love michigan, only when im in an armored car

just crackin afew jokes no harm intended ^^

 

step 1) Don't wait until the day before court to prepare a strategy.

step 2) Most communities have some sort of court officer who attempts to resolve issues before they ever get to court. Contact your courthouse and see if that is the case in your community, and make an appointment. If you have court oficers for this sort of thing, you can postpone your court date, to be resheduled by the court oficer if they deem it necessary.

step 3) If court is inevitable, spend some omoney on a lawyer, not an online forum. A legal professional will be a better ally than any online poster, and save you money in the long run.