Need advice girlfriend got a ticket

[RiffRaff04]

Ok, I was not with her when this happened so im going off of what she told me, which I do believe because she is a good driver and does not act like a maniac on the road. So here goes the story. She was driving though Greenville SC to visit a friend the other night (going 5 under the limit) and she drives through a green light that turned yellow while she was in the intersection. The police officer is at the red light, he pulls her over and ends up citing her (after calling for back up and waiting 30min) for negligent driving $270.50 and no points. He told her that he could have cited her for running the red light and taken points. She is asking me what to do and me being hard headed im telling her to fight it if she is 110% sure that she didnt run a red light. However, im also thinking it might be better just to pay up since it is basically going to be his word vs. hers. BTW she said that the police officer told her that she would have hit him if he hadnt stopped at the red light....hmmm. Oh yeah, and she was being polite the whole time he was talking to her. So what should she do?????

 

[DaleM]

let her pay and move on. no points is a good thing.

 

[FordSVTFan]

Ok, I was not with her when this happened so im going off of what she told me, which I do believe because she is a good driver and does not act like a maniac on the road. So here goes the story. She was driving though Greenville SC to visit a friend the other night (going 5 under the limit) and she drives through a green light that turned yellow while she was in the intersection. The police officer is at the red light, he pulls her over and ends up citing her (after calling for back up and waiting 30min) for negligent driving $270.50 and no points. He told her that he could have cited her for running the red light and taken points. She is asking me what to do and me being hard headed im telling her to fight it if she is 110% sure that she didnt run a red light. However, im also thinking it might be better just to pay up since it is basically going to be his word vs. hers. BTW she said that the police officer told her that she would have hit him if he hadnt stopped at the red light....hmmm. Oh yeah, and she was being polite the whole time he was talking to her. So what should she do?????

How can she be more than 100% sure? Is she borrowing some "sureness" from someone else who is also sure?

If she can make a cogent defense, then she should fight it.

 

[ThrashN]

BTW she said that the police officer told her that she would have hit him if he hadnt stopped at the red light....hmmm

Sounds like her light was green to me

 

[DaSweed]

Sounds like her light was green to me

thats a dead give away.. unless she went during the second that all lights are red.

 

[Invictus]

d

How can she be more than 100% sure? Is she borrowing some "sureness" from someone else who is also sure?

LOL

 

[TurdFerguson]

arent you technically supposed to stop at a yellow light if you can?

 

[G2Mach1]

Sounds like the cop was bored. If she really ran the red light he would have given her a ticket for that offense. First thing I would do is see if the cop made any technical errors on the ticket like names, streets, dates, times... Judges in Houston traffic court throw these out quick b/c there are so many other (criminals) waiting.

Unless you /she has been to traffic court a bunch and know the agenda or Judge, you will need a lawyer to properly fight it, which also will cost $$$. My lawyer costs $70 which is> $250, but still a gamble. If the lawyer can make any case about it your chances are fairly good for dismissal. Then done. If you lose with the paid-for lawyer, you end up paying more altogether, but still no points on her record. If you choose to not have a lawyer, she may want to plead for nolo contendre/contest and see if the fine can be reduced (make this call after seeing what is happening in court to others) or deferred disposition/adjudication (sp?) which is probation for a few months, once completed w/o a citation- dismissed, but this also usually costs $$$ too.

Whatever you do dont just mail the money in. That is what they want you to do.

Good luck.