I got a ticket for an illegal U-turn. I did the action, the officer did not make any mistakes on the ticket such as mistyping my name, make/model, etc that I can use to contest. I'm willing to pay the $300 for the ticket, but I really don't want the points on my record.

I've got the trial by written declaration form in front of me right now.

Can I simply write that I am willing to pay the full ticket amount, but please do not add points to my license?

Is there any reason the judge would still give me the points?

 

Umm, traffic school as an option?

 

Not an option unfortunately

Got nabbed twice last year rolling a stop sign at a traffic trap right in my local neighborhood.

 

Sounds like driving school would still be a good option as you continue to break the traffic laws.

 

Usually, if you go to court for your hearing, dress appropriately and talk to the prosecutor, the prosecutor will talk to the judge and recommend you to not receive the points from the ticket. This will work in your favor as long as the judge is not having a bad day or just a real jerk...........
Through my many years of experience in dealing with and handling the law, this is the only way for you to not receive points; be nice, be respectful, be on time and talk to the prosecutor to see if there is anything they can do for you.
Good luck with everything.

 

^^good advice^^ also. get 'fighting' out of your mind. You're appealing to the court for leniency, be humble, like you've really learned your lesson and will not incur any infractions again.

 

But has he?

 

I guess that remains to be seen. Minor moving violations can easily be chalked up to youthful inexperience, should have learned on the rolling stops though. A humble approach without groveling is a skill learned with time ;-)

 

I don't know Cali law, but while I lived in Texas there was such a thing as 'deferred adjudication'. Basically you bribe the state with a bond, for the ticket price. In 6 months, if you've behaved nicely, the bond is forfeited to the state and all is well. No points, ticket torn up. But if you get busted, the fee is double the original ticket price, it goes on your record, and you have the new ticket to deal with. I would go to the court, and ask a cashier about it.

Oh but don't use the word 'bribe'. They get all testy when you do. Trust me.

linky What is Deferred Adjudication in Texas? - Avvo.com

 

First, if you plead guilty or are convicted you WILL get points in CA.

My advice is contact a lawyer and see what they can do for you, especially if they're one that has a specialty of reducing tickets.
This is not an issue of defending yourself but one of using the system to minimize damage.

 

.............. A humble approach without groveling is a skill learned with time ;-)[/quote]

I agree.

 

I agree.[/quote]

From two married men.

 

From two married men.[/quote]

Sorry.........
Not married here.........
Don't understand your point...........

 

i work for the court system in San Francisco. all good advice here. my recommendation would be to just go to your court date and be neatly dressed. it won't hurt to politely ask the judicial officer if there is any possibility that the points will NOT go on your record. at the end of the day, it's up to the mood of the judge and how you approach the situation. don't kiss ass, just be nice. good luck.

 

Heres something I've heard of, but never had occasion to try.

Pay $301. When they send you the $1 check refund, don't cash. The offense never gets cleared. Anyone ever try this?

 

Would doubt that not cashing a check would have anything to do with how an offense gets processed. The processing would be done when you pay, not related to a refund check clearing, if they even bother to send one.

 

if SF county's actions are indicative of what the rest of the country does...that's BS. in fact, if we get a check for the wrong amount (whether it be too much or too little), we'll send it back. if you do not send in a check for the correct amount by the hearing date, you'll get a nice DMV hold that flags your license in the DMV database. that may mean a suspension that will incur additional and seperate fees at both the court and DMV.

it's probably not a good idea to experiment with government rules at a time when they're hungry for additional money. YMMV.

 

If you have done traffic school once this year you can go in front of a judge and they can give you traffic school again if they want. I had to do this in my teens and the second time was one and a half traffic schools, so one full day, and half a day, leaving at lunch break. This might be an option for you, but again, it is up to the judge.

 

here is how you beat a ticket.

wait until the last minute to turn in your paperwork for your trial by declaration. this makes the officer come to court on the day of, pick up the paper work and turn it in later. then if you are found guilty, contest it with a "trial de novo" which means that you are contesting the rule because you werent present. this makes the officer have to come back to court a second time unpaid. if you have a busy/lazy citing officer, it will work every time. also, the tactic of paying one extra dollar on the check for your ticket works. my tattoo artist did this and he has had a traffic offense floating in the system for almost a year now. once he is eligible for traffic school again, he can go apply for it and cash the check. hope this helps

 

Face the consequence of f***g up. It's part of growing up. Trying to focus on beating the system is crazy advice.