pittpizza
10-03-2007, 12:59 PM
I just got pulled over Monday and got ticketed and figured I would share some carnal knowledge with you all to spread the love.
Let me give you some background so you can know whether this is good advice or not. I am 26 and am a somewhat aggressive driver and have been for 10 years. In my early days I got pulled over ALOT, but since I cannot remember all of them I will just stick with the 8 times I have been pulled over since I started college in 2000. 8 Stops, 4 citations, and 0 convictions. I am an attorney but just so as not to jinx myself I should disclaim that I get my bar results back Tuesday. Wish me luck. None of this should be considered legal advice in any way and is only practical advice offered from life experience.
The real trick is to not get the ticket in the first place. DO NOT argue with the cop, DO NOT tell him you were not (insert violation here) because this will just piss him off. Know that often times police pull vehicles over not to give the driver a ticket, but to find out whats going on (drugs, DUI, warrant, etc.) Before he approaches your car, DO buckle up (you should be already but if not, do this as soon as you see him pull out or put his lights on), pull over (to the right of course) in a place that makes the cop feel comfortable where he has alot of room to stand by the driver's side of your car. Turn your ignition off and put your hands on the steering wheel, and don't reach for your registration and license before he asks you to get it because people reaching for things they cannot see makes cops nervous. Say your sorry, tell him how poor you are (student, saving for engagement ring, blah blah blah) and politely ask him to give you a break. Be tastefully persistent (politely aggressive) because you really have more to gain than you have to lose. I say "tastefully" because you really dont want to make anything but a good impression on the cop, persistently asking for a break isn't going to get him mad so long as you're not obnoxious. The goal here is to get a break but if you can't dont go so overboard so he remembers you and wants to stick it to you. Be forgetable.
Whether you get a citation or not depends upon alot of things but most important is the kindness of the cop, second is probably your people skills/power of persuasion. Sometimes its unavoidable.
If you get a ticket you, in a timely manner, plead not guilty (no matter what) and send in your ticket, and often times a check as a deposit.
Roughly one week before your court date, GET A CONTINUANCE. Too early and the cop may still show (he will be able to re-arrange his schedule ahead of time), too late and you might not get it. One week is perfect b/c the officer's schedule is made and, sonofabitch, he worked his schedule around a hearing that got continued! Now he has to re-schedule and its a pain in the ass and the chances are he will not show up to the second hearing date. Call the Magistrate and tell them you will be on an out of town vacation. Cousin getting married in FLA always works for me. Use the words "my attendance would be unduly burdensome", this doesn't really give them much of a choice and they pretty much have to grant it.
The continuance is important becasue the 4 out of 4 times I requested it, the cop WILL NOT SHOW!!! WHen the cop doesn't show this helps because with the cop sitting right there, the magistrate might not want to give you a break and piss the cop off.
Assuming you got the ticket (sometimes its unavoidable) show up dressed in a black, navy, or grey suit with a white shirt and red or blue tie and shaven, basically dress like you would for an interview. You will get called in to see the Magistrate and if you've followed my directions so far, the cop will not be there.
It will start with the majistrate saying something like "It says here you (insert violation). Whats your side of the story?" or "Why should I give you a break?" Say something like "I am not here to argue with you, your honor, and the last thing I would want to do is depreciate the seriousness of the offense, but I am just here to ask for the benefit of the doubt. IMO it could have gone either way and I am just asking for some leniency." Obviously you want to tailor these general statments to your facts but you get the idea. DONT be combative and argumentve, DO be apologetic and remorseful. This should work and has worked 100% of the time for me. Good Luck!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Be aware that this advice only appleis to MINOR TRAFFIC Citations! Not serious criminal offenses. If it is something more than a summary traffic offense you can and should consult an attorney! These pointers do not represent you in any way and its important that you understand for anything other than a minor traffic offense you need to get an attorney of your own.
Let me give you some background so you can know whether this is good advice or not. I am 26 and am a somewhat aggressive driver and have been for 10 years. In my early days I got pulled over ALOT, but since I cannot remember all of them I will just stick with the 8 times I have been pulled over since I started college in 2000. 8 Stops, 4 citations, and 0 convictions. I am an attorney but just so as not to jinx myself I should disclaim that I get my bar results back Tuesday. Wish me luck. None of this should be considered legal advice in any way and is only practical advice offered from life experience.
The real trick is to not get the ticket in the first place. DO NOT argue with the cop, DO NOT tell him you were not (insert violation here) because this will just piss him off. Know that often times police pull vehicles over not to give the driver a ticket, but to find out whats going on (drugs, DUI, warrant, etc.) Before he approaches your car, DO buckle up (you should be already but if not, do this as soon as you see him pull out or put his lights on), pull over (to the right of course) in a place that makes the cop feel comfortable where he has alot of room to stand by the driver's side of your car. Turn your ignition off and put your hands on the steering wheel, and don't reach for your registration and license before he asks you to get it because people reaching for things they cannot see makes cops nervous. Say your sorry, tell him how poor you are (student, saving for engagement ring, blah blah blah) and politely ask him to give you a break. Be tastefully persistent (politely aggressive) because you really have more to gain than you have to lose. I say "tastefully" because you really dont want to make anything but a good impression on the cop, persistently asking for a break isn't going to get him mad so long as you're not obnoxious. The goal here is to get a break but if you can't dont go so overboard so he remembers you and wants to stick it to you. Be forgetable.
Whether you get a citation or not depends upon alot of things but most important is the kindness of the cop, second is probably your people skills/power of persuasion. Sometimes its unavoidable.
If you get a ticket you, in a timely manner, plead not guilty (no matter what) and send in your ticket, and often times a check as a deposit.
Roughly one week before your court date, GET A CONTINUANCE. Too early and the cop may still show (he will be able to re-arrange his schedule ahead of time), too late and you might not get it. One week is perfect b/c the officer's schedule is made and, sonofabitch, he worked his schedule around a hearing that got continued! Now he has to re-schedule and its a pain in the ass and the chances are he will not show up to the second hearing date. Call the Magistrate and tell them you will be on an out of town vacation. Cousin getting married in FLA always works for me. Use the words "my attendance would be unduly burdensome", this doesn't really give them much of a choice and they pretty much have to grant it.
The continuance is important becasue the 4 out of 4 times I requested it, the cop WILL NOT SHOW!!! WHen the cop doesn't show this helps because with the cop sitting right there, the magistrate might not want to give you a break and piss the cop off.
Assuming you got the ticket (sometimes its unavoidable) show up dressed in a black, navy, or grey suit with a white shirt and red or blue tie and shaven, basically dress like you would for an interview. You will get called in to see the Magistrate and if you've followed my directions so far, the cop will not be there.
It will start with the majistrate saying something like "It says here you (insert violation). Whats your side of the story?" or "Why should I give you a break?" Say something like "I am not here to argue with you, your honor, and the last thing I would want to do is depreciate the seriousness of the offense, but I am just here to ask for the benefit of the doubt. IMO it could have gone either way and I am just asking for some leniency." Obviously you want to tailor these general statments to your facts but you get the idea. DONT be combative and argumentve, DO be apologetic and remorseful. This should work and has worked 100% of the time for me. Good Luck!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Be aware that this advice only appleis to MINOR TRAFFIC Citations! Not serious criminal offenses. If it is something more than a summary traffic offense you can and should consult an attorney! These pointers do not represent you in any way and its important that you understand for anything other than a minor traffic offense you need to get an attorney of your own.