undeserved running red light ticket. Need advice

I recently received a ticket for running a red light. I did run the
light but I think I had a valid reason.

It was late at night and I had gone out to get something to eat. I
went to the Wendy's drive-thru and while I was ordering some guy was
trying to bum money from me as I ordered. He said he wanted $1.00 to
buy gas to get home but this area is bad for panhandling and this was
probably made up. When I got to the window I told the guy in the
drive-thru what happened and he sent someone out to run the guy off.

When I got my food I pulled out behind the Wendy's at an exit that is
between a drug store and McDonald's. From here I would turn right
and go straight thru an intersection about 50 yards away (McDonalds is
on the corner).

As I stated to pull out this bum came up on my driver's side and
started yelling at me. He quickly moved in front of my car and just
stood there screaming at me for about 20 seconds shouting something.
As he moved around to the passenger side I took off turning right. As
I pulled out the light at the intersection was already yellow but I
kept going and it turned red about a second before I went under it.

It was late, traffic was light, and I could see no cars near the
intersection. I didn't want to stop at the light and have this guy
come over to my car again. I thought it was best to get out of the
area.

About a block away a cop pulled me over for running the red light. I
started telling him about the guy but he said he did not see anyone and
he had been in the area all night. I then decided to just drop it and
tell it to the judge before I lost my temper and made matters worse.

I did notice a police car at the McDonalds on the corner and it could
have been the guy who gave me the ticket. Another police officer
pulled up a few minutes later and it could have been his car I saw. It
may not have been either of them.

When I got home I noticed something smeared over the passenger side of
my car. I think this guy threw something at my car but I didn't hear
it hit. It looked like it was a milk shake.

I don't have a history of traffic tickets. In the last 10 years (or
more) I've had one ticket which was for speeding about 9 months ago
which I pled NOLO too.

How should I handle this?

Do I plead Not Guilty? I did run the light.
Do I plead Guilty and explain it? But if I do this a Guilty Plea may
put it on my MVR and cause my insurance to shoot up.
Does it even matter if I had a good reason to run the light?

What is the best strategy?
What should I have done in this situation?

Don

"Don" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I recently received a ticket for running a red light. I did run the
> light but I think I had a valid reason.
>
> It was late at night and I had gone out to get something to eat. I
> went to the Wendy's drive-thru and while I was ordering some guy was
> trying to bum money from me as I ordered. He said he wanted $1.00 to
> buy gas to get home but this area is bad for panhandling and this was
> probably made up. When I got to the window I told the guy in the
> drive-thru what happened and he sent someone out to run the guy off.
>
> When I got my food I pulled out behind the Wendy's at an exit that is
> between a drug store and McDonald's. From here I would turn right
> and go straight thru an intersection about 50 yards away (McDonalds is
> on the corner).
>
> As I stated to pull out this bum came up on my driver's side and
> started yelling at me. He quickly moved in front of my car and just
> stood there screaming at me for about 20 seconds shouting something.
> As he moved around to the passenger side ********I took off turning
right********. As
> I pulled out the light at the intersection was already yellow but I
> kept going and it turned red about a second before I went under it.
>
> It was late, traffic was light, and I could see no cars near the
> intersection. I didn't want to stop at the light and have this guy
> come over to my car again. I thought it was best to get out of the
> area.
>
> About a block away a cop pulled me over for running the red light. I
> started telling him about the guy but he said he did not see anyone and
> he had been in the area all night. I then decided to just drop it and
> tell it to the judge before I lost my temper and made matters worse.
>
> I did notice a police car at the McDonalds on the corner and it could
> have been the guy who gave me the ticket. Another police officer
> pulled up a few minutes later and it could have been his car I saw. It
> may not have been either of them.
>
> When I got home I noticed something smeared over the passenger side of
> my car. I think this guy threw something at my car but I didn't hear
> it hit. It looked like it was a milk shake.
>
> I don't have a history of traffic tickets. In the last 10 years (or
> more) I've had one ticket which was for speeding about 9 months ago
> which I pled NOLO too.
>
> How should I handle this?
>
> Do I plead Not Guilty? I did run the light.
> Do I plead Guilty and explain it? But if I do this a Guilty Plea may
> put it on my MVR and cause my insurance to shoot up.
> Does it even matter if I had a good reason to run the light?
>
> What is the best strategy?
> What should I have done in this situation?
>
> Don

ALWAYS plead not guilty. If you are going to contest it, get a written
statement from the guy in the drive-through who sent someone out to get rid
of the trespasser in the Wendy's drive-through. Also get the written
statement notarized. That is the only chance you have. Without proof of
the panhandler being in the area, you are out of luck.

FWIW, in a similar circumstance, I would have run the light, regardless of
what color it was, after checking for traffic. BTW, where do you live that
it is illegal to turn right on red? In most areas of the country, what you
did (checked for traffic, verified road was clear, then turned right on a
red) would not have been illegal, even if the light was RED the entire
ime. -Dave

We can turn right on red here.

I did not turn right on red, I went straight thru the intersection. I
turned right coming out of the parking lot adn then straight thru the
intersection.

I'll go by Wendy's this weekend and see if I can find the person
working the drive thru.

Don wrote:
> I recently received a ticket for running a red light. I did run the
> light but I think I had a valid reason.

Fat Chance.

>
> It was late at night and I had gone out to get something to eat. I
> went to the Wendy's drive-thru and while I was ordering some guy was
> trying to bum money from me as I ordered. He said he wanted $1.00 to
> buy gas to get home but this area is bad for panhandling and this was
> probably made up. When I got to the window I told the guy in the
> drive-thru what happened and he sent someone out to run the guy off.
>
> When I got my food I pulled out behind the Wendy's at an exit that is
> between a drug store and McDonald's. From here I would turn right
> and go straight thru an intersection about 50 yards away (McDonalds
is
> on the corner).
>
> As I stated to pull out this bum came up on my driver's side and
> started yelling at me. He quickly moved in front of my car and just
> stood there screaming at me for about 20 seconds shouting something.
> As he moved around to the passenger side I took off turning right.
As
> I pulled out the light at the intersection was already yellow but I
> kept going and it turned red about a second before I went under it.
>
> It was late, traffic was light, and I could see no cars near the
> intersection. I didn't want to stop at the light and have this guy
> come over to my car again. I thought it was best to get out of the
> area.
>
> About a block away a cop pulled me over for running the red light. I
> started telling him about the guy but he said he did not see anyone
and
> he had been in the area all night. I then decided to just drop it
and
> tell it to the judge before I lost my temper and made matters worse.
>
> I did notice a police car at the McDonalds on the corner and it could
> have been the guy who gave me the ticket. Another police officer
> pulled up a few minutes later and it could have been his car I saw.
It
> may not have been either of them.
>
> When I got home I noticed something smeared over the passenger side
of
> my car. I think this guy threw something at my car but I didn't hear
> it hit. It looked like it was a milk shake.
>
> I don't have a history of traffic tickets. In the last 10 years (or
> more) I've had one ticket which was for speeding about 9 months ago
> which I pled NOLO too.
>
> How should I handle this?

Why don't you grow a pair.

>
> Do I plead Not Guilty? I did run the light.

Your call.

> Do I plead Guilty and explain it? But if I do this a Guilty Plea may
> put it on my MVR and cause my insurance to shoot up.

As well it should.

> Does it even matter if I had a good reason to run the light?

Yes it would matter. But you don't so it doesn't matter.

>
> What is the best strategy?
> What should I have done in this situation?

Grow a pair and ignore the bid bad panhandler.

>
> Don

Don wrote:
> I recently received a ticket for running a red light. I did run the
> light but I think I had a valid reason.
>
> It was late at night and I had gone out to get something to eat. I
> went to the Wendy's drive-thru and while I was ordering some guy was
> trying to bum money from me as I ordered. He said he wanted $1.00 to
> buy gas to get home but this area is bad for panhandling and this was
> probably made up. When I got to the window I told the guy in the
> drive-thru what happened and he sent someone out to run the guy off.

You are a pussy. I'd have just given the bum a buck or ignored him. I
sure as hell wouldn't have gone crying to the minimum wage teen handing
out the dead animals.

Hell, that was probably you that was looking for the handout.

Have a good weekend, loser.

In article .com>,
Don > wrote:

>When I got home I noticed something smeared over the passenger side of
>my car. I think this guy threw something at my car but I didn't hear
>it hit. It looked like it was a milk shake.
>
>I don't have a history of traffic tickets. In the last 10 years (or
>more) I've had one ticket which was for speeding about 9 months ago
>which I pled NOLO too.
>
>How should I handle this?
>
>Do I plead Not Guilty? I did run the light.
>Do I plead Guilty and explain it? But if I do this a Guilty Plea may
>put it on my MVR and cause my insurance to shoot up.
>Does it even matter if I had a good reason to run the light?
>
>What is the best strategy?
>What should I have done in this situation?

You'd have to contact a lawyer for _advice_, but I'd plead "not
guilty" and claim necessity, that I felt the bum was a danger to me if
I remained where I was and the safest exit was through the red light.
Since it was dark I'd point out that the cop wouldn't necessarily have
been able to see the guy from far away. Then I'd take my "guilty"
verdict and add it to my long list of complaints against the injustice system.

Though I wouldn't put it past the cop to have been in cahoots with the
bum.
--
There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting practices can
result in a fully-depreciated one.

Matthew Russotto wrote:
>
> You'd have to contact a lawyer for _advice_, but I'd plead "not
> guilty" and claim necessity, that I felt the bum was a danger to me
if
> I remained where I was and the safest exit was through the red light.
> Since it was dark I'd point out that the cop wouldn't necessarily
have
> been able to see the guy from far away. Then I'd take my "guilty"
> verdict and add it to my long list of complaints against the
injustice system.
>
> Though I wouldn't put it past the cop to have been in cahoots with
the
> bum.
> --
> There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting
practices can
> result in a fully-depreciated one.

Hee, hee, best answer yet. Alway's plead Not Guilty, amen brother.
Don't you people watch "Cops"? People confess all the time, either
intimidated, or they honestly think it'll go easier on them, or both,
as in, "Good cop, Bad cop". Judges play their part in the game too,
esp. in rural areas where ticketing passersby is major income for the
local gov't. I got a ticket a few years ago in Rural Nevada for
speeding on my bike (75 in a 65 on a long straight downhill, not a car
in sight, except the teensy spot in my mirror, dammit its a cop!
grrrr!), pled NOLO, got a fine+traffic school. Later, I heard that if
the ticketing cop is not present in court to refute your plea (in my
case he wasn't), the judge HAS to find you not guilty or dismiss. Doh!
Any truth to this, anyone?

As to the "guilty with extenuating circumstances" plea, it sounds to me
like just a clever way for the state to get people to admit guilt. I
wouldn't buy it. Is there some mandatory lighter sentence for those
found as such? Is it an automatic lower fine? I'd be surprised. As
for the judge in TX, it sounds like he'd just heard the guy admit
guilt, and was cleverly allowing the poor sap to dig his own grave a
little deeper. So how'd that plea work out for him, Scott? Did he get
off? i'd be surprised.

"RobW" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> Matthew Russotto wrote:
> >
> > You'd have to contact a lawyer for _advice_, but I'd plead "not
> > guilty" and claim necessity, that I felt the bum was a danger to me
> if
> > I remained where I was and the safest exit was through the red light.
> > Since it was dark I'd point out that the cop wouldn't necessarily
> have
> > been able to see the guy from far away. Then I'd take my "guilty"
> > verdict and add it to my long list of complaints against the
> injustice system.
> >
> > Though I wouldn't put it past the cop to have been in cahoots with
> the
> > bum.
> > --
> > There's no such thing as a free lunch, but certain accounting
> practices can
> > result in a fully-depreciated one.
>
> Hee, hee, best answer yet. Alway's plead Not Guilty, amen brother.
> Don't you people watch "Cops"? People confess all the time, either
> intimidated, or they honestly think it'll go easier on them, or both,
> as in, "Good cop, Bad cop". Judges play their part in the game too,
> esp. in rural areas where ticketing passersby is major income for the
> local gov't. I got a ticket a few years ago in Rural Nevada for
> speeding on my bike (75 in a 65 on a long straight downhill, not a car
> in sight, except the teensy spot in my mirror, dammit its a cop!
> grrrr!), pled NOLO, got a fine+traffic school. Later, I heard that if
> the ticketing cop is not present in court to refute your plea (in my
> case he wasn't), the judge HAS to find you not guilty or dismiss. Doh!
> Any truth to this, anyone?
>

Yes, it's true. However, the judge won't normally do this unless you ASK
for the charge to be dismissed for lack of prosecution. If you don't ask,
then the judge MIGHT dismiss charges for lack of prosecution anyway. Note
the MIGHT. -Dave

On 28 Feb 2005 21:59:12 -0800, "RobW" > wrote:

>Later, I heard that if
>the ticketing cop is not present in court to refute your plea (in my
>case he wasn't), the judge HAS to find you not guilty or dismiss. Doh!
>Any truth to this, anyone?

Sort of.
The case *can* be held over or recheduled until the cop is able to
attend. Or the judge can simply dismiss the charges (you kust be able
to question your accuser). But, IIRC, you need to ask for this.

--
Bill Funk
Change "g" to "a"