Citation Expired Before Bail Amount Given

[dave]

Hi all,

I received a speeding ticket in California. I tried to pay, but the issuing county would not supply a bail amount before the citation's due date. Fearing jail time, I replied by certified mail, "not guilty - can't plead guilty and pay bail because you won't tell me the amount." SIX WEEKS later, I received a letter with bail amount and a new reply-by date. Infuriating.

Out of principle, I am no longer interested in paying this fine without protest. What's more, I discovered that the issuing officer recorded my driver's license as CA when, in fact, mine is a NV driver's license. Are there any legal precedents I may cite with my "in absentia" plea of "not guilty?"

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[army judge]

Hi all,

I received a speeding ticket in California. I tried to pay, but the issuing county would not supply a bail amount before the citation's due date. Fearing jail time, I replied by certified mail, "not guilty - can't plead guilty and pay bail because you won't tell me the amount." SIX WEEKS later, I received a letter with bail amount and a new reply-by date. Infuriating.

Out of principle, I am no longer interested in paying this fine without protest. What's more, I discovered that the issuing officer recorded my driver's license as CA when, in fact, mine is a NV driver's license. Are there any legal precedents I may cite with my "in absentia" plea of "not guilty?"

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Please, do not take this as a negative criticism.

You won't like my advice, but there is little you can do now.

Your attempts to "fix" this are only making it worse.

These people care about one thing, ripping you off from your loot.

Now, if you have time to return to the scene of the ALLEGED offense, you MIGHT be able to affect a positive outcome.

However, absentia attempts at pleading your case are met with an adjudication or finding of GUILT.

Once the gavel of the bag man boss pound against its resting place, a guilty stamp is affixed to your court file.

The bag man for the municipality assess your fine, the state's cut, and his fees.

If you fail to pay, your license will be eventually summarily revoked by yoru state authority's.

Alas, these thieves work together diligently to fleece their victims.

That little error (CA vs NV), they'll fix that properly, just to make things tidy and legal.

Had you posted earlier, I woudl have advised you seek the traffic court remedy, if it were made available to you.

You might still try that, who knows?

Or, you could have sought a deferred adjudication (or some similar deferral program), but that might have eluded you at this late date.

But, you still could investigate the proposition.

You can't fight these crooks, no more than you can fight the IRS or the TSA.

They are equal opportunity government authorized abusers and fleecers.

I apologize, but I think you cooked your own goose.

One more thing, never fight those goons.

You can't win.

You must always be solicitous and kind to them.

You win them over to your side by being polite, professional, courteous, civil, and kind.

They have something you want or need.

Don't anger them, even if you have a law degree.

Some fights you can't win because the cost to pursue far exceeds the punishment.

They don't have marked cards, they have the whole darn deck.

Good luck.

 

[CdwJava]

The citation "due date" is the date when you are expected to appear in court for the offense - it is NOT the date by which you have to pay the fine. You are very fortunate that they appear to have extended your arraignment - they were under no obligation to do so.

The courts sometimes send out a "courtesy notice" to advise you of your options and bail/fine amount should you wish to plead guilty and pay by mail. However, no law requires them to send out these notices.

At this point your options are likely limited. You have almost certainly lost out on the opportunity to have a trial by written declaration, so you are left with the option of a court trial should you wish to challenge the citation.

The NV/CA license number mess-up is not really to serious as far as your guilt or innocence is concerned.