Traffic ticket rejected by the courthouse...so do I just wait now?
May 11, 2014 7:40 PM   Subscribe

A police officer made a procedural mistake on my traffic ticket, and the court has rejected it pending any modification by the police. Any chance they won't get around to making that modification?

I received a traffic violation ticket in Santa Clara County, CA. It was a fair stop - I was distracted looking for a park spot, did a minor traffic violation (non-accident), and was pulled over almost immediately. It is my first ever traffic ticket, and wasn't going to contest it. That said, there is chance it may end up going away...and hey who am I to argue with the man if they decide not to make me pay.

When I went in to clerk of the court's office a month after the ticket was issued to deal/pay with the ticket, they told me it has been "rejected" as the officer had not filled out some minor part of the ticket (one of the date or time fields I think). They have stamped my copy of the ticket to indicate I came in and attempted to address - but have also told me if the officer fixes the mistake before the end date of the ticket (in another 60 days or so) then it will be accepted as valid and they will notify me it needs to be addressed..

Questions:
1. Is it wishful thinking on my part that the police will not adjust the ticket (is it standard that they make mistakes and correct them?)
2. My plan is simply to wait and see if they notify me (they said they would if it is accepted) / check the court's online system to see its status, and if I don't get any notification I will go back to the court 2-3 days before the final date on the ticket and make sure they either deal with it or give it a final rejection. Any risk in that?
3. Am I being silly not contesting it if there was a procedural error in the ticket? Frankly I'm ok with paying it (have budgeted for it) and doing traffic school if I have to....but if I'm being silly and this is a no-brainer "get a traffic lawyer to make it go away" situation then that would be good to know (YANAL/YANML)
posted by anonymous to Law & Government (3 answers total)
 
The cop might have deliberately not filled those out. He or she might have been under pressure to fill ticket quotas & didn't like it. That's what happened to my mother. The cop even told her she wouldn't have to pay anything.
posted by Neekee at 9:01 PM on May 11, 2014


Sounds to me like you should wait and see, and not stress over it.
posted by dhartung at 11:04 PM on May 11, 2014 [1 favorite]


if I don't get any notification I will go back to the court 2-3 days before the final date on the ticket

I wouldn't do that. I'd put aside the money required to pay the ticket, then a week after the ticket's end date I'd put it un-aside again and get on with my life. Sleeping dogs and all that.
posted by flabdablet at 7:22 AM on May 12, 2014


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