popped my cherry!

[VanFanel]

First ticket today

I was making a right turn at an intersection where it says "No right turn on red between certain time" during the time marked. Now obviously I know that i need to stop and wait, however I am pretty sure i popped into the intersection when the light was yellow and NOT red. Right as i make a turn there was an officer telling me to pull over. He tells me i made it when it was a red light, told me I could get a red light violation, traffic sign violation and on top of that doing it all at a school zone. Thats 1,000$ worth of fines plus 2 points on my driving record. Since I have a spotless record he just gave me a "Obey trafic sign" violation - VC 21461a and nothign else. He also told me that I would get an option for traffic school.


So now I wonder - should i do traffic school to get it off my record, should I just pay my ticket since i am pretty sure this will not go on my insurance or should I go to court and fight it off hoping that the office A. doesn't show up B. my record is spotless before hand C. my claim that it was a yellow light as I got into an intersection.



Suggestions!

edit: just to be clear - i did not get a red light violation, i got a sign violation - thats what it says on the ticket.

[LiquidKernel]

Go to court, if he doesn't show, good. If he does, go to webtrafficschool.com. Profit.

[OneWhoKnows]

If you don't have the time, you should just pay the ticket w/ traffic school option and take traffic school.

[Clos]

Damn We have one of those signs at the main light in town (mind you we have 4 lights) and no one ever stops there on red and the cops dont care.

[VanFanel]

Originally Posted by OneWhoKnows

If you don't have the time, you should just pay the ticket w/ traffic school option and take traffic school.

its not that i dont have the time - i just wanna figure out what is the best option for me. I tried googling the VC but it doesnt come up with the fine range. Anyone has an idea of what kind of a fine i can get for that VC?

[VanFanel]

help me you n00bs!

[Allnighte]

not sure about how it works there, but the traffic school might be online and only like $20, and it'll take it off your record

that's the route i'd go

[hitnrun99]

dot foldered

[VanFanel]

Originally Posted by Allnighte

not sure about how it works there, but the traffic school might be online and only like $20, and it'll take it off your record

that's the route i'd go

yeah thats about the right price. i wonder tho how much the fine for the violation is.

[Tex Arcana]

Originally Posted by VanFanel

help me you n00bs!

Geebus, do you people EVER listen???

If your location allows you, you do it all THIS way:

(1) TRAFFIC SCHOOL--this is only ONCE A YEAR, so you have to shoot this wad first, no matter what; profit with dismissed ticket and 5% discount on the insurance.
(2) DEFERRED ADJUDICATION--since this can only happen once a violation, and you have a period of time during which another ticket will nail you with both offenses, you do this only AFTER you do traffic school.
(3) LAWYER--this is your last resort, to get the ticket dismissed with the help of a lawyer. (S)He will try to get the ticket dismissed by either moving it to county court, and avoiding the cop showing up, or getting you deferred adjudication. Either way, by going this route, it prevents any sort of ticket making your record until you finish the deferred adjudication (which is usually 3-6 months) that you already have on you when you got THIS ticket. In other words, you only do this when you fuck yourself up and get a ticket after shooting the traffic school wad, AND are on a deferred adjudication. Otherwise, you follow steps (1) or (2), as applicable.

CAPECE??

[Lurker]

Meh, the first ticket I got I wasnt even 18. I had a Learn Permit, I didnt have it on me and I didnt have my seat belt on and I rolled through a stop sign. Fucking cop was hiding behind a truck on the corner, so I rolled into the intersection to look around the truck and he tells me too pull over for not stopping at a stop sighn. Then I didnt have my licence, and I didnt wear my seatbelt.

We drove back to my house and I gave him my licence, he said he will only give me the ticket for the stop sign and not the seatbelt. Then he added "I suggest you dont go to court". I said YOU GOT IT OFCIFER, THANKS.

Yooooo, I thought I was gonna shit a brick. Thank god he was a nice guy.

[SoulkeepHL]

Seriously, always go to court. Best case, officer doesn't show. Otherwise, listen to tex. Altho it does varry a bit by state. here its supervision, similar to def. adjucation, then 4hr traffic school, then 8hr traffic school, then lawyer. Also, in illinois, you can't do online traffic school until you're 20something (23 i seem to think).

[VanFanel]

holy mother of god tex... well i guess i am gonna wait till the ticket shows up and then see what goes on. Depending on how much I gotta pay (i mean if the ticket is for like 30 bucks fuck it), then we'll see how it goes.

[SoulkeepHL]

Originally Posted by VanFanel

holy mother of god tex... well i guess i am gonna wait till the ticket shows up and then see what goes on. Depending on how much I gotta pay (i mean if the ticket is for like 30 bucks fuck it), then we'll see how it goes.

Even if its only $30, go to court, otherwise the moving violation is fubaring your insurance for 5 years.

[VanFanel]

Originally Posted by SoulkeepHL

Even if its only $30, go to court, otherwise the moving violation is fubaring your insurance for 5 years.

just out of curiousity;

does it matter if it says that its an infraction, and does not specifiy what kind of sign i ran? Is it always gonna be one point streight for my insurance?