I had what I felt was a wrongful ticket

[KCrockaholic]

So I've never had a ticket in my entire life. I understand it happens. I drive home somewhat late every Wednesday because the boys and I do a podcast that night every single Wednesday for the past 2 years. Therefore I understand I'm more of a target on the road being that there's less traffic, and that's fine.

I was leaving Quik Trip in Lenexa, and getting onto a highway to head west towards my house. I was shortly afterwards pulled over by Lenexa PD (In training) to cite me for an illegal wide turn. I have driven the same way since I was 16 years old. Never once had an issue with the way I turned. Anyways they pulled me over and accused me of also not using my turn signal which also added to my "illegal lane change". I've been furious and I requested the video evidence which I paid $35 for. Of course the evidence shows nothing of the actual violation that they sent me. Only the actual stop of my vehicle. I also noticed on my police report they wrote down my wrong address and as well as the wrong date of the stop. The said June 7th instead of July. I don't know if those things matter or not.

So anyways my question is, as I believe this is a bogus claim by these officers, what's the best options to win on this ticket? Those of you with experience I'm curious of your thoughts. The video here really makes no difference but I'm posting it here anyways. And it's extremely boring past the stopping point.

[FlaChief58]

Damn hooligan!

[bringbackmarty]

Those suggesting meeting with the prosecutor ahead of time are correct. Free if you do it yourself or if you want to hire a lawyer to do that it shouldn't be more than an hour of their time. Don't try and plead your case directly to the Judge because they will eat you alive more than likely. Just nit picking but if you did turn a little wide before the video I could see how the cop might have thought you were impaired because while you didn't leave your lane you were close to it a couple of times. Should have let you off with a warning. If your record is squeaky clean you can blow it off and pay the fine but the next time I would get it fixed by a lawyer. Good luck.

[Iowanian]

In general, If I'm guilty I accept my responsibility....however....I'm pleading not guilty to a ticket this week.

In my case, it's a rent-a-cop that sits at the edge of town to get people leaving...in this particular place, at the bottom of a steep hill on a farm to market with it being 25mph at the bottom. You have to burn your breaks to be 25 there if you're coasting.

I'm going to do it on principal. The part timer will have to get off from his full time job, and the city has to pay him to come down to be in court. If he shows, it will cost the entity more money than they'll make from my ticket. If he does show up, I can always change my plea, pay the fine and still know that it cost them more than they'll make from me.

I fought a ticket a few years ago where a county was running a bullshit deal on the interstate. I was going 70mph on the interstate, hadn't seen as much as a parking cone for 2 miles and right where the DOT was sitting running radar an "end of construction sign"....so my 70 in a 70, was considered 70 in a 55 construction....big ticket.

I fought it, the judge was a huge asshole, I brought an attorney next time and it turned out my paperwork to fight it was pretty solid. The day of the trial they finally offered me a plea of 56 in a 55. They said if I won they'd have to take me to the supreme court because they had too many tickets and too much money on the line if I won. I regret that I took the deal. I'll never blink on something like that again. I'll either win or lose if that happens again.

[Bearcat]

I probably wouldn't use "I've always done it that way" as an official defense if what you've been doing is technically illegal.

I assume they pulled you over for turning left into a right lane or right into a left lane and wonder if they did it as an excuse to try to get a DUI or something else out of it.

[MagicHef]

I fought a ticket for turning left into a parking lot entrance that was supposed to be right-turn only entry. I didn't know it was supposed to be that way, because there were no signs or markings to indicate you couldn't turn left into it. I wrote a letter and included Google maps pictures to show there was no sign, and gave it to the judge in traffic court. He dismissed the ticket right away.

[kepp]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I've gotten two tickets over the past 25 years, both when I was out of state driving a vehicle with out of state plates. In one case it was completely a setup (Wyoming - got me on the first couple of days of a new law and I was clearly being used for practice), and in the other case I was speeding, albeit not hugely, on a road by myself late at night (Maine). In the second case I think I was 12 miles over, so yeah, I was guilty, but the highway patrolman was pretty rude and pulled me over in an unsafe manner.

In both cases, I was incensed. Angry. Aggrieved. I am a good safe driver. In both cases I wrote compelling and indignant letters stating precisely why, I, an excellent driver and top-notch citizen, was undeserving of this treatment and that the ticket should be destroyed to prevent embarrassment to their department. Then I deleted the letters and paid the tickets because there was no way in the world that fighting the ticket would result in anything but more costs for me.

It's the thought that counts

[Rainbarrel]

I've made no fuss, gone to court and the cop wasn't there. So the ticket was dropped. Things may have changed

[threebag]

They will have to prove the infraction happened on the day they wrote. Fight it

[ReynardMuldrake]

Originally Posted by KCrockaholic

So I've never had a ticket in my entire life. I understand it happens. I drive home somewhat late every Wednesday because the boys and I do a podcast that night every single Wednesday for the past 2 years. Therefore I understand I'm more of a target on the road being that there's less traffic, and that's fine.

I was leaving Quik Trip in Lenexa, and getting onto a highway to head west towards my house. I was shortly afterwards pulled over by Lenexa PD (In training) to cite me for an illegal wide turn. I have driven the same way since I was 16 years old. Never once had an issue with the way I turned. Anyways they pulled me over and accused me of also not using my turn signal which also added to my "illegal lane change". I've been furious and I requested the video evidence which I paid $35 for. Of course the evidence shows nothing of the actual violation that they sent me. Only the actual stop of my vehicle. I also noticed on my police report they wrote down my wrong address and as well as the wrong date of the stop. The said June 7th instead of July. I don't know if those things matter or not.

So anyways my question is, as I believe this is a bogus claim by these officers, what's the best options to win on this ticket? Those of you with experience I'm curious of your thoughts. The video here really makes no difference but I'm posting it here anyways. And it's extremely boring past the stopping point.

Yes, those things matter. I had a "failure to yield" ticket thrown out because the trooper wrote the wrong year on the citation. Show up to court and contest it.

[TomBarndtsTwin]

A few observations:

1. Going to the PA about the issue is good advice. It doesn't hurt and 8 out of 10 times for something like this, you can probably get it thrown out or substantially reduced.

2. Don't go in with the defense of 'well, I've always done it that way' if you decide to battle this in court. You will lose if you take that approach.

3. A good lawyer would make this go away pretty quickly. But money and all . . . . . .

4. Might want to take down the video as it appears to disclose a lot of your personal information. Don't know if you want that out there or not? This is CP, after all.

5. As others have alluded to, sounds like Lenexa PD was bored and looking for something to do, so they pulled you over for a very minor violation to try and get you on something bigger. Basically, dickhead cops being dickhead cops for no reason other than nothing to do. And this coming from someone who worked in LE for 10+ years.


Good luck to ya.

[Garcia Bronco]

Originally Posted by KCrockaholic

I'm battling this ticket fwiw. So any advice is appreciated.

If they have the wrong date and address on the ticket, then I believe the ticket is invalid.

[Jewish Rabbi]

Did you try seeing if the officer wanted sucked off

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by KCrockaholic

I'm battling this ticket fwiw. So any advice is appreciated.

Tried that once, after a road pirate hit me with a running the stop sign ticket. (I did run the sign, full disclosure). But he was parked way down at the bottom of a hill in a school, and he had no line of sight form where he was. I took photos and went in to court (he was there obv)

Judge looked at the pics and said “He could see you. Request denied”. So that’s what yours will likely say

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by TomBarndtsTwin

5. As others have alluded to, sounds like Lenexa PD was bored and looking for something to do, so they pulled you over for a very minor violation to try and get you on something bigger. Basically, dickhead cops being dickhead cops for no reason other than nothing to do. And this coming from someone who worked in LE for 10+ years.


Good luck to ya.

Yeah, the frustrating part is there are plenty of times where it would be nice if a cop was around for some of those things that are technically illegal, but everyone does it anyway.... and jumping over lanes is one of those things.

And then someone does it with maybe no one around and they get pulled over for it (assuming there isn't more to the story like cutting off someone).

[Chiefnj2]

Wrong date should be your ace card. The State is alleging a particular infraction at a particular time and date. It doesn't look like they can prove that. That is their burden.