When Speeding Tickets Go Wrong

Exon

Exon

New member
So, I just got back from the county jail.

Here's the deal - we ran to Target to pickup a few things, and on the way back home there was a cop doing the sting thing. Well, apperently I have some (several) tail lights out. I saw them pull out onto the street so I turned off - figuring they were comin' after me. Pulled off into a side business and they hit their lights.

Ran my license, it came back suspended.
Quick overview: Now, almost a year ago I got a speeding ticket in another county - I paid the ticket over the phone shortly thereafter. Less than a month ago they send me notice that their systems were down and they were unable to process my credit card. They sent this notice to THREE wrong addresses before they got the correct one.

So, I call them - I pay the ticket and all is well right? Wrong! I get notice from the DOT that my license will be suspended Feb. 2nd. I call the Office of Driver services the next day and inquire about why - they say because I didn't pay a ticket in - guess where, that one county. So I call up that county and tell them, "Look. I have confirmation on my credit card that the ticket was paid. I am going to have my license suspended on the 2nd because you guys need to send receipt of the payment." The lady said she would mail something. I told her that, that was not good enough and she said she could call her contact in Des Moines. I thanked her and hung up.

Tonight, I got 'cuffed and detained because my license was suspended. I was humiliated in front of my family, I will have to take time off work, and cannot return to work until my license situation is fixed. It WAS fixed!!!!

So, how was your evening?
 
Yikes, John, what an ordeal! :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:

I'm surprised that they actually arrest you for suspended license. I thought they just send you home walking. (erm, or is that just for an expired license?)

Anyways, that must have been embarrassing. You mentioned your family. Who did you have with you in the car?

Vito
 
John ....

You trying to take over my title as the "Personification of Murphy's Law"????

YIKES !!! Hope you get everything straightened out real quick. I would be demanding an apology from someone ... but I guess it all goes back to the country where you got your ticket. They definitely were the ones that screwed things up ... the DOT & the cops were just doing their jobs based on the info they had .

If you can ... make some heads roll. That always makes me feel better :)

Best of luck
Peter
 
Not country Peter - COUNTY ;)

They can take me to jail, and tow my car for driving with a suspended license. I didn't even know it was suspended - I assumed the idiot in Jones County had solved the issue.

As you can see in the image here I paid the ticket the 25th of Jan, after I got the notice about the 10 days 'til suspension for non-payment (even though I paid the first time, I'll have to scan that document. It's quite hilarious all the wrong addresses they put.). Then my license was suspended the 2nd of Feb for - nonpayment.

I'm going to speak with Marcy's supervisor down in Anamosa tomorrow. I refuse to pay the $21 to have my picture retaken and license reissued tomorrow. I should NOT have to take time off work to go to court to prove that I had a valid license.

Vito - my son and fiance were in the car. They released the car to her to drive home and he left with her crying and screaming how he hated cops. I told him that he shouldn't hate cops - they were doing their job. If he's going to hate anyone it's the person who DIDN'T do her job in Anamosa. I intend to call down to the county jail where I went, and see if he can get a tour and meet the sherrif's down there to show him that they're nice people, and he shouldn't hate them. Now, here's the fun part about last night that I was too tired to type:

I got down there, and one of the Sheriff's came up and was going to take the cuffs off me. He couldn't get 'em off, and he turned to the two officers and stated, "Which one of you idiots put these on?" one replied that he had and the Sheriff said, "Well you did it WRONG! They're twisted, and backwards. This is just disgracefull!" haha, I thought it was hilarious! :)

So then the Sheriff took me over to the booking station and started to "check me in". He asked me if I had worked at Family Foods before - and I said I had. It is a grocery store in - Anamosa. Where I grew up. I asked him if he were from Anamosa, and he stated that he was. I asked if he knew of my mom's side of the family (Big family, pretty active in the community.) Turns out he had graduated with my mom, and he is a relative. I knew his name, just not his face. Small world ;)

Then this guy in overalls comes in while he's checking me in. Looks at one of the deputey's and spits on the floor towards him. A different Sheriff saw this, walked into the area and exclaimed, "I don't come to your F&$K*%G house and spit on YOUR floor, why are you doing it at MINE?!"

Three Sheriff's were dealing with this one guy, and this guy, we'll name Bob, turns to one of the Sheriff's and states, "DON'T BE PUSHIN' ME!" Well, apperently he was going to be there for a while, because they were having him get into an orange jumpper. They put him in the room, closed the bottom half of the door and told him to undress. He exclaimed, "F&$K YOU!" and I was just sitting there doing all I could to contain my laughter as the other Sheriff told him, "We can either do this the easy way, or the hard way." "SUCK MY D*$K!" came the response.

Well, he finally decided to dress down and one of the Sheriff's told him that he had to hand his clothes to the deupty, not throw them. Well, he got down to his boxers, and threw his boxers at the Sheriff, he got nailed in the face with pepper spray and fell like a ton of bricks.

It was, exciting :)
 
Dang it, John. You've got enough there for a movie of the week! :thumbsup:

Well, at least you had some entertainment value while detained...

Vito
 
Exon said:
Not country Peter - COUNTY ;)
Click to expand...

Just a typo John :) I meant county ... but guess my fingers stuttered :)

I agree with Vito ... definitely movie of the week material hehehehe

Any chance we are going to see you on the show Cops????
 
HAHA I doubt it, I wasn't the one screamin' naughty words at the cops, or resisting arrest. Plus I wasn't drunk ;)

Oh, and I found out that it was the DOT that failed to process the receipt - Anamosa had sent it in, the lady at Driver Services stated that they got the information they needed on the 1st, my license was suspended the 2nd, and it should be unsuspended by tomorrow :p
 
Damn government clerks, if they ever moved their bottoms to do the job with diligence and, well, speed.
I am sorry about your case, which is very disappointing and unfair. Unfortunately, the system is not perfect, and there will always be incompetent people working who just don't care about you. That's why I prefer fighting the system. The date of my first speeding ticket trial is yet to be determined.

John, the bad news is that you likely won't be able to avoid paying the $21. That is, of course, if you can wait it up, or just pay the $21 to forget about it without losing any more time.

What is the development so far?

Best,
 
Well, I bit the bullet - got my license this AM when they opened.

Also found out that while the Clerk of Court did move slowly to get my receipt to Des Moines (central office) - they did get it there before the 2nd - on the 1st. Des Moines just didn't move very fast either. :-/

Court date is set for the 15th of this month. Will keep you informed.
 
Well, had court this morning. Let me start off by saying the advocate they assigned me was dumber than a box of rocks.

I had printed off my credit card statement, pointing out that I indeed paid the ticket the 25th of Jan. I explained to him that prior to this I had paid for the ticket over the phone, several months ago when it first occured. I had only recently gotten a letter stating that the credit card/phone lines were down and that I had to remit payment within 10 days or my license would be suspended. And that notice, was of course, sent to THREE wrong addresses.

I paid them, again, over the phone - I explained to him - and then AFTERpaying them I got notice that my license would be suspended the 2nd of Feb. And so I called them and told them to send the receipt and they did - finally, on the 1st of Feb. But because the DOT did not have the receipt in time my license was suspended and I went to jail, without collecting my $200!

He then said, "Ok, give me a minute" took my papers and went back to the court room. Several minutes later he returned with good news. I would only have to pay $100 and roughly $50 in court fees to total $150. They were going to amend it down to a lesser charge. I told him this was NOT good enough and that the charges had to be dropped ENTIRELY. He then informed me that because my license was suspended while I was driving - and then I cut him off and really started to get pissed. Not only did he NOT listen to me, he seemed to not care! I had to argue with him that I should not have to pay anything, I shouldn't have been arrested, and I sure as hell shouldn't be at court today wasting my time, missing work, and losing money to deal with this red tape bull****. It was when I finally swore that he listened!

After sitting around for 5 more minutes, stroking his beard that didn't exist he said he'd be right back, and again - took my papers and left. He then returned about 10 minutes later saying that we'll go ahead and plead "Not Guilty"....y'ah think?

So I have court, again, for this stupid ticket - on March 15th (wow. Another 15th date). Question is, do I request a jurry or no? It is up to me.
 
You're a great story teller, John. You explain things so that I feel like I'm right there while it's happening. (You should start a blog - I'd read it for sure). :news:

Vito
 
Weird. I thought that if you plead Not Guilty, you have the court the same day a little later when the Judge comes back to listen to you.
 
Maybe in that nice land of Canada, but not here Art. Here you're forced to sit around for about 3 hours until something finally happens, only to find out you have to take more time off again in another month for a pre trial, and 5 days later you have a real trial. I don't know what the difference is, and why I can't just have ONE trial - but I guess I'll find out.
 
Ohh... the legal system. Seems to be virtually the same everywhere. Even if you you're right, by the time you win the case you're a net loser.
 
Yeah, I just don't want the suspension/arrest on my record - for fear of paying more in the long run on insurance.
 
Alright, well - I forgot to update this when I got back from court the 15th.

Went in, everything was suppose to start at 10AM. I was there at 9:30 to ensure good parking space. I put 3 hours worth of change into the meter so I wouldn't have to run out and fill the meter to avoid a ticket/tow.

At 10:00 no sign of advocate. 10:30 no sign of advocate. 10:45 advocate comes around but ignores me, didn't even stop and say, I'll be back, or anything. 11:00 rolls around he finally comes over to me and says,
"Good news and bad news. Good news, they amended the ticket down to expired license. Bad news, you have to pay taillight ticket."

Me. Already frustrated for having waited a little over an hour for my "10:00" trial...reminded him that I PAID the ticket BEFORE my license was suspended, that I shouldn't have been suspended or anything, and that I shouldn't be here, wasting my time and money fighting this damn thing. Only I said it a lot nicer.

He asked me, "Oh, yeah, that's right. Hey, do you by chance have proof of payment with you?" I handed him the paper I printed off that morning of my statement, because I figured even though I had given him a copy ALREADY ONCE that he'd probably forget/lose/discard it and if I didn't have it I'd be SOL.

11:30 rolls around, 11:45, almost noon by the time he comes back to tell me that they threw the ticket out and I'm good to go. Just pay lamps ticket and I'm good.

Bastards.
 
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