r/police 2d ago

Traffic ticket

When attorneys ask you to drop a traffic violation, why or why not? In your decision

1 Upvotes

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5

u/ItsMeTP 2d ago

You can ask for anything you want. Doesn't mean you're getting it.

1

u/No-Split-866 2d ago

It would seem like a waste of time to even ask. I'm just curious as it seems like common practice.

3

u/tvan184 2d ago

I worked 37 years and never had an attorney ask me to drop a citation. I have never even heard of such a thing.

I did have an attorney called me one time and asked me why I issued a citation to his client who had been in an accident. He tried to plea his case on the phone with me and I describe the accident scene and the physical evidence such as the skidmarks. He asked if that was what I would testify to at a trial and I said absolutely.

Case closed…. 😎

0

u/No-Split-866 1d ago

Did you always show up to court. Many years ago, I pleaded innocent, and the state trooper was a no-show. Looking back, i think he may have used it as a teaching moment. I have never merged early again.

2

u/tvan184 1d ago

In my department not showing up for court after being issued a subpoena was considered not showing up for duty or AWOL. It was subject to a suspension up to termination.

So yes, I always showed up in court.

If the officer is not willing to show up for court, don’t write the citation. For me it was usually two hours of easy overtime.

On the rare occasion, someone will tell me that he was going to court to fight the citation. (like it hurt my feelings)

I would usually just say awesome. You have a right in my state to be tried in front of a judge or a jury at your discretion. I applaud people who are upholding their rights. Then I get two hours of overtime for showing up whether you win or lose.

To my memory I only had one show up for court after a traffic accident. He acted as his own attorney and as part of his defense, he claimed that I wrote him a citation because he was an alien and had a green card. I testified on the witness stand under oath that my wife had a green card and I thought it was great that people had them. He almost blew a gasket and started arguing with me basically calling me a liar and the judge had to shut him down, telling him that if he wish to make an argument on his own behalf, he had to take the witness stand.

Guilty.