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sparky69 · 10-28-2007, 08:31 PM

So I recently got a ticket for going though I red light. What happened was that i was leaving this job site that i was at about 12:30 at night, had a really long day. so was leaving the parking lot area. This interesting has new light set up there, it use to be a stop sign only. anyways I stop at it for some reason thinking it was a stop sign and then a proceed to make a left turn. Apparently the cop behind me didnt like this and pull me over. SO i got a $285 ticket for going through the light.

I know a mad a mistake but i was going to see if a could fight this. I talk to Points and they said they could try and get me No demerits and the fine or if not just two demerits and i reduce fine. Its $365 if they get me no demerits and $245 if they get me 2 demerits and a reduce fine.

Was seeing if this would be worth it or should i go and see if a can get it reduce myself or pled not guilty and go in front of the judge

jayswin · 10-28-2007, 08:34 PM

I would just plead not guilty and try and get rif of the points and maybe a reduced fine. Those points guys are a little excessive when dealing with a minor ticket like this one. 90% of the time, you can get demerits taken away in court.

Jayems · 10-28-2007, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flameswin

I would just plead not guilty and try and get rif of the points and maybe a reduced fine. Those points guys are a little excessive when dealing with a minor ticket like this one. 90% of the time, you can get demerits taken away in court.

I think that they have taken that away IIRC because people were just going in, pleading guilty so long as the demerits are removed.

I usually just go to court, see the prosecutor (first apperance) and plead guilty to a lesser offence.

Gone 10 years of driving with out one ticket, and in my 10th year, I get four. Luckily, one was a highway safety act violation so it had 0 demerits to begin with...

Antithesis · 10-28-2007, 08:48 PM

Let me be the first to say it; to get it over with quickly, so you all can blast us "responsibility" types - how about you just suck it up, pay the ticket, and take it as a lesson in paying more attention to your driving rather than passing responsibility for this off on "the cop" or this "interesting has new light set up there, it use to be a stop sign only"?

Dion · 10-28-2007, 08:59 PM

Albertans hit with traffic tickets will no longer be able to bargain their way out of the demerit points that can lead to driver's licence suspensions and costlier insurance.

Drivers have been able to plead guilty to a lesser charge that included a fine, but no demerits. Alberta Justice put a stop to that practice, starting this week.

"Demerit points are an important part of highway safety," said David Dear, spokesman for Alberta Justice.

"It's a way of removing bad drivers from the road, ultimately, and we don't think you should be allowed to avoid those when we can prove that you were at the wheel."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/sto...ic-ticket.html

REDVAN · 10-28-2007, 09:23 PM

As someone with no tickets (knock on wood) in the last 8 years, I have always assumed that WHEN I got one, I would just get the demerits removed. Now that you can't do that, then I guess when you get a ticket, you have to bite the bullet and learn your lesson.

I would still try to get it reduced in the demerits- since it USED to be a stop sign you might make a case. It's obviously worth trying, but don't pay POINTS, just do it yourself.

blankall · 10-28-2007, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flameswin

I would just plead not guilty and try and get rif of the points and maybe a reduced fine. Those points guys are a little excessive when dealing with a minor ticket like this one. 90% of the time, you can get demerits taken away in court.

Definitely do not plead not guilty unless the cop doesn't show up. Both the judge and the crown (aka prosecutor) will always take more mercy on you if you admit you were wrong.

If the cop doesn't show up the crown, however, has no case. The best thing to do would be to go down to court, talk to the crown attourney just prior to your court time and be friendly. During this "friendly" conversation you subtly ask them to point out the police officer. If he is not there you can plead not guilty. If they are able to produce the witness (the police officer) then you talk about plea bargaining.

BlackArcher101 · 10-28-2007, 10:31 PM

You basically have three options here:

Option #1) Just accept the responsibility for your actions and pay the ticket.
Option #2) See the CP (crown prosecutor), plead guilty and bargain your ticket to a lower cost and lower demerits, basically giving you a lesser conviction. As mentioned above, you won't be able to remove the demerits entirely. The new insurance legislation these days makes your insurance affected more so by the # of convictions on your abstract instead of the # of demerits it used to be. So removing the demerits altogether won't matter since you are still being convicted of an offense.
Option #3) Plead not guilty and appear in front of the judge. If you succeed the ticket will be thrown out resulting in no convictions and fines. However, you need to have a good case for this to happen, and telling the judge you were sorry and it was late at night isn't going to cut it.

Your best option IMO is #2.

Dion · 10-29-2007, 12:04 AM

There's always the slim chance that when you go to court to fight the ticket, the officer doesn't show up. In that case the ticket is tossed.

soulchoice · 10-29-2007, 01:01 AM

As mentioned by a previous poster, you can still get demerits reduced(depending on the amount of demerits the ticket has) if you go the judge route.

The link above from CBC is only for the first appearance, whereby in the past the prosecutor could reduce demerits. They no longer have the power to do such, however if you go to the trial and judge, you can still have demerits removed. You can still get demerits removed in certain circumstances.

As in I have stated in previous threads, if you have the time to go down, fight it. I always do and have never paid a full amount of any ticket and for the most part avoided demerits.

BlackArcher101 · 10-29-2007, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soulchoice

As mentioned by a previous poster, you can still get demerits reduced(depending on the amount of demerits the ticket has) if you go the judge route.

The link above from CBC is only for the first appearance, whereby in the past the prosecutor could reduce demerits. They no longer have the power to do such, however if you go to the trial and judge, you can still have demerits removed. Y

I think you are confusing the word reduced with removed. The prosecutor can still reduce them, just can't remove them entirely. You don't have to go the judge route to do this, only if you want them removed entirely.

However having demerits is less of an issue these days as insurance companies have a tendency now (that I found) to look at convictions and the severity of them when deciding on your rate instead of total demerits.

jayswin · 10-29-2007, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

However having demerits is less of an issue these days as insurance companies have a tendency now (that I found) to look at convictions and the severity of them when deciding on your rate instead of total demerits.

However, there are many jobs availible that require a drivers abstract, which from what a understand, basically just shows your tickets that have demerits attached to them. I could be wrong however.

BlackArcher101 · 10-29-2007, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flameswin

However, there are many jobs availible that require a drivers abstract, which from what a understand, basically just shows your tickets that have demerits attached to them. I could be wrong however.

As long as it's a registered owners ticket. I'm just saying that the point of bargaining used to be to remove demerits or decrease them, now it's moreso to lessen the charge (from a major to minor) and decrease the fine. Different majors might have different amounts of demerits, but will still equally hurt you for insurance as they are each one conviction.

The White Out · 10-29-2007, 06:42 AM

how about paying your god damn ticket and not running a light in the future? ffs.

urban1 · 10-29-2007, 08:49 AM

I was going to bring up this point. Everyone always talks about demerits buts its convictions that matter to insurance companies. So unless youve got a terrible driving record and are close to getting your license suspended, demerits dont matter that much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

The new insurance legislation these days makes your insurance affected more so by the # of convictions on your abstract instead of the # of demerits it used to be. So removing the demerits altogether won't matter since you are still being convicted of an offense.

burn_baby_burn · 10-29-2007, 08:58 AM

Saying that it used to be a stop sign is a poor excuse. You need to be aware of your surroundings when you are driving at all times. Your going to end up killing your self. Or worse yet, some innocent person.

Bobblehead · 10-29-2007, 09:02 AM

And so you want a police officer to spend a day in court court so you can try and weasel out of some of the punishment for something you already concede you know you did?

Personally, I'm getting to the point of wondering if there shouldn't be a penalty for people who waste the court's and the officer's time like this.

burn_baby_burn · 10-29-2007, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

And so you want a police officer to spend a day in court court so you can try and weasel out of some of the punishment for something you already concede you know you did?

Personally, I'm getting to the point of wondering if there shouldn't be a penalty for people who waste the court's and the officer's time like this.

The system does allow this BS. I'm no Angel myself. I have a lead foot. But anytime that I have been caught. I just pay the ticket. The rules are very obvious and it was my choice to break them. If I get caught, I deserve the punishment.

return to the red · 10-29-2007, 09:36 AM

Pay the damn ticket. You ran a red light, It's right in front of your face. What if there had been another car coming and you caused a serious accident?

The excuse "it used to be a stop sign" or "it was late at night" is not an excuse at all.

I hate stuff like this as much as people who are allowed to basically spend $5000 dollars and get off on a drunk driving charge.

flip · 10-29-2007, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by return to the red

Pay the damn ticket. You ran a red light, It's right in front of your face. What if there had been another car coming and you caused a serious accident?

The excuse "it used to be a stop sign" or "it was late at night" is not an excuse at all.

I hate stuff like this as much as people who are allowed to basically spend $5000 dollars and get off on a drunk driving charge.

what about "i was so drunk that i couldn't tell what color the light was"??