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This reminds me of a recent experience I had disputing some parking tickets in federal court. I did some research ahead of time and going in I was certain that
by pmorici 16y ago
This reminds me of a recent experience I had disputing some parking tickets in federal court. I did some research ahead of time and going in I was certain that if the case went to trial I would win based on the facts alone.
To avoid a trial the prosecutor first offered me 50% off my two tickets which I politely declined citing that I was certain I would win based on certain facts which I laid out.
30 minutes later while I was waiting for my trial to begin he came and offered to drop one ticket and give me 50% off on the other. I again politely declined stating that I was certain I would win based on the facts I had laid out earlier.
Then right before the trial was about to begin the prosecutor came in and dropped both tickets. I know many other people who got a ticket under the exact same circumstances and just paid it.
Point being whether a dispute is about millions of dollars of software patents or 160 dollars in parking tickets it pays to know the facts well and stand your ground convincingly and unemotionally.
- rdouble 16y agodisputing some parking tickets in federal court. Were you double parked in front of the White House?
- phlux 16y agoYou can get federal parking tickets in the Presidio, BTW.
- pyre 16y agoIt also depends on the locality. I've found it a lot easier to get rid of tickets/citations in larger cities than in smaller towns. The smaller towns like the revenue, and maybe depend on it more.
- pmorici 16y agoIn my case it helped that I was in the right. My reasoning wouldn't have depended on leniency or mercy from the judge.
- khafra 16y agoYou got lucky. I went before a traffic judge with photos and printouts of the relevant statues with the critical phrases highlighted, and he told me right to my face that it didn't matter, he was upholding my fine.
- yardie 16y agoThis wouldn't happen to be a city in Connecticut? I called the bluff and drove 4 hours to fight the ticket instead of mailing it in. It cost me 2-days work plus gas, but I got off free and clear. And visited some friends who went to school in the area. But if the prosecutor didn't drop the fines and took me to trial I would be screwed. Sometimes just putting up a fight, even a small one, can reap big rewards.