Ticket out of State for "fishing" w/out license...

[alev]

undefinedWhat is the name of your state?CA

My husband and I were on vacation for a few days in AZ and decided to pull off the road and hike around. There was a nice creek so we grabbed a fishing pole w/hook & lure and just casted for a few minutes. No tackle box or anything else with us, just a pole. Well, fish and game showed up and gave us a ticket for fishing with out a license. We left AZ, back to CA and were waiting to recieve our ticket in the mail. Turns out, we were supposed to appear in court, which we told the officer at the time he ticketed us we couldn't do because we live in CA. We said we would just pay the ticket. Never received anything in the mail, looked on the courts website and saw there is a case pending against us.
Does this mean there will be a warrant out for my husbands arrest and will is show up here in CA or only if we go back to AZ?
On the court website it says our CRIMINAL charge is for taking wildlife without valid license. First of all, we didn't TAKE anything. We casted a few times and that was it!
Do I wait and see if a warrant is issued or send a letter explaining we were expecting a ticket and never got one, or...... Never go back to AZ??

Thanks for any info...

 

[dan148]

It happened to me also!!

I am really not sure of the laws especially in Arizona so I cannot be sure of what will happen however the same situation happened to me in Florida. In 1993 I was fishing in the everglades without a license. I was stopped by the gaming official and he issued me a ticket,two days later I had moved to TN. One month later I recieved a phone call from my father in Florida and told me that a letter came in the mail from the county clerks office stating that I missed the court appearance and listed the nature of the citation. There was a phone number on that letter which I called and I was just instructed to send $75.00 so I did and that was the end of it. I know that this probably doesn't tell you much but maybe you should call the courts and/or the gaming commision and tell them you you don't live in AZ and that you would just send in the fine.

 

[rmet4nzkx]

I've heard of "Fish Stories" but this is really fishing!

"My husband and I were on vacation for a few days in AZ and decided to pull off the road and hike around. There was a nice creek so we grabbed a fishing pole w/hook & lure and just casted for a few minutes."
Please, you just happened upon a creek, It sounds like you were looking for a fishing hole. You just happened to have a fishing pole but no intent to "take" fish? What is a "HOOK"? If your intent was to cast there would be no hook and if you fish often enough to have a fishing pole in your car while on vacation you know that fishing regulations apply.

"No tackle box or anything else with us, just a pole." And a HOOK and a lure, true, no brains!

"Well, fish and game showed up and gave us a ticket for fishing without a license." So you fished until you got caught and received a citation, you have a ticket, did you read it and follow the instructions?

"We left AZ, back to CA and were waiting to recieve our ticket in the mail." No, you left AZ WITH your ticket knowing you were in violation of the law and intended not to appear and plead ignorence which is no defense. You came here looking for sympathy and a way to beat the system.

"Turns out, we were supposed to appear in court, which we told the officer at the time he ticketed us we couldn't do because we live in CA." You knew you had to appear and even discussed this with the game warden, so, with knowledge, you fled the jurisdiction rather than appear or make other arrangements. Just because you live out of state doesn't give you the freedom to break or evade the law.

"We said we would just pay the ticket. Never received anything in the mail, looked on the courts website and saw there is a case pending against us." Well you know enough about the computer to look up your case, can you write or use the phone?

"Does this mean there will be a warrant out for my husbands arrest and will is show up here in CA or only if we go back to AZ?" Weren't you both cited? If you don't pay the fine you must do the time (sorry couldn't resist)

"On the court website it says our CRIMINAL charge is for taking wildlife without valid license. First of all, we didn't TAKE anything." Because you got caught before you did and now FTA!

"We casted a few times and that was it!" Let's see, an isolated creek in AZ with no fish in it, put there to lure you into fishing without a license that just happens to have a game warden waiting for you? Sounds like an affirmative defense. Maybe your fishy defense will be brilliant enough for COURT TV?

"Do I wait and see if a warrant is issued or send a letter explaining we were expecting a ticket and never got one, or...... Never go back to AZ??" California and AZ cooperate on many things, in some cases you need stamps for the other state while fishing in areas along the Colorado river and along the border. I know of a physician who was licensed in California, Arizona and another western state, he lost his license in California and Arizona pulled his license there. FTA may result in loss of privileges in California. You better take care of it Monday, call them and better plan on taking another vacation to Arizonia.

Arizona Game & Fish Online Department Application ... resident license/stamp privileges, you must be a bonafide resident of Arizona for at ... only take 1/2 the bag limit for trout when fishing without a license. ... http://www.sci-nevada.com/webazlic/AZDESC.ASP

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area ... 1-day fishing stamp to extend 1- or 7-day license ... portions of Lake Powell should check with both Arizona and Utah ... under the age of 14 may fish without a license ... http://www.nps.gov/glca/fishing.htm

Fishing Rules & Regulations ... Arizona's lifetime general hunting and fishing license and trout ... the long-term funding of Arizona's Wildlife Conservation ... valid for a lifetime without renewal. ... http://www.gf.state.az.us/h_f/fishing_rules.shtml

California Sport Fishing Regulations ... use stamp, and the holder of an Arizona license must have ... to move from place to place without the use ... about reduced-fee and free fishing licenses, contact the ... http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fg_comm/fishregs.html

 

[alev]

"fishing"

undefinedCA
Thanks dan, that's what we were hoping for, receive our ticket and pay it.
Thanks also to the person that sent the websites, they were very helpful!