What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California (Los Angeles, specifically)
In 2011, I received an infraction for possessing less than 1 oz of marijuana. Being completely new to any kind of legal trouble, I showed up to court on the date and time posted on the ticket and had no clue what was going on. I asked several people working at the courthouse for help directing me and ultimately had several clerks in different departments search for my ticket in the system to no avail. They gave me a tracking number and told me to check in a few weeks to see if it was posted and that it would be noted in the system that I did show up to court. I checked several weeks later, and nothing came up.
Here is my dilemma.
1. I realized that the reason I had nowhere to go was because I had thought that the time and date on the ticket was already set, not the date I had to schedule to come in by. I remember being told to show up at that day and time, nothing about having to make an appointment so I never set a court date despite showing up. - Big whoops
BUT
1. I didn't receive anything in the mail by the date or afterwards BUT I received the ticket in my college dorm and have since moved multiple times so it is possible that any type of notice got lost in the mail, though I did forward my mail to future addresses.
2. Because nothing came up with the tracking number, I figured it never made it into the system and didn't worry about it.
3. Last year I received a speeding ticket and I figured if there was anything wrong with my record (I think I heard somewhere that a warrant would be placed on me if there were any outstanding problems?) that it would have come up when I got the ticket. However, the infraction was under my name and not my license (since I didn't have one at the time of the infraction).
My question is... am I in trouble? I have since lost the ticket and tracking number and have no way of knowing if it was dismissed because I showed up to court or never made it into the system or if I am in big trouble (like having a misdemeanor for failing to handle it) and had no idea for the past few years. Is it possible to go this long without knowing if I was required to take some action?
Thanks,
D
In 2011, I received an infraction for possessing less than 1 oz of marijuana. Being completely new to any kind of legal trouble, I showed up to court on the date and time posted on the ticket and had no clue what was going on. I asked several people working at the courthouse for help directing me and ultimately had several clerks in different departments search for my ticket in the system to no avail. They gave me a tracking number and told me to check in a few weeks to see if it was posted and that it would be noted in the system that I did show up to court. I checked several weeks later, and nothing came up.
Here is my dilemma.
1. I realized that the reason I had nowhere to go was because I had thought that the time and date on the ticket was already set, not the date I had to schedule to come in by. I remember being told to show up at that day and time, nothing about having to make an appointment so I never set a court date despite showing up. - Big whoops
BUT
1. I didn't receive anything in the mail by the date or afterwards BUT I received the ticket in my college dorm and have since moved multiple times so it is possible that any type of notice got lost in the mail, though I did forward my mail to future addresses.
2. Because nothing came up with the tracking number, I figured it never made it into the system and didn't worry about it.
3. Last year I received a speeding ticket and I figured if there was anything wrong with my record (I think I heard somewhere that a warrant would be placed on me if there were any outstanding problems?) that it would have come up when I got the ticket. However, the infraction was under my name and not my license (since I didn't have one at the time of the infraction).
My question is... am I in trouble? I have since lost the ticket and tracking number and have no way of knowing if it was dismissed because I showed up to court or never made it into the system or if I am in big trouble (like having a misdemeanor for failing to handle it) and had no idea for the past few years. Is it possible to go this long without knowing if I was required to take some action?
Thanks,
D