California - Tint Fix-It Tickets...

[johnboypitt]

California

hi, do officers that pull you over in California have any way to see prior fix-it ticket occurrences if i corrected the tint, had it signed off, and paid the fee? These steps have it removed from your record, but i still wonder if they can see it or not, or even if they can, if at that point they can't use it for any type of incrimination since it was dismissed. i got a tint ticket today, and the cop asked me if i ever removed tint from my car due to a ticket in the past. i have, and told him yes. dumb move, i know. i wasn't sure if it was something he could look up easily, so in the heat of the moment, i said yes so i wouldn't get caught in a lie. I also figured that with something as small as this, he would appreciate my honesty. nope. he got all huffy puffy, saying that he could arrest me on a misdemeanor for intentional disregarding the law after knowingly putting tint back on, while knowing it is illegal. can he do that? so, if they can't see/use prior times against me that i corrected, i'll know i can safely reply no.

 

[CdwJava]

hi, do officers that pull you over in California have any way to see prior fix-it ticket occurrences if i corrected the tint, had it signed off, and paid the fee?

The answer is ... maybe.

If they have access to a county or local records' system that has that information - either in their vehicles or through dispatch, or if the citation is indicated in your DMV record and accessed by dispatch or an in-car computer system, then the answer would be "yes." In general, an officer is NOT going to have that information at their fingertips on a stop.

he got all huffy puffy, saying that he could arrest me on a misdemeanor for intentional disregarding the law after knowingly putting tint back on, while knowing it is illegal. can he do that? so, if they can't see/use prior times against me that i corrected, i'll know i can safely reply no.

Yes, it can be a greater offense to ignore the law. And, yes, if you have been cited by that agency and maybe even any other local agency in the same county, they can likely find a record of that citation even if it is not on your DMV record.

 

[StevenJ_420Law]

You know if you dont answer their questons you cant talk yourself into trouble.