Yesterday, in the mail, I received a parking ticket for stopping - and blocking traffic - in a travel lane. Scrawled in yellow highliter at the bottom of the ticket were the words" driveaway".The infraction supposedly occurred on Sept 19 in front of a school. As it's is a small charter type school located in the city center there are very few parking options and most parents just drop off and pick up their kids from the street.
The last time I fought - and lost - a traffic ticket ($538 fine on same street for blocking handicap access whilst in car for 1 minute) I was told by the judge that they do not require the traffic warden/ticket writer to attend court to face the defendent.
My question is thus - if I can't remember what I ate for breakfast two days ago how am I expected to remember the circumstances of something that supposedly happened three weeks ago at 3.33 pm on a Tuesday afternoon. There is no photo - just the say so of a ParkWise employee.
So I likely will not be able to question the ticketwriter on whether there was a car stopped in front of me, were students crossing the road, was I waiting for a pigeon to take off etc etc.
I intend to contest the ticket but my experience of Tucson traffic court is that reason, moderation and mercy are in very short supply there. Should I plead guilty with mitigating circumstances (I couldn't possibly have stopped longer than 10 seconds and any cars behind me were likely parents doing the same thing) or plead not guilty, knowing that my accuser will almost certainly not be in court.
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? AZ
The last time I fought - and lost - a traffic ticket ($538 fine on same street for blocking handicap access whilst in car for 1 minute) I was told by the judge that they do not require the traffic warden/ticket writer to attend court to face the defendent.
My question is thus - if I can't remember what I ate for breakfast two days ago how am I expected to remember the circumstances of something that supposedly happened three weeks ago at 3.33 pm on a Tuesday afternoon. There is no photo - just the say so of a ParkWise employee.
So I likely will not be able to question the ticketwriter on whether there was a car stopped in front of me, were students crossing the road, was I waiting for a pigeon to take off etc etc.
I intend to contest the ticket but my experience of Tucson traffic court is that reason, moderation and mercy are in very short supply there. Should I plead guilty with mitigating circumstances (I couldn't possibly have stopped longer than 10 seconds and any cars behind me were likely parents doing the same thing) or plead not guilty, knowing that my accuser will almost certainly not be in court.
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? AZ