straitfluch
Junior Member
pictures enclosed:
http://i55.tinypic.com/2zedth2.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/69g8jd.jpg
Hi. I was given a ticket for violation of 811.265 in Oregon (Failure to obey traffic control device).
I was at a 4 way intersection in the right lane. The light was red but I stopped and looked both ways, then turned to the right. Right after I turned, I noticed a black police car in my rear view mirror that was too close to me. So I immediately pulled to the right a little, hit the curb of a sidewalk, came off the curb, and stopped (there were no pedestrians on the sidewalk). The police stopped, then turned on the emergency lights and got out and gave me a ticket.
I can't remember exactly why he gave it to me (for failure to come to a full stop at red light or because I pulled over and hit a sidewalk curb when I noticed a police car behind me). I do remember that he said that I rolled through the red light. But, I stopped adequately, looked both ways and simply did not see his car coming so close. This could be because his car is black and was obscured (by large trees around the street he was going down, which may have made the shade obscure his car when I was about to turn).
My base fine is $289 and I have a court appearance date in 20 days. This will be my first traffic violation in 4 years of driving (2 years with a driver's permit, 2 years with a license).
How should I proceed? What do you think my best argument is? Should I try to get the officer's notes, to find out exactly why he issued the violation? Should I fight the ticket? Should I plead guilty, not guilty, or no contest? Should I hire an attorney? How much will an attorney probably cost? How much will my insurance probably rise as a consequence of this ticket?
Thanks for the help.
Again, pictures enclosed
http://i55.tinypic.com/2zedth2.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/69g8jd.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/2zedth2.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/69g8jd.jpg
Hi. I was given a ticket for violation of 811.265 in Oregon (Failure to obey traffic control device).
I was at a 4 way intersection in the right lane. The light was red but I stopped and looked both ways, then turned to the right. Right after I turned, I noticed a black police car in my rear view mirror that was too close to me. So I immediately pulled to the right a little, hit the curb of a sidewalk, came off the curb, and stopped (there were no pedestrians on the sidewalk). The police stopped, then turned on the emergency lights and got out and gave me a ticket.
I can't remember exactly why he gave it to me (for failure to come to a full stop at red light or because I pulled over and hit a sidewalk curb when I noticed a police car behind me). I do remember that he said that I rolled through the red light. But, I stopped adequately, looked both ways and simply did not see his car coming so close. This could be because his car is black and was obscured (by large trees around the street he was going down, which may have made the shade obscure his car when I was about to turn).
My base fine is $289 and I have a court appearance date in 20 days. This will be my first traffic violation in 4 years of driving (2 years with a driver's permit, 2 years with a license).
How should I proceed? What do you think my best argument is? Should I try to get the officer's notes, to find out exactly why he issued the violation? Should I fight the ticket? Should I plead guilty, not guilty, or no contest? Should I hire an attorney? How much will an attorney probably cost? How much will my insurance probably rise as a consequence of this ticket?
Thanks for the help.
Again, pictures enclosed
http://i55.tinypic.com/2zedth2.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/69g8jd.jpg