Advice on fighting moving violation

[benjaminmnz12]

Georgia 40-6-123
I almost side swiped an officer making a last minute lane change without proper turn signals. I am 19 and in college making straight A's and have a job as an after school teacher at a local public Elementary school. I had a lot on my plate that day and was going out of my way to see a friend perform in a musical competition in a different city. I had a friend in the car, who at the last minute, told me I needed to make a turn so I quickly did so and almost hit the officer. I did quickly check my blind spot and didn't see anyone there but when I moved he came flying by. I thInk he may have been speeding. In court, can I make this case and ask for alternate form of punishment (to save myself and my parents money), or would I be laughed at and end up wasting my time? Is it worth attempting to accuse the officer of speeding even though I was in the wrong also? Thanks for looking over this. It would greatly help my parents and me.

 

[FlyingRon]

What defense do you think you have. Your grades mean squat. You're expected to manage your "plate" and not drive illegally and unsafely. That is not a defense.
Having to turn soon is NOT a defense. You're still expected to signal your turns no matter who or what you see or don't see. It's exactly for the case that you didn't notice a car behind you that you are supposed to signal.

You have nothing to accuse the officer of. He's not the one who made the illegal lane change.

You can dodge the point with a nolo plea (if you haven't pulled that yet). Otherwise I don't see any options for you.

 

[sandyclaus]

Georgia 40-6-123
I almost side swiped an officer making a last minute lane change without proper turn signals. I am 19 and in college making straight A's and have a job as an after school teacher at a local public Elementary school. I had a lot on my plate that day and was going out of my way to see a friend perform in a musical competition in a different city. I had a friend in the car, who at the last minute, told me I needed to make a turn so I quickly did so and almost hit the officer. I did quickly check my blind spot and didn't see anyone there but when I moved he came flying by. I thInk he may have been speeding. In court, can I make this case and ask for alternate form of punishment (to save myself and my parents money), or would I be laughed at and end up wasting my time? Is it worth attempting to accuse the officer of speeding even though I was in the wrong also? Thanks for looking over this. It would greatly help my parents and me.

I don't get it.

What does your grade point average and job have to do with your bad driving habits? Apparently even good students and those with excellent jobs can bake a mistake and drive erratically from time to time.

So, your friend gave you abrupt instruction to turn. The safe way to handle that would have been to change lanes carefully, and if you were beyond the point where you were supposed to turn, you take the extra time and steps to head the other way and backtrack. It's not your friend's fault that you decided to change lanes too fast and without the proper turn signals.

 

[benjaminmnz12]

I don't get it.

What does your grade point average and job have to do with your bad driving habits? Apparently even good students and those with excellent jobs can bake a mistake and drive erratically from time to time.

So, your friend gave you abrupt instruction to turn. The safe way to handle that would have been to change lanes carefully, and if you were beyond the point where you were supposed to turn, you take the extra time and steps to head the other way and backtrack. It's not your friend's fault that you decided to change lanes too fast and without the proper turn signals.

I forgot to add the whole point of my question. The question was supposed to be if I try to change the form of punishment or ask for a lesser charge since I wasn't intentionally trying to disobey any law or hurt anyone, would it be worth adding in that I think the police officer may have been speeding or just leave it at begging for a different punishment. But I know the answer to that now. And talking about grades and and a job is showing the judge that I'm in school and an active citizen and a good kid asking for some way around this rather than making poor college kid pay for something that was unintentional. Just makes sense to me that the police should be addressing people who are carelessly willing to put themselves and others in the way of harm. Not a good citizen making a mistake. Paying the government money isn't teaching me something especially when there isn't something to be learned in the first place

 

[TheGeekess]

I forgot to add the whole point of my question. The question was supposed to be if I try to change the form of punishment or ask for a lesser charge since I wasn't intentionally trying to disobey any law or hurt anyone, would it be worth adding in that I think the police officer may have been speeding or just leave it at begging for a different punishment. But I know the answer to that now. And talking about grades and and a job is showing the judge that I'm in school and an active citizen and a good kid asking for some way around this rather than making poor college kid pay for something that was unintentional. Just makes sense to me that the police should be addressing people who are carelessly willing to put themselves and others in the way of harm. Not a good citizen making a mistake. Paying the government money isn't teaching me something especially when there isn't something to be learned in the first place

Yes there is. Obey the laws or suffer the consequences.

 

[sandyclaus]

I forgot to add the whole point of my question. The question was supposed to be if I try to change the form of punishment or ask for a lesser charge since I wasn't intentionally trying to disobey any law or hurt anyone, would it be worth adding in that I think the police officer may have been speeding or just leave it at begging for a different punishment. But I know the answer to that now. And talking about grades and and a job is showing the judge that I'm in school and an active citizen and a good kid asking for some way around this rather than making poor college kid pay for something that was unintentional. Just makes sense to me that the police should be addressing people who are carelessly willing to put themselves and others in the way of harm. Not a good citizen making a mistake. Paying the government money isn't teaching me something especially when there isn't something to be learned in the first place

It's not that there isn't something to be learned, it's just that you seem to be missing the lesson entirely.

If you are forced to pay money that you can't afford as a consequence for something you shouldn't have been doing in the first place, then the lesson is that you don't do it again, and you won't have to scramble for the money to pay a fine you can't afford.

Choices have consequences. Yours was to do whatever you were doing INSTEAD of paying attention to the road and the other vehicles around you. Consider yourself very lucky that the results were only a ticket with a fine. It could have been far worse, such as actually side swiping that car and causing a collision in which you, the other driver, any passengers, and innocent bystanders could have been severely injured, maimed, or killed. How's that for a lesson?

 

[HighwayMan]

...I wasn't intentionally trying to disobey any law or hurt anyone...

Join the club. Everyone says that. So if it was unintentional then it must have been, what? Careless? Reckless?

would it be worth adding in that I think the police officer may have been speeding or just leave it at begging for a different punishment.

The officer's actions have nothing to do with your offense.

And talking about grades and and a job is showing the judge that I'm in school and an active citizen and a good kid asking for some way around this rather than making poor college kid pay for something that was unintentional.

You think only criminals commit traffic violations? Your grades don't really demonstrate anything to the judge. I've known plenty of "good kids" with good grades who were bad drivers.

Just makes sense to me that the police should be addressing people who are carelessly willing to put themselves and others in the way of harm. Not a good citizen making a mistake.

You WERE careless. Everyone makes mistakes - and sometimes that means getting caught and paying a price for our mistakes. Quite frankly, you sound spoiled and immature, but many posters here sound the same so don't feel too bad.