Driving on a suspended license

[lovelytiink]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New York (Suffolk County)

Hi, this is my first time posting here so I apologize in advanced if I am posting this in the wrong section.

Okay now here's my situation.
I turned 21 in March, so my license had expired on my 21st birthday. I was waiting for my new one to come in the mail (never did by the way) and I got pulled over about 20 days after my birthday, and the officer gave me a ticket for driving unlicensend. I never had a ticket before or anything, so the very next day I went down to the DMV and paid $50 for a new license and everything. I didn't pay the ticket.

Now in July I was in an apartment complex with a few people in my car. the two kids in the backseat were smoking weed (bad idea yes I know) and so someone called the cops and they came and asked who's it was, of course those wonderful kids claimed they didn't know whose it was so the police officer wrote all of us an unlawful possesion of marijuana ticket. she then told me my license was suspended (which I didn't know since I had it fixed) and so she gave me a ticket(with the misdeamenor box checked) for driving with a suspended license.(we were all arrested, not in handcuffs but she told us we were under arrest). Ok so the next day I went to the main dmv and paid the suspension fee, and claimed not guilty to that ticket from back in april. since I did technically have a license. that court date is Nov 4. The one for the marijuana and the suspended license is Sept. 21. what should I expect? I can't really afford a lawyer right now, should I ask for acod? I was already on acod for a year about 3 years ago. im really scared, I am trying to do the right thing with my life going to school. I don't drive bad or anything so I am really just looking for advice. I am losing so much sleep over this. thank you

 

[davew128]

Clearly you DIDN'T have a valid license since you had to pay a suspension fee.

 

[Banned_Princess]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? New York (Suffolk County)

Hi, this is my first time posting here so I apologize in advanced if I am posting this in the wrong section.

Okay now here's my situation.
I turned 21 in March, so my license had expired on my 21st birthday. I was waiting for my new one to come in the mail (never did by the way) and I got pulled over about 20 days after my birthday, and the officer gave me a ticket for driving unlicensend. I never had a ticket before or anything, so the very next day I went down to the DMV and paid $50 for a new license and everything. I didn't pay the ticket.

Was this ticket pink or yellow? The DMV in hauppauge has a separate place to pay tickets. you have to go there and ask them what to do and how much it costs. basically that's it. you can contest that you had a expired license, but I only know how to do that exactly in the courts. So ask at the DMV tickets division. (hauppauge, like i said)

Was the ticket numbered 511 or 509?

Now in July I was in an apartment complex with a few people in my car. the two kids in the backseat were smoking weed (bad idea yes I know) and so someone called the cops and they came and asked who's it was, of course those wonderful kids claimed they didn't know whose it was so the police officer wrote all of us an unlawful possesion of marijuana ticket. she then told me my license was suspended (which I didn't know since I had it fixed)

You didn't fix the ticket, you renewed your license, and they will suspend you for failing to answer the ticket.

and so she gave me a ticket(with the misdeamenor box checked) for driving with a suspended license.(

511 yellow ticket with a date to go to court. right?

we were all arrested, not in handcuffs but she told us we were under arrest).

ridiculous. were you arrested or not.

Ok so the next day I went to the main dmv and paid the suspension fee, and claimed not guilty to that ticket from back in april. since I did technically have a license. that court date is Nov 4.

good go there with your license, they should be kind.

The one for the marijuana and the suspended license is Sept. 21. what should I expect?

so you weren't arrested. You can expect the judge to ask if you have a lawyer, can you afford a lawyer and she (or he) will assign one to you.

I can't really afford a lawyer right now, should I ask for acod?

Do you even know what an acod is? you cannot ask for this. the lawyer you are assigned to will probably.

I was already on acod for a year about 3 years ago. im really scared, I am trying to do the right thing with my life going to school. I don't drive bad or anything so I am really just looking for advice. I am losing so much sleep over this. thank you

Calm down. the pot charge will probably be acod'd and the 511 will be dropped to a 509 and you will be charged money $$$ for this. Just make sure your license is good when you go there. and be prepared to prove it.
Its not so bad, just pretty expensive. pay the fines and fees in a timely manner, then that's it.

 

[lovelytiink]

hi yes I went to the one in haupage, I was going to pay the ticket (after the fact that I got the marijuana one and everything) and the lady told me that she believed I was not guilty, so I went with it and have to go back on nov 4.

we were arrested, but they didn't bring us anywhere or anything the cops just told us we were arrested.

my unlicensed ticket is yellow

and the marijuana one is pink ( 221.05 PL UPM )

and the suspended license one is pink as well
( 511 )

so you don't think I need to bring a lawyer? they provide one to me? I don't know how that works, I've heard of it though.

also for the fees ill have to pay, do they make me pay it right there? or do they give me time to get the money up? because like I said I go to school full time.

thank you for your help I feel a little better about this now, I appreciate it.

 

[HighwayMan]

Ok so the next day I went to the main dmv and paid the suspension fee, and claimed not guilty to that ticket from back in april. since I did technically have a license.

No, you technically did not have a license. It was expired and you did not renew it until later.

 

[HighwayMan]

ridiculous. were you arrested or not.

You don't need to be placed in handcuffs to be arrested. This crew was obviously just issued FAT's and released.

 

[lovelytiink]

You don't need to be placed in handcuffs to be arrested. This crew was obviously just issued FAT's and released.

so is this going to affect what she said may happen? am I still going to receive assitance (like a lawyer they assign to me)?

 

[Banned_Princess]

Please, unless you are handcuffed and taken to the precent and handcuffed to a desk for hours you have not been arrested. not in my view anyway.

No, nothing is going to get in the way, really don't worry. Go to CI court on the day you are supposed to. wait for judge to call your name, She will ask if you can afford a lawyer, you say no, she asks how much you make, you say $$$ she calls in legal aid, he talks to you outside tells you your plea, you accept or reject (I say accept)
He may ask you to return with your own lawyer, or return with your license valid, well, anything he wants really. Don't stress it. Just be respectful and try not to cause any problem, quick and fast is the way they like it.

try not to get convicted of the 511 (agg unlic opper) tell him you want it dropped to a 509 (driving without a license so it wont impact your insurance)

And the pot charge is nothing, probably an ACOD.

You will be asked if you need time to pay, you say yes, he gives you time. If at that date you still have not been able to pay, then you can go to the 2nd floor window to have 1 extension put on.

Let me know how it goes. Once you have been through it it wont be so scary. Just remember, it is not their interest to jail you, they just want your money. Good luck.

 

[lovelytiink]

thank you banned princess, I appreciate it and will let you know what happens

 

[HighwayMan]

Please, unless you are handcuffed and taken to the precent and handcuffed to a desk for hours you have not been arrested. not in my view anyway.

Your view is inaccurate to say the least.

What a dramatist you are - handcuffed to a desk for hours, hmmm. Just like in the movies, eh?

 

[Banned_Princess]

Your view is inaccurate to say the least.

What a dramatist you are - handcuffed to a desk for hours, hmmm. Just like in the movies, eh?

No, seriously. only its not a desk, its more like a long cold steel bench, with uncomfortable tiny steel stools that aren't on straight, for hours and hours. Then you get a cell. they don't handcuff you there.

What, do you think detained people get couches and beds? That's more like the movies.

I don't know how first hand experience can be inaccurate. So no, not like in the movies, like in real life.

Being arrested for not having my Id. (even tho that doesnt happen either, right?)

 

[I_Got_Banned]

No, seriously. only its not a desk, its more like a long cold steel bench, with uncomfortable tiny steel stools that aren't on straight, for hours and hours. Then you get a cell. they don't handcuff you there.

Yeah... And as soon as the Sheriff locks you up in the cell, he hangs the keys off his belt, props his feet up on his desk and takes a nap... That is until somebody runs in and wakes him up... Dukes of Hazzard ~ circa 1975

 

[lovelytiink]

I am back again. I was feeling better about everything until I got an email from the federal financial aid.... saying

"-Notice-
Consequences of Drug Convictions

The Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965 established funding resources for college students through the * Title IV federal financial aid programs (federal aid).* In 1998, a drug provision was incorporated into the HEA that denies federal aid to students if convicted of any misdemeanor or felony drug offense.*The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 requires schools to provide a separate written notice to all students regarding the impact of drug related convictions on federal aid eligibility.

*Title IV federal financial aid includes: the Federal Pell, Federal SEOG, AC and National SMART Grants; FFEL and Direct Loans

(including Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford, Parent PLUS and Grad PLUS); Federal Perkins Loans; and Federal Work-Study programs.

Students convicted of violating any federal or state drug possession or sale law will become ineligible for federal aid as described below:

Conviction of Drug Possession

Students convicted of drug possession are suspended from eligibility for federal aid for:

One year on the first offense
Two years on the second offense
Indefinitely on the third offense "



im already set for school my classes are picked and I start tuesday, what will happen? I don't have any private loans this semester, I was declined. my court dates the 21st so am I going to be able to attend school tuesday? or this whole semester rather?


really upset about this. I also looked again on google for "unlawful possession financial aid" and people on yahoo questions were saying the judge can put you in jail for a day or two... does that happen? or were they just trying to scare the people?

 

[HighwayMan]

You should try to find out if the SCPD sent your confiscated weed out to the lab to get tested. Many times that's not done since it's just a simple UPM summons.

If that's the case then there is no way the charge can stand up unless you stupidly admitted that it was marijuana.

This happens all the time in NYC - these are always dismissed because there is no evidence presented that it was marijuana. And the officer almost never gets called to court to testify about these.

 

[Banned_Princess]

I suggest you bring that up to the legal aid. Make sure he knows you are not going to plea to any drug charges. Probably the DA will drop it to something else, or completely.