driving w/o current tags and veh susp

[christine05]

What is the name of your state? Maryland

Need advice on what to say to judge to reduce fines...

Recently i was pulled over because i was driving on expired tags. come to find out my vehicle was suspended because the vehicle emissions test had expired as well. I'm not the type of person that would let this happen if i had been notified.

These issues happened because i didn't receive the notifications in the mail due to moving over the past couple of years due to a divorce. when i know something needs to happen before a certain date - it happens. the MVA did not have my correct mailing address and i was not aware of this.

As soon as this came to my attention i updated my records with the MVA and got an extension on the vehicle emissions test so i could get the suspension lifted and get this straighten out asap so i could continue to get to work and to school.

any advice on what to say?

[sukharev]

Well seniorjudge's canned reply is probably best suited here. If all your papers are fixed by the time you are in court, make sure you show them to the judge, apologise for your mistake and hope he reduces or drops the charges. You have full responsibility for maintaining current records (as well as notifying DMV of address change and making sure they got it), so there is no excuse, just a valid explanation. Plead guilty with explanation. To be complete, make sure your DL has current address, too.

[justalayman]

Don't tell the judge it was because the state failed to give you notice of the two items that had expired. That sounds very irresponsible. I can understand (maybe) you were ovrwhelmed and you inadvertantly failed to renew the items in question. If you go in there and try to blame anybody except yourself, the judge won't be thrilled.

[efflandt]

If you tell them that you did not receive the notifications because you moved, I imagine they could also cite you for failing to notify the motor vehicle department of your change of address within the required time period for your drivers license and (all) vehicle(s). So that is definitely not a good excuse.