expired license

[mrjohn]

What is the name of your state? florida

my son was ticketed for careless driving and for an expired drivers license (over 8 months). the expired license ticket is marked "criminal" and requires a court appearance. we don't remember receiving a renewal reminder but after being ticketed, he immediately renewed. he is worried that conviction of this misdemeanor will be a potential problem getting a job in financial services.

Are his concerns justified? should he plead not guilty and would he have a chance?

 

[stephenk]

why would he plead not guilty? His license was expired.

Dont Florida licenses have the expiration date right on the license? How could he not realize his license was expired for 8 months?

 

[mrjohn]

Thanks for the reply but why would he or anyone ever think to check the expiration date? Also, he doesn't go to places like clubs where someone else may look at the expiration date.

In 40 years, i have never checked my expiration date. Have you?

Does anyone put a note on their calendar three or four years in advance to remind them to renew their license. You can't even get a doctor to make an appointment a year down the road let alone have yourself remember to check your license in 3 or 4 years.

Yes, this is sarcastic but your reply is another example of unreasonable expectations. In the real world, checking for an expiration date is unreasonable, but I realize that in the court system he will probably just have to pay the price.

 

[HomeGuru]

Thanks for the reply but why would he or anyone ever think to check the expiration date? Also, he doesn't go to places like clubs where someone else may look at the expiration date.

In 40 years, i have never checked my expiration date. Have you?

Does anyone put a note on their calendar three or four years in advance to remind them to renew their license. You can't even get a doctor to make an appointment a year down the road let alone have yourself remember to check your license in 3 or 4 years.

Yes, this is sarcastic but your reply is another example of unreasonable expectations. In the real world, checking for an expiration date is unreasonable, but I realize that in the court system he will probably just have to pay the price.

**A: we are not talking about unreasonable expectations here but rather the law.
I suggest you read the applicable Florida law. A driver of a motor vehicle has a duty to insure that said driver is lawfully entitled to operate the motor vehicle.
One of the components would be having a valid driver's license.
With your pretzel logic the driver would not look at the gas gauge, oil check gauge, battery/alternator gauge, temperature gauge etc. for safe operation/maintenance, every time the vehicle was driven.

 

[JETX]

Mr John.... how old is your son??
Your post says that he is, or will be, working in some financial position, so we assume that he is at LEAST over 16? Correct??

If so, why are YOU here asking about his penalty?? Isn't that something that a mature adult should be doing without needing his parents involvement and excuses. Let your son be a man and accept the consequences of his actions... and not try to find some weak feeble, "But he didn't know!!!" excuse.

The law says that you must have a VALID drivers license when you are driving. He didn't. Case closed.

His violation of the law, knowingly or not, might be an explanation.... but it is not an excuse.

On top of that, he was charged with 'reckless driving'. You seem to have 'forgotten' that charge (which could be MORE serious, at least to 'society', than the unlicensed driver one). What was he doing that got him charged with that??

In any case, he has received two tickets. He has the choice of defending himself or not. If he wants to defend himself from the charges, help him get an attorney. If he doesn't, then he gets whatever the court wants him to get. This is all really simple.... and this forum cannot mitigate his potential impact.

Okay, with that out of the way.... lets look at your two original questions:

"Are his concerns justified?"
*** Depending on what his job might be, these tickets will probably not impact his employment future.... unless he wants to become an armored car driver.

"should he plead not guilty and would he have a chance?"
*** From your post, he is obviously guilty of the unlicensed driver charge. We do not have sufficient information to determine on the reckless driving charge.

Oh, and yes, I do periodically check my license for its expiration date (it expires in 2005).

 

[stephenk]

California driver licenses have the expiration date in red right on the front. the date is the driver's birthday. Real simple.

Everytime I take out my license for ID when paying for something or proving my age at a strip club I see the expiration date in all its glory. Not too hard to forget. Are you sure your son wants to be dealing with numbers as a career?

 

[HomeGuru]

California driver licenses have the expiration date in red right on the front. the date is the driver's birthday. Real simple.

Everytime I take out my license for ID when paying for something or proving my age at a strip club I see the expiration date in all its glory. Not too hard to forget. Are you sure your son wants to be dealing with numbers as a career?

**A: hey stephenK, we should go out clubbing together and hit those strip clubs. Then we'll both get carded.

 

[stephenk]

go look at some breasstss!

 

[Kaz the Minotau]

I agree with the others. It is his responsibility to make sure he is properly licensed. Yes I do look at my license regularly including the expiration date.