guilty or not?

What is the name of your state? PA
Good afternoon, on the morning of 9/9/03 I was on The Walt Whitman Bridge coming from Atlantic City & going home to Philadelphia. Immediately after I paid my toll, I was pulled over for speeding on the bridge. I was given 2 citations. 1 was for careless driving, excessive speed. The other one was for driving an unregistered vehicle. I was driving my friend's truck. He was telling the officer that the vehicle was registered, but the officer got the info stating it wasn't. He honestly thought the truck was registered, b/c he remember's seeing the renewal form. The truck is in his sister's name, so he assumed she renewed the registration. We later found out, she didn't. Anyway, I got a 2nd citation, but the officer told me it was just a warning to let me know that we should immediately get the truck registered in the morning. As a matter of fact, the officer who should have taken the truck told me to follow him, park the truck & arrange to get home some other way. Now, the speeding citation, clearly had $104 in the total due box, which I've since paid. The unregistered vehicle citation just had 3 asterisks in it, NO AMOUNT OF PAYMENT! Just this week I got a letter saying my license will be suspended if I don't pay $174 for the 2nd citation. I'm confused, the officer told me it was just a warning & there was no price on it or else I would've paid it like I paid the speeding citation. Yesterday, I decided to as for a hearing, so I went to the Philadelphia Parking Authority & filled out the request form for a hearing. Help me understand what happened & why. Thanks in advance.

Well I grew up in Philly and you went to the wrong agency to have a hearing. It sounds as if you were pulled over by DRPA Police (Bridge police). The citation for speeding was a monetary fine and the other citation was a mandatory appearance into traffic court. Also make sure the ticket is not cited into the state of NJ as they can cite you on either side of the bridge into NJ courts.

You're absolutely right, it was DRPA Bridge Police. How was I supposed to know I was to appear in court? I'm sure I wasn't told that. Was I supposed to call the court to arrange a hearing or was I supposed to wait & get the notice in the mail? Yesterday I went to fill out forms to request a hearing. Do you think I shouldn't have done that? I didn't know what I was supposed to do! I don't see anything referring to New Jersey on the citation.

[lwpat]

Why are you trying to request a hearing? You were driving an unregistered vehicle. It is true that this violation will often be dropped if you show up in court and provide evidence of registration. However you have missed your court date and the fine is due. Pay it and learn to ask questions of the officer. If you don't understand then call the clerk of the court listed on the ticket before your court date.

Originally posted by Sinamen
You're absolutely right, it was DRPA Bridge Police. How was I supposed to know I was to appear in court? I'm sure I wasn't told that. Was I supposed to call the court to arrange a hearing or was I supposed to wait & get the notice in the mail? Yesterday I went to fill out forms to request a hearing. Do you think I shouldn't have done that? I didn't know what I was supposed to do! I don't see anything referring to New Jersey on the citation.

There should of been a phone number on the back of the citation which states the court you should of been cited into.

As far as going to the parking authroity, theres no reason to. They do not handle unregistered vehicle as that falls under the Philadelphia Traffic court (7th and Spring Garden). Was there a phone number on the form they had sent? Otherwise you can call the bridge police or visit there station which is located at the base of the Ben Franklin (on the Camden side) and they can probably tell you how to move on.