What is the name of your state? FLORIDA
OK, so i was speeding back in November, and got pulled over. I had just bought my new car the night before and it was the first time i was driving it. Needless to say the cop didn't give me a ticket for speeding, but i didn't have my license with me at the time. SO he gave me a $7 ticket and told me i had to go to the court house and prove i had a license within 30 days. Well everything was fine, except when i went into the courthouse, i forgot i had to pay a fine so i just brought my license with me and not my purse... i was carrying my 4 month old little boy with me. The receptionist was cool, told me just to send in payment. Well i forgot all about it. then in Feb. i received a notice saying i had to send in the $7 by 2/15/05 or they would suspend my license. that day i sent it out on 2/9/05. I didn't think anything of it, it had cleared in the bank. Well on 3/5/05 i was pulled over for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign, when the cop ran my license it came up suspended. I was shocked. So he told me to get it cleared up and go to a court apperance 2 weeks later. so i did... i was told all i had to do was bring in proof that my license was reinstated, so i got a paper from DMV and took it with me. well when the judge called me up, he asked me what i was pleading, i told him i didn't know that i had to plead anything. He said that i had to plead something and i didn't know so he made a statement saying i plead not guilty. and told me i needed to seek legal counsel. so i filled out a paper and was told to come back in a month... which is thursday. Needless to say I missed my appointment.
I dont understand why i need a lawyer for this, if everything is cleared up. I understand now that i should have just pleaded no contest but what will happen if i dont have a lawyer on Thursday? Will he allow me to plead no contest and if so what do i tell him....
PLEASE HELP ME. I'M SO CONFUSED... I HAVNE'T EVER BEEN IN TROUBLE BEFORE AND I DONT WANT TO BE NOW.
OK, so i was speeding back in November, and got pulled over. I had just bought my new car the night before and it was the first time i was driving it. Needless to say the cop didn't give me a ticket for speeding, but i didn't have my license with me at the time. SO he gave me a $7 ticket and told me i had to go to the court house and prove i had a license within 30 days. Well everything was fine, except when i went into the courthouse, i forgot i had to pay a fine so i just brought my license with me and not my purse... i was carrying my 4 month old little boy with me. The receptionist was cool, told me just to send in payment. Well i forgot all about it. then in Feb. i received a notice saying i had to send in the $7 by 2/15/05 or they would suspend my license. that day i sent it out on 2/9/05. I didn't think anything of it, it had cleared in the bank. Well on 3/5/05 i was pulled over for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign, when the cop ran my license it came up suspended. I was shocked. So he told me to get it cleared up and go to a court apperance 2 weeks later. so i did... i was told all i had to do was bring in proof that my license was reinstated, so i got a paper from DMV and took it with me. well when the judge called me up, he asked me what i was pleading, i told him i didn't know that i had to plead anything. He said that i had to plead something and i didn't know so he made a statement saying i plead not guilty. and told me i needed to seek legal counsel. so i filled out a paper and was told to come back in a month... which is thursday. Needless to say I missed my appointment.
I dont understand why i need a lawyer for this, if everything is cleared up. I understand now that i should have just pleaded no contest but what will happen if i dont have a lawyer on Thursday? Will he allow me to plead no contest and if so what do i tell him....
PLEASE HELP ME. I'M SO CONFUSED... I HAVNE'T EVER BEEN IN TROUBLE BEFORE AND I DONT WANT TO BE NOW.