Red Light Camera Ticket...It wasn't me!

[jbreakonthru]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Culver City, California

I lent my truck to a friend while out of town for a week. When I returned I received a red light camera ticket with a picture of my friend on it. I'm aware that I can turn in my friend and get out of the ticket. I also understand that I am not required to identify the actual driver in California. I would prefer not to snitch if possible. The camera photo is not blurry at all, and to me is clearly not the same person as shown on my license. However, my friend has similar facial hair as me and a judge who wanted to be really difficult could disagree. Also, I was on a plane at the time of the ticket and have a boarding ticket from that flight. The ticket time is 11:53 PM and the boarding ticket indicates that the flight didn't land until 12:12 PM. Is there any way to present the boarding pass as evidence that I wasn't the driver without testifying? If I understand it right, as soon as I make testimony I can be required to name the driver. With the differing picture and the boarding pass what is the correct way to fight this case. Should I try a TBD?

Thanks for your insight.

J

 

[BigMouthWino]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Culver City, California

I lent my truck to a friend while out of town for a week. When I returned I received a red light camera ticket with a picture of my friend on it. I'm aware that I can turn in my friend and get out of the ticket. I also understand that I am not required to identify the actual driver in California. I would prefer not to snitch if possible. The camera photo is not blurry at all, and to me is clearly not the same person as shown on my license. However, my friend has similar facial hair as me and a judge who wanted to be really difficult could disagree. Also, I was on a plane at the time of the ticket and have a boarding ticket from that flight. The ticket time is 11:53 PM and the boarding ticket indicates that the flight didn't land until 12:12 PM. Is there any way to present the boarding pass as evidence that I wasn't the driver without testifying? If I understand it right, as soon as I make testimony I can be required to name the driver. With the differing picture and the boarding pass what is the correct way to fight this case. Should I try a TBD?

Thanks for your insight.

J

Nobody can force you to name the driver. You were on a plane, show your boarding pass - that should clear up any issues about you looking like your friend.

If they ask you who was driving a simple "I don't recall" will suffice. Or I left the car with my girlfriend ashley taylor when I travel. When I got this ticket I realized she was cheating on me. Obviously she won't tell me who the man driving is.

 

[quincy]

I recommend you do not lie.

Declining to answer a question is far different than creating a false answer.

 

[BigMouthWino]

I never suggested the OP lie. I think that is pretty close to what happened.

If the government is going to employ the use of machines to shake down citizens for revenue the citizenry should employ all means necessary to thwart their efforts.

 

[jbreakonthru]

If I understand the way the law works, I cannot say in court "It wasn't me." As soon as I use any wording like this I am making a statement or testimony and can then be forced to reveal the identity of the driver. Instead I must submit my license picture and ask the judge "Are you sure this is me?" , which is not testimony but rather what a lawyer would ask. Do I just present the boarding pass as evidence and not say "I was on this plane."?

 

[BigMouthWino]

If I understand the way the law works, I cannot say in court "It wasn't me." As soon as I use any wording like this I am making a statement or testimony and can then be forced to reveal the identity of the driver. Instead I must submit my license picture and ask the judge "Are you sure this is me?" , which is not testimony but rather what a lawyer would ask. Do I just present the boarding pass as evidence and not say "I was on this plane."?

You have two pieces of evidence that it was not you driving:

1) The photographic evidence which you state is not conclusive.

2) The proof that you were on the plane which is certainly conclusive in this day of Homeland Security Screenings.

Submit both pieces of evidence to the Court and you should be off the hook.

 

[jbreakonthru]

Thanks you very much for your help.

 

[Ohiogal]

Nobody can force you to name the driver. You were on a plane, show your boarding pass - that should clear up any issues about you looking like your friend.

If they ask you who was driving a simple "I don't recall" will suffice. Or I left the car with my girlfriend ashley taylor when I travel. When I got this ticket I realized she was cheating on me. Obviously she won't tell me who the man driving is.

So you are telling him to LIE? Really? Wrong. He does recall. He knows it is his friend in the picture and he knows he lent his truck to his friend.

 

[Ohiogal]

If I understand the way the law works, I cannot say in court "It wasn't me." As soon as I use any wording like this I am making a statement or testimony and can then be forced to reveal the identity of the driver. Instead I must submit my license picture and ask the judge "Are you sure this is me?" , which is not testimony but rather what a lawyer would ask. Do I just present the boarding pass as evidence and not say "I was on this plane."?

You cannot question the judge. Why do you think you can?

 

[davew128]

So you are telling him to LIE? Really? Wrong. He does recall. He knows it is his friend in the picture and he knows he lent his truck to his friend.

He doesn't KNOW it, he is only speculating. He was not there and did not witness the violation. That said, merely providing evidence that the the OP isn't the person in the photo and was on a plane at that time should be sufficient without having to testify.

 

[BigMouthWino]

He doesn't KNOW it, he is only speculating. He was not there and did not witness the violation.

Absolutely correct.

That said, merely providing evidence that the the OP isn't the person in the photo and was on a plane at that time should be sufficient without having to testify.

I don't see how you get either piece of evidence admitted without testifying short of bringing in witnesses from the DMV and the airline, but it would be a neat trick.

 

[davew128]

I don't see how you get either piece of evidence admitted without testifying short of bringing in witnesses from the DMV and the airline, but it would be a neat trick.

It's called cross examining the state's witness. "Sir, is the person in the photo you examined also the defendant? Does the person in your photo look like the photo of the defendant in his/her driver's license? Would it surprise you to learn the defendant was on Jetblue Flight #1742 headed to Denver at the time this photo was taken?"

 

[Pugilist]

Believe it or not, you can ignore it

Culver City is in LA County, and camera tickets in the county can be ignored, because the court decided to not report ignored camera tickets to the DMV. To read newspaper articles about it Google red light camera no consequence.

 

[Isis1]

Culver City is in LA County, and camera tickets in the county can be ignored, because the court decided to not report ignored camera tickets to the DMV. To read newspaper articles about it Google red light camera no consequence.

i was JUST about to comment on this. if you respond to the ticket (declaration) you will have to go through the process. however, if i recall correctly, most camara tickets are invalid now. something to do with the technology.

i will say i'm not happy with this new ticket system at all. i received a totall of SEVEN tickets in a span of TWO months for a car that was not mine. it was over one F. the other car had an E instead.

Hubz thought i was creeping out at night....i thought Teen had taken the car....it was a MESS.

 

[BigMouthWino]

i was JUST about to comment on this. if you respond to the ticket (declaration) you will have to go through the process. however, if i recall correctly, most camara tickets are invalid now. something to do with the technology.

i will say i'm not happy with this new ticket system at all. i received a totall of SEVEN tickets in a span of TWO months for a car that was not mine. it was over one F. the other car had an E instead.

Hubz thought i was creeping out at night....i thought Teen had taken the car....it was a MESS.

When you looked at the photos that are part of the citation didn't it clue you in that it wasn't your car?