Suspended License w/Underlying Causes

[suspendedinmd]

What is the name of your state? Maryland.

About 3 years ago I was stopped for a cracked windshield. I was informed that my license (a Virginia license... I had just moved back to Maryland but had not transferred the license yet) was suspended in VA. I was given a ticket.

At the time I was taking the drug Paxil, and it made me quite nuts. I'm now involved in a class action lawsuit against Paxil's mfg's. I had attempted suicide after being given the ticket, since I had no money to pay any fines, and Paxil made me suicidal. I did not want to go to jail. I had a squeaky clean record before this (police and driving).

I want to get it straightened out now, but I need to know how much I could possibly be charged in fines when I get a new court date. I have 2 bench warrants out now, and was told I could have them rescinded when I ask for a new court date.

What is generally average in cases like this? I can prove I was on Paxil, and that it is potentially a very dangerous drug with severe side effects, and I have the hospital report from when I attempted suicide. I have many character witnesses who will testify that I really was nuts at the time I got the ticket, actually before I moved back to MD from VA, all while on Paxil.

I'm not too worried about jail time, but I do need some starting point to have the money to pay whatever fines the judge deems reasonable.

Can anyone help? (My license was suspended in VA because you need insurance there to have a license. I was unaware of this, and since I had dropped my insurance in VA and picked it up in MD, VA suspended my license without informing me of this action... ever.)

[seniorjudge]

After a failure to appear, most prosecutors lose interest in plea bargaining, even if you do have a good defense.

I speak from experience...in the dim past, I was once a prosecutor (but please do not tell anyone).

[suspendedinmd]

Are you saying that I most likely have no defense at all and that I may very well serve jail time??? I'm not worried about the monetary fines. I can pay them. I'm worried about being thrown in jail.

If that's what our legal system is like, I may just go back on Paxil, become suicidal again, and end it all, because I was totally NOT in control of my actions at that time. I've just recently gotten off that horrible drug completely, and I can see now how very screwed up I was at the time.

I just want to fix everything that went wrong during that period in my life. Believe me, if I had my druthers, I'd still be suffering with daily panic attacks instead of ever taking Paxil!

[seniorjudge]

Get a lawyer yesterday....

[suspendedinmd]

Thanks. I think I'll just become a hermit instead. Do you know of any good caves anywhere?

[suspendedinmd]

Forgot... I'm not interested in plea bargaining. I'll pay whatever fines the judge issues. I simply cannot deal with jail. I'm suffering physically from what Paxil did to me, and I've always been law-abiding... even during the 70's!!! Do you have any idea of what the monetary fines might be?

[seniorjudge]

Do you have any idea of what the monetary fines might be?

Not a clue....

[suspendedinmd]

Thanks, anyway. At least I have something new to worry about.

P.S. I won't tell of your secret past.

[suspendedinmd]

Does anyone else know?

[seniorjudge]

I'm not interested in plea bargaining. I'll pay whatever fines the judge issues. I simply cannot deal with jail.

This IS plea bargaining!

[suspendedinmd]

Thanks for your help. I've called the courthouse and found out what I have to do. I also found a site that gave me a potential figure to start with. Not quite as high as I was thinking. Whew! I also wrote to the DMV in Virginia, and they sent me information regarding the suspension, and the fact that I was never served (although they tried... the United States Postal Service messed that up... typical) with a notice of suspension. That proves, or at least helps, my defense that I simply was not aware of the suspension.

That, together with the medical/legal information I have regarding my taking Paxil, and what I went through with it, and also the fact that I will be speaking with an attorney very soon, should help.

I am now ready to write to the judge and ask for rescindence of the bench warrants and a new court date.

I know that I'll have to deal with the Failure to Appear, but with the other information I have, showing that my entire life was going down the tubes at the time (I lost my house to foreclosure, credit report, suicide attempt, etc.), and info on the class action lawsuit against GlaxoSmithKline (along with the reasons for it), etc. etc. etc... I do not feel that I will be facing any jail time.

With my prior record, and the fact that most judges do not (in my experience as a legal transcriptionist) go "by the book", but look at each case inidividually, as they should, I feel that all I'll face is a big, fat fine. I can deal with that. The fact that I'm trying to clear this up NOW, when I just got over the ravages of Paxil, will also show what that drug did to me.

Again, thanks for your help. It actually encouraged me to do as much research into this as I could via the internet (since I can't even get to a library right now... can't drive).

[seniorjudge]

Again, thanks for your help. It actually encouraged me to do as much research into this as I could via the internet (since I can't even get to a library right now... can't drive).

Good luck. Don't let little problems grow into big problems, okay?

[Fat Tony]

I may just go back on Paxil, become suicidal again, and end it all!

Sounds like a plan to me