Traffic Citation in PA

[thartz52]

What is the name of your state? Pennsylvania

I was issued a citation in Philadelphia yesterday and need some opinions....I was making a left turn with the turn arrow in my favor. A police officer was holding back stadium crowds with his back to the street and myself. I was 3/4 of the way across the intersection into my turn when the officer waved the crowds on into the street without realizing I was there. Once he realized it and turned around I was already halfway past him. My passenger told me that he motioned for me to stop but at that point I was past him. I so I just proceeded to about a half block to my parking lot where I was followed by an irate officer who proceeded to ask my why I failed to stop at his hand signals. I am not really sure why he asked since he did not want to hear anything that I had to say.....I dont think his failure to check behind him before waving crowds into the street is something that I should have to pay for for the next few years in insurance premiums.
Some other thing that I wanted to point out are:
1. He didnt use my correct address from my correction card handed to him with my license.
2. He never had me sign the citation.
3. In box# 61(total due) he put 3102 which appears to be the violation number and not the amount due.
4. In box# 62(Section/sub sec.) he put 118 which appears to be the total due and not the violation sec/sub sec.

This is my first citation and am willing to fight it to save the potential two point on my license. Thanks for any suggestions. Good or BADWhat is the name of your state?

[seniorjudge]

None of those affect your ticket.

[Maestro64]

Here is what you were cited for, and as it was pointed out errors on the ticket may not matter when attempting to fight the ticket. Notice even a Funeral Directory has authority to direct traffic and you could get a ticket for not listening to him.

3102. Obedience to authorized persons directing traffic.
No person shall willfully fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order or direction of any uniformed police officer, sheriff or constable or, in an emergency, a railroad or street railway police officer; or any appropriately attired person, including an agent or employee of the funeral director during a funeral, authorized to direct, control or regulate traffic or an employee who has been trained in traffic control by a licensed and insured private security company and who is acting in the scope of employment.

Here is court rule 109 for defects on a citation so if you want read it as you will see it replaces two prior rules which has some very specific language about defects which you could have used but due not apply now.

[url]http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/234/chapter1/s109.html[/url]

One last thing Philadelphia follow its own set of rules regarding traffic tickets. they do not require the officer to show so if you try and fight it the and the officer is a no show, it is not a dismissal as it would be in other courts in the state.

[url]http://courts.phila.gov/traffic/[/url]

[Maestro64]

Oh one more thing about the content of the citation

Rule 403 [url]http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/234/chapter4/s403.html[/url]