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Worth to talk to judge for reduce the amount of an unpaid ticket over six months ago?

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wchang531

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

Hi Everyone,

I have a unpaid traffic ticket that was issued on Jan 2016. The amount has climbed to $750 because they added the civil assessment fee and the original around was $350. The case has already transfer to the collection department. I have called to the collection department, the officer told me I have two options: one is set up payment arrangement, second is talk to the judge and see if the judge can reduce the fee. I had never gotten a traffic ticket over the past three years and this is the first one. They have the wrong mailing address on the file, however, I have told the police my new address. I have never receive the letter when they send me the notice mail. I don't understand the court procedure because it is my first time. I don't have this much of money to pay the full amount because I have the student loans that makes me really tight now. I understand it is my responsibility to check the citation. I'm wondering if it is worth for me to drive five hours to talk to a judge. Is it possible that the judge will reduce the fee to $350?

Please let me know the best way I should do now.
 


CdwJava

Senior Member
Yes, it is POSSIBLE that the judge will eliminate the additional fees for the FTA, but not required. Only YOU can determine if the lengthy drive is worth the roll of the dice to remove the additional penalties. Keep in mind that unless you have initiated a procedure that will keep your license from being suspended, your license may be suspended while you are waiting for a hearing date before the court on the issue. Also, MOST counties offer a written procedure where you can complete a form, submit documentation, and essentially beg for forgiveness. But! This form needs to be filed in a timely manner.

Keep in mind that any correspondence - courtesy notice (if any) and notice of penalties and pending suspension will go, first, to the address on the citation (most often the address on your license). Any address you give the police after the citation is pretty much useless because the court and the DMV will not have it. If you fail to appear and they want to send notice of penalties and pending suspension the court will then conduct a search of your driver's license info to find any past addresses in an effort to send you notice of the penalties and pending suspension. It is YOUR legal responsibility to keep the DMV updated with your current residence and mailing address. If you failed to do that, then that's on you.
 

wchang531

Junior Member
Yes, it is POSSIBLE that the judge will eliminate the additional fees for the FTA, but not required. Only YOU can determine if the lengthy drive is worth the roll of the dice to remove the additional penalties. Keep in mind that unless you have initiated a procedure that will keep your license from being suspended, your license may be suspended while you are waiting for a hearing date before the court on the issue. Also, MOST counties offer a written procedure where you can complete a form, submit documentation, and essentially beg for forgiveness. But! This form needs to be filed in a timely manner.

Keep in mind that any correspondence - courtesy notice (if any) and notice of penalties and pending suspension will go, first, to the address on the citation (most often the address on your license). Any address you give the police after the citation is pretty much useless because the court and the DMV will not have it. If you fail to appear and they want to send notice of penalties and pending suspension the court will then conduct a search of your driver's license info to find any past addresses in an effort to send you notice of the penalties and pending suspension. It is YOUR legal responsibility to keep the DMV updated with your current residence and mailing address. If you failed to do that, then that's on you.
Thank you for your advice. I will think about it.
 

CdwJava

Senior Member
It is my first time getting the ticket. I do not know the process. The police told me to wait for the mail of how much I need to pay. And I was busy on the school. :(
Was this the CHP? I HATE it when officers tell people they will get a notice in the mail!!!! A great many people mistakenly wait for a notice that may never come! (One of my sons was one of those nimrods ... and no notices got to him because the cite did not include his apartment number - we only found out when the pending suspension notice came to his previous permanent address which was my house).

There is a reason that there is a court date on the bottom of the cite and why you were (or SHOULD HAVE BEEN) told that you need to take care of the matter on or before the court date.
 

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