What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Ohio
My son is 18 years old. A couple of weekends ago he was out with some friends. One friend picked him up in his car- there were already two other passengers in the car, so my son got on the back seat.
The car was pulled over for loud exhaust. As it turns out, the driver of the car did not have a driver's license. My son was the only person in the car with a valid license. The officer wrote my son a ticket for Unlicensed Driver, which required a court appearance. My son went to court yesterday (he lives in Ohio and I live in Michigan so I was unable to be in court with him). The judge read the charge against him and said that he knowingly allowed an unlicensed driver to drive his vehicle. My son tried to tell the judge that it was not his car, but she wouldn't allow him to talk - all she wanted was for him to say "guilty" or "not guilty"...so my son asked for time to consult with an attorney.
After my son told me about what had happened in court, I thought surely either he had misunderstood the judge, or that there was more to the story that he wasn't telling me. So I went on the courts website and did a records search. The only charge against him says "unlicensed driver" and when I looked at the Case Information it says that proof of insurance was shown and it has the license plate number of the car that was pulled over...and it's not even close to my son's license plate number on his car.
Also, my son said he was not aware that his friend didn't have a license.
My thought is to have him get a printout from the BMV showing the car that is registered to him and the plate number. Even on the ticket the officer gave him it says the car is a maroon Grand Prix...my son drives a black Mustang.
We can't afford an attorney...what can we do to get him out of this mess?
My son is 18 years old. A couple of weekends ago he was out with some friends. One friend picked him up in his car- there were already two other passengers in the car, so my son got on the back seat.
The car was pulled over for loud exhaust. As it turns out, the driver of the car did not have a driver's license. My son was the only person in the car with a valid license. The officer wrote my son a ticket for Unlicensed Driver, which required a court appearance. My son went to court yesterday (he lives in Ohio and I live in Michigan so I was unable to be in court with him). The judge read the charge against him and said that he knowingly allowed an unlicensed driver to drive his vehicle. My son tried to tell the judge that it was not his car, but she wouldn't allow him to talk - all she wanted was for him to say "guilty" or "not guilty"...so my son asked for time to consult with an attorney.
After my son told me about what had happened in court, I thought surely either he had misunderstood the judge, or that there was more to the story that he wasn't telling me. So I went on the courts website and did a records search. The only charge against him says "unlicensed driver" and when I looked at the Case Information it says that proof of insurance was shown and it has the license plate number of the car that was pulled over...and it's not even close to my son's license plate number on his car.
Also, my son said he was not aware that his friend didn't have a license.
My thought is to have him get a printout from the BMV showing the car that is registered to him and the plate number. Even on the ticket the officer gave him it says the car is a maroon Grand Prix...my son drives a black Mustang.
We can't afford an attorney...what can we do to get him out of this mess?