Traffic Ticket Dispute

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erfairley

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How do I dispute a traffic ticket for loud music?
Here's the story:

Around 7:30pm I was driving in a residential area from the corner store with my two nephews, ages 13 and 14, and my daughter 2yrs. of age and son 4mths. of age. As always I had my radio on. The only thing different I did that night was rolled all my windows down because it was very hot inside my car and outside had a nice breeze. Never do I play my radio at a high volume because I need to hear if there's anything wrong with my kids or if my cell phone rings. I usually have my radio turned down real low just enough for me to hear it. That night one of my nephews turned my radio up to hear a favorite song of his. I told him not to turn it up too loud and he did as I asked of him. By that time I just made a complete stop at a stop sign to make a right turn. As I made the right-turn and drove a few feet down a police car was parked at the police station. The officer in the car turned her lights on and pulled my over. I thought maybe I didn't make the proper stop at the stop sign or I was speeding or something because I'm from the area I wasn't sure of the speed limit. I didn't think I was speeding or ran the stop sign. I asked her was there anything wrong? The officer said my music was loud. Now I know my music wasn't loud at all but I didn't want to argue with her. So I gave her my DL. She came back to my car and asked my to follow her back to the police station on the next block. I was puzzled but I did anyway. At the police station she wrote me up a ticket for loud music and then asks me to pay her $350 right there on-the-spot because I was an out of Towner. I told her I don't have that kind of money on me. Then she tried to arrest me with my kids and nephews there. She said either I pay her now, call a bails bondsman, go to jail, or she confiscate my DL until my court date. She said those were my only choices. I said to her, If I can't pay you for the ticket, then I can't pay for a bails man. I can't go to jail because I have my family with me and there is no one to take them for me. She said well I will keep your DL until you pay the ticket. I told her I want to dispute the ticket and she said to me "For what? You can't dispute it because there's nothing to dispute." So, I told the reason I want to dispute and she just said "I hope you know you can't drive without your DL." I left the station with the ticket she gave me. On the ticket she spelled my Last name and she didn't check the box that said she took my DL as for a security deposit. Also, on the back of the ticket it reads I am not to pay any officers of the law or the officer who gave me the ticket. It says to pay the court only and that the ticket serves as a valid DL until 30 days.

May some one tell if I am able to dispute this and how?

Thank you,
erfairley
 
How do I dispute a traffic ticket for loud music?
That depends ... what state was this in and what code section (numbers, please) were you cited under?

The officer said my music was loud. Now I know my music wasn't loud at all but I didn't want to argue with her.
Usually wise.

Whether it was "too loud" will depend on the statute you were cited under. if the law says no music should be heard 50' from the vehicle and the officer heard the music from a distance in excess of that distance, then it would appear you were in violation. If it is arbitrary (i.e. no objective standard) then it can be arguable.

So I gave her my DL. She came back to my car and asked my to follow her back to the police station on the next block. I was puzzled but I did anyway.
Unusual ... but, the alternative may have been an arrest. Different states have different laws to cover this.

She said well I will keep your DL until you pay the ticket. I told her I want to dispute the ticket and she said to me "For what? You can't dispute it because there's nothing to dispute."
Depending on the laws in your state, this may not have been the appropriate way to handle these matters.

So, I told the reason I want to dispute and she just said "I hope you know you can't drive without your DL." I left the station with the ticket she gave me. On the ticket she spelled my Last name and she didn't check the box that said she took my DL as for a security deposit.
If they have that as an option on a citation, then I suppose your state permits the seizure of a license in lieu of bail. Interesting.

May some one tell if I am able to dispute this and how?
Of course you can dispute it. Is there a court date on the citation? If not, then you might want to contact the court and find out how you do this. You may also want to check with an attorney to see what options you might have.

Read the specific section you were cited for and see if it is worth contesting. If there is a distance to the sound, then it may well be that the officer heard the music at a distance greater than lawfully allowed. Knowing that might help you decide what options are most viable - contest it, seek traffic school (if available), etc.

- Carl
 
Thank you so much for you response Carl.

The ticket was issued to me in the state of Mississippi in a tiny little town call Sunflower. Maybe about 100 people live there if that. It's really a one-horse-town. You have to go to the next town 15 minutes away just to go food shopping and other things of that nature.

The office didn't write what code the violation fell under. All she wrote on the ticket was "loud music" next to the box where it said other.

Well, I believe she was taking advantage of me because she knew I was from out of town. She only asked me to follower her back to the station to try to get me to pay her $350 on the spot. On the back of the ticket it clearly states I am not to pay in officer of the law or the officer who wrote the ticket. Plus when I went in the station with her she had it locked up because she was the only officer on duty that night. So, there was nobody there to see her take money for a ticket she had wrote. I also found out that the officer who pulled me over just made chief but only because the chief before her just retired and she was next in line. Only when I told her that I couldn't pay her the money, she threaten to take my DL or put me in jail if I didn't pay her. So, I let her keep my DL and told her I was going to dispute it.

I think she knew what she was doing was illegal and that's why she told me I could dispute it.

I have court date on Monday, Dec 17th at 1pm.
 
Thank you so much for you response Carl.

The ticket was issued to me in the state of Mississippi in a tiny little town call Sunflower. Maybe about 100 people live there if that. It's really a one-horse-town. You have to go to the next town 15 minutes away just to go food shopping and other things of that nature.

The office didn't write what code the violation fell under. All she wrote on the ticket was "loud music" next to the box where it said other.

Well, I believe she was taking advantage of me because she knew I was from out of town. She only asked me to follower her back to the station to try to get me to pay her $350 on the spot. On the back of the ticket it clearly states I am not to pay in officer of the law or the officer who wrote the ticket. Plus when I went in the station with her she had it locked up because she was the only officer on duty that night. So, there was nobody there to see her take money for a ticket she had wrote. I also found out that the officer who pulled me over just made chief but only because the chief before her just retired and she was next in line. Only when I told her that I couldn't pay her the money, she threaten to take my DL or put me in jail if I didn't pay her. So, I let her keep my DL and told her I was going to dispute it.

I think she knew what she was doing was illegal and that's why she told me I could dispute it.

I have court date on Monday, Dec 17th at 1pm.

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Here's the proof that it works:

http://ticketslayer.com/testimonial.htm
 
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How do I dispute an improper lane change ticket?

i was driveing one night around 11:30 p.m. on a two lane residential road when I noticed a car following me for about a mile. i was curious of who it might be because there were no other cars on the road. i proceeded to turn off to another road. As soon as i turned on another road, the other car turned as well as turned on his police lights. I proceeded to stop my car and the police approached me making reference to how nice my car was and how bad he wanted one. I thought that this was strange behavior by a cop. After I asked him why he stopped me, he said he said he stopped me because I was driving to close to the center line of the two lane road. I asked him if i crossed the lane , he said no but you were driving to close. He then asked me to get out of the car and proceeded to give me a series of field sobriety test. Of course, i passed each one of them. He then informed that since he could not give me a DUI he was going to write me a ticket for improper lane change. Is it possible to have improper lane change on a two lane road? If so can i get a ticket for not even crossing the the center lane according to the police officer? This took place in Alabama.
 
This is a thread that is more than one year old. Please start a new thread of your own.

Regards,

- Carl
 
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