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Fighting a Traffic Ticket in Court - UPDATE: I WON!!!!!!!!!!!

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billf:

--- Quote from: danny_galaga on January 11, 2008, 12:44:59 am ---
--- Quote from: Jdurg on January 10, 2008, 11:50:41 am ---

What you guys aren't understanding is the traffic light itself is located in the intersection.  Here in the state of CT, the intersection is defined as the area where two or more roads meet and the intersection itself is the space beyond the white stop line which is present on each road.  At EVERY stop light and stop sign there is a white line in the pavement.  It is required by LAW to be there.  You MUST stop before this white line.  If you progress pass this white line, by the law of the land you are IN THE INTERSECTION.

At this intersection that I am being ticketed for, the white line that denotes the start of the intersection is about ten yards BEFORE the traffic light.  They can't errect a pole in the middle of Route 1 for the traffic light.  So the light that is applicable to the road I was travelling on is located in the middle of the divider that separates northbound and southbound.  I was past the line and should have typed "light" in my initial post.  Sorry about that. 

But this isn't a case where the traffic light is directly above where the stop line is placed.  At this intersection they can't physically place it there.

--- End quote ---

i've tried, how i've tried to interpret this in any other way:


--- Quote from: Jdurg on January 09, 2008, 07:21:57 am ---Okay, last night I got screwed by an overzealous police officer.  I was passing through an intersection when the light turned red as my car was directly underneath it.
--- End quote ---

but i just can't seem to read it in any other way than - YOU RAN A RED LIGHT
go on. when you go to court, tell the judge or magistrate or whatever exactly what you've said here. as soon as you've finished that sentence they will say 'thank you for the confession, here's your fine'...

--- End quote ---

His claim is he was already in the intersection when the light turned red.  Do you suggest he come to a complete stop in the intersection, thus causing an unsafe situation?  Not sure how it works in Aussieland, but in the U.S. if you are in the intersection when the light turns red, you can safely and cautiously proceed through it so you don't cause a worse situation.  This is also the reason for the "all red" status of traffic signals at intersections.  A typical all "red status" is 2 to 3 seconds which allows for the intersection to clear of cars.

patrickl:

--- Quote from: billf on January 11, 2008, 01:02:54 am ---His claim is he was already in the intersection when the light turned red.  Do you suggest he come to a complete stop in the intersection, thus causing an unsafe situation?
--- End quote ---
The question is if he could have stopped on yellow before he entered the intersection. His description of the event tells me he must have had ample time to stop before the intersection. Or indeed the yellow period must have been so incredibly short that you cannot make it across the intersection during this period.

danny_galaga:

--- Quote from: billf on January 11, 2008, 01:02:54 am ---
--- Quote from: danny_galaga on January 11, 2008, 12:44:59 am ---
--- Quote from: Jdurg on January 10, 2008, 11:50:41 am ---

What you guys aren't understanding is the traffic light itself is located in the intersection.  Here in the state of CT, the intersection is defined as the area where two or more roads meet and the intersection itself is the space beyond the white stop line which is present on each road.  At EVERY stop light and stop sign there is a white line in the pavement.  It is required by LAW to be there.  You MUST stop before this white line.  If you progress pass this white line, by the law of the land you are IN THE INTERSECTION.

At this intersection that I am being ticketed for, the white line that denotes the start of the intersection is about ten yards BEFORE the traffic light.  They can't errect a pole in the middle of Route 1 for the traffic light.  So the light that is applicable to the road I was travelling on is located in the middle of the divider that separates northbound and southbound.  I was past the line and should have typed "light" in my initial post.  Sorry about that. 

But this isn't a case where the traffic light is directly above where the stop line is placed.  At this intersection they can't physically place it there.

--- End quote ---

i've tried, how i've tried to interpret this in any other way:


--- Quote from: Jdurg on January 09, 2008, 07:21:57 am ---Okay, last night I got screwed by an overzealous police officer.  I was passing through an intersection when the light turned red as my car was directly underneath it.
--- End quote ---

but i just can't seem to read it in any other way than - YOU RAN A RED LIGHT
go on. when you go to court, tell the judge or magistrate or whatever exactly what you've said here. as soon as you've finished that sentence they will say 'thank you for the confession, here's your fine'...

--- End quote ---

His claim is he was already in the intersection when the light turned red.  Do you suggest he come to a complete stop in the intersection, thus causing an unsafe situation?  Not sure how it works in Aussieland, but in the U.S. if you are in the intersection when the light turns red, you can safely and cautiously proceed through it so you don't cause a worse situation.  This is also the reason for the "all red" status of traffic signals at intersections.  A typical all "red status" is 2 to 3 seconds which allows for the intersection to clear of cars.

--- End quote ---

my bad. in aussieland, many intersections have two sets of lights. one set right on each opposing stop line. i was picturing him passing the closest set when it turned red, which would mean he was passing over the stop line when it did. now i think about it, you mercans tend to have huge intersections with one set of lights just hanging in the middle. i remember the first time i noticed it was because i subconsciously gauged the distance via the stop lights and nearly ended up stopping IN the intersection (lights are that much further away) i see what you mean now. just like jdurg typed in the post i sarcastically quoted  :-[

AcidArmitage:
this ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- happened to me 30 minutes ago and it pissed me off so much i wanna take it to court, too...  :censored:

shardian:

--- Quote from: danny_galaga on January 11, 2008, 06:47:00 am ---
my bad. in aussieland, many intersections have two sets of lights. one set right on each opposing stop line. i was picturing him passing the closest set when it turned red, which would mean he was passing over the stop line when it did. now i think about it, you mercans tend to have huge intersections with one set of lights just hanging in the middle. i remember the first time i noticed it was because i subconsciously gauged the distance via the stop lights and nearly ended up stopping IN the intersection (lights are that much further away) i see what you mean now. just like jdurg typed in the post i sarcastically quoted  :-[

--- End quote ---

My one and only wreck was at an intersection in which the light was on the other side of the intersection, about 50 feet from the stop point. I slammed a  car coming off of the interstate exit. I realized what I did, apologized to the elderly couple, told the cop straight up it was red. No bitching, no arguing about the placement or anything. The cop commended my honesty and decided not to cite me for anything, the other driver never sued me for anything, and my insurance company decided not to penalize me. I was a lucky sumbitch that day...except for I've had non-stop irritating back pain since then of course. ;D

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