Do I need a lawyer? (ticket)
11-04-2001, 09:47 AM
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Do I need a lawyer? (ticket)
Hey guys,
The other day I was visiting a friend of mine and got a parking ticket. I know, parking ticket is kind of lame to be discussing but hear me out
The ticket was written at 3:40AM or so, and apparently this city (Cleveland Heights) has a law about no street parking anywhere between 3-6AM. Now, when I went to go park at my friend's house, there were signs on the one side of the street saying no parking this side, and the other side of the street was free of any signs, so I parked there. Don't they have to post a sign saying I'm not allowed to park between those hours? Apparently there is a very small sign proclaiming this law as you enter the city on one road, but I came into the city on another road that has no such sign. Is it reasonable for them to expect me to know all the little parking laws of my surrounding communities?
So, the following day I went to city hall to get a court date to contest the ticket. Nov 29th, 8:30AM.... Afterwards, I was informed by someone else who had been though this that I shouldn't have contested the ticket. The fine was only $6 if I paid in 72 hours, but if I go to court and they dismiss the case I have to pay $30 in court costs! In other cities when I have had cases dismissed for moving violations, you didn't have to pay anything! So they get your money either way, especially if you put up a fight! Are they allowed to do this? The only way I don't pay is if they find me not guilty. What incentive does the judge have to do this? If the cop doesn't show, do they just dismiss the case? The other issue is, they're not even sure who issued my ticket because he had scribbled his name on the ticket. They came out and told me they weren't sure who to subpoena.
On a side note, this other guy there had a 3-6AM ticket with a time on it of 2:58... it's like the cops aren't even trying anymore
I know this seems like an awful lot of trouble for a $6 parking ticket, but I'm sick of cities around me using tickets as a source of revenue. I'm not going to pay their parking tax.
The other day I was visiting a friend of mine and got a parking ticket. I know, parking ticket is kind of lame to be discussing but hear me out
The ticket was written at 3:40AM or so, and apparently this city (Cleveland Heights) has a law about no street parking anywhere between 3-6AM. Now, when I went to go park at my friend's house, there were signs on the one side of the street saying no parking this side, and the other side of the street was free of any signs, so I parked there. Don't they have to post a sign saying I'm not allowed to park between those hours? Apparently there is a very small sign proclaiming this law as you enter the city on one road, but I came into the city on another road that has no such sign. Is it reasonable for them to expect me to know all the little parking laws of my surrounding communities?So, the following day I went to city hall to get a court date to contest the ticket. Nov 29th, 8:30AM.... Afterwards, I was informed by someone else who had been though this that I shouldn't have contested the ticket. The fine was only $6 if I paid in 72 hours, but if I go to court and they dismiss the case I have to pay $30 in court costs! In other cities when I have had cases dismissed for moving violations, you didn't have to pay anything! So they get your money either way, especially if you put up a fight! Are they allowed to do this? The only way I don't pay is if they find me not guilty. What incentive does the judge have to do this? If the cop doesn't show, do they just dismiss the case? The other issue is, they're not even sure who issued my ticket because he had scribbled his name on the ticket. They came out and told me they weren't sure who to subpoena.
On a side note, this other guy there had a 3-6AM ticket with a time on it of 2:58... it's like the cops aren't even trying anymore
I know this seems like an awful lot of trouble for a $6 parking ticket, but I'm sick of cities around me using tickets as a source of revenue. I'm not going to pay their parking tax.
11-04-2001, 10:35 AM
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Stage 1 Audi S5
I know it really sucks to get a ticket you dont deserve, i got one for no seat belt and i was wearing one but would you really go to the trouble and expense to get a lawyer for a six dollar ticket
11-04-2001, 11:09 AM
#3
Suzuka Master
No effense, but six dollars???? Worth it just to pay it off and not get aggravated any more than you already are.
My neck of woods would have cost you over $30 for a ticket.
Now that you have a court date, good luck!!
My neck of woods would have cost you over $30 for a ticket.
Now that you have a court date, good luck!!
11-04-2001, 11:56 AM
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Maybe you guys don't have a town like Cleveland Heights in your area. They are notorious for passing out tickets for any violation you can think of. They have an enourmous collection of "traffic bureau" cops in addition to the normal ones who just scour the town looking for someone going 2mph over. On one given evening my friends and I going to get food counted over 17 crusiers just parked at various points along the road waiting to get someone! They have the most reported speed traps on speedtrap.org of any town in Ohio. My boss recently got a ticket for going thru a stop sign. The sign was placed directly behind two large illuminated highway entrance signs and is not visible at all. There is no stop sign on that same road coming from the opposite direction - why would they do that? A co-worker of mine recently got a ticket in cleveland heights for going 35 in a 25, which is easy to do since they change speed limits every other block there for what seems like no reason. He got out of it citing some ohio traffic law that says you can't change the speed limit more than X number of times on a section of road of a certain length.
I'm just sick of them blatently using tickets as a source of revenue, and am sick of tip-toeing around town every time I need to go buy groceries (they have the two closest stores, one of the only reasons I ever enter cleveland heights). I'm sick of going out of my way to drive around cleveland heights whenever I need to go east of where I live. I know none of these are going to change, but I would like to see what happens if I fight my ticket. I wouldn't go through getting a lawyer, but I would like to know if they can charge me court costs if the case is dismissed. I haven't found about that in my searches through the ohio revised code.
Am I the only one who thinks local municipalities shouldn't be allowed to bully drivers?
I'm just sick of them blatently using tickets as a source of revenue, and am sick of tip-toeing around town every time I need to go buy groceries (they have the two closest stores, one of the only reasons I ever enter cleveland heights). I'm sick of going out of my way to drive around cleveland heights whenever I need to go east of where I live. I know none of these are going to change, but I would like to see what happens if I fight my ticket. I wouldn't go through getting a lawyer, but I would like to know if they can charge me court costs if the case is dismissed. I haven't found about that in my searches through the ohio revised code.
Am I the only one who thinks local municipalities shouldn't be allowed to bully drivers?
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