I don't want to repeat a long story but I got a ticket for loud music down in Wildwood. Read the whole story here: http://www.acura-tl.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/008193.html
I am planning to go to court to fight this ticket next week. How do I go about it? I have never been in court to fight anything so I need your help. What do I do, should I bring anything, what do I need, etc..???? Any help would be appreciated.

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Binh

 

u will talk to the prosecutor. tell him/her to amend the charges. usually they do.
if there is any point associated with it they will remove the points but make u pay bit more.

If you don't want to pay at all, then. Start reading some articles on the web. i.e. how to get away with tix on court or something. j/k.

 

Don't know about your situation. But whenever I get a speeding ticket, I hire a lawyer. Usually runs about $100 dollars. He/She goes to the courtroom and basically argues until the cop and the judge get tired and dismiss the case. It is a good deal for a speeding ticket to keep it off your driving record.

 

you cant argue until they give up. life is not a disney movie

how many driving tickets do you have blackshadow? if its your first one, im nearly positive theyll let you go. you pay some pocket change.

i just got back from one of those ticket fighters. doesnt look good for me. oh well

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Didn't you say that there were a lot of other cars around? You couls say you weren't there before and didn't know. You could try to say that it wasn't you, that your stereo was not working or something. You know, like the cop heard someone else but pulled you over instead. Say something about your other ticket for the "blue" lights, and that you feel that is why he pulled you over. I would claim that my stereo was not working or something like that. Good luck. I would definately fight it. How old are you? I mean, could you get away with saying that it wasn't your type of thing to do (i.e. "kids")?

Lastly, how loud was your car, really? Did the cop hear it 'cuz the windows were down, or was it REALLY loud? Sound noise level is a discretionary thing, he used his judgement and NOT any equipment. You could argue that it was not really loud at all.

good luck

 

I just thuoght of something else. You could have a shop say that your stereo was "under construction" at the time, and that there was no way it could have been that loud (like the amps were not all connected or something). Isn't Steetz near you? Maybe his Shop could help you out, maybe not. Just an idea.

 

Blackshadow,

I don't see how they can give you a ticket for being too loud when there is no definition of "too loud". There are no signs posted warning that music louder than 'X'-dbs is illegal. There was no measuring equipment used by the cop to show you "the quantity of loud" you were over the norm. Were there signs posted about loud music?

This would seem to fall under a "reasonable" clause somewhere. How reasonable is loud? I do not think that it can be defined.

This seems to me like something you can get out of. I would try the meek, sorrowful approach. The "I can't believe that was too loud", and "I had no idea that I was too loud" routine. You might get off. I'm sure that they have more inportant things to do than harrass loud cars.

They guy was a jerk for not just telling you to turn it down....

:-jon




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tlwiz has some good points. In addition to what tlwiz said, I would also consider, how your wife doesn't like the radio loud (maybe she's pregnant) and you didn't do it. there was too many cars and it's possible that the cop may have mistaken my car for someone else's. (bring someone else's car). With your stock system it couln't blast that loud EVEN IF YOU TRIED... Besides, they may think that the stock system is too loud to be heard 3 blocks away.

 

I never realized this until i got my TL, fight speeding tickets at all cost! It'll save you insurance down the road and spare you some points just in case you get caught again (knock on wood). Its SO easy to speed driving our TL's without noticing it. Well, good luck and hope you win the case. Let us know how it went

 

LOL good one slick

No seriously go to court talk to the prosecutor and point out what John(Oblio) stated. Good Luck Binh!

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I don't think "I didn't know" or "it's my first time here"...etc. can get you off the hook.

Try not to argue, but ask them the how loud is that. And then try to explain that you weren't that loud after all...

Good Luck!!!

 

Thanks for all your help guys. Keep the suggestions coming, I need them. I will let you guys know how it goes next week.

 

The only problem I see with TLWIZ's idea about your radio was not working, is I bet they would ask you why you didn't point that out to the cop at the time.



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Not true! I got passed by a flying elephant with a feather in his mouth yesterday. And the day before, I watched a dog kick a winning field goal for the local high school game. But I digress.....

Actually a LAWYER can argue until "they give up"? It is done all the time. I have never heard of anyone getting a ticket for their radio being to loud, but I am sure that a lawyer will be able to get him out of it.

 

Binh, say you have FACTORY system. & your wife is pregnant or somehting, so you WOULD NEVER do such a thing.

You don't like this one??

BDIMC, I am serious, i wasn't kidding. THis may work. Who knows maybe his wife is pregnant.

 

I take it you're not from Jersey. It happens here all the time. Especially around here in Northern NJ. I never heard of anyone beating that ticket.

 

no they dont post X db is illegal.. but they ahve noise ordinances unfortunately

 

I hate NJ.... Sorry bro, can't help ya..
Ed

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The part that pissed me off was the fact that it was during the middle of the afternoon. I would have understand if I was blasting my system in the middle of the night but during the afternoon, give me a freaking break. Every car was blasting their system also. I wonder how many people I will see in court to fight the same ticket. I hate Jersey cops!

FYI James, my wife is NOT pregnant so stop jinxing me.

 

Iight Binh, my bad . I thought you guys went down to Wildwood for a purpose
j/k

 

Always a comedian.
BTW, how was the Poconos?

 

What is the language of the statute or code that he cited you for?

 

The Statute/Ord. No. is LO. 315-93: Loud music/sound in/on public property, street, boardwalk, building or motor vehicle for $150.00.

BTW, do I need to hire a lawyer or can I just argue this myself???

 

This is where it helps to know some1 or know some1 thru some1. Ask some of your friends if they have friends in the legal system in your area who mite be able to help you or give you advice on how to beat the rap. We have a cirlce of friends that work in diff occupations. One as you probably guessied already is a lawyer. Sometimes you'll be surprised as to what a round of drinks can get you!!

 

Off the top of my head, I would argue that the statute is vague on its face, ambiguous, and overbroad.

The statute does not warn you what "loud music" means, so how can it expect you to curb your behavior? Loud in an apartment could be different that loud in your car. Loud during the daytime could be different than loud during the night. Loud on a commercial street could be different that loud in a residential neighborhood. "Loud music" can mean too many different things to different people in different situations.

Also, it is overbroad. Assuming you didn't leave anything out of it, according to the statute, you can't play loud music ever! Did the legislators intend to ban loud music altogether, or did they word the statute the way that it is so that its police force could selectively enforce the statute?

If the prosecutor/cop/judge tries to argue that it is unsafe to play music loud while you are driving, argue that apparently is not the purpose of the statute in question since it equally applies to streets, buildings, etc. It is a nuisance statute, and in the context in which you were playing your stereo, i.e., in your car, in motion, during the daytime, on the street in a commercial district, you were not being a nuisance or creating a disturbance. Therefore, in the context of the statute, you were not playing your music
loud. The cop was just picking on you because you were driving a fancy car.

Good luck.

 

When I had my Talon (155.8db stereo) I was pulled over at a public beach even though the radio was off from the time I entered the park, the cop said he heard me before I turned in. He said that if he ever hears my radio again he will take my car away. What a d!ck!! I immediately went down to the police station and talked to a sargeant(sp?) there and told him what the cop said and he said "he was just trying to scare you, it's a $10 ticket if he actually decides to do anything about it". $150 seems REALLY crazy for having the radio up. Maybe there's a huge difference between states/cities, but I would check into making sure that the ticket you were given isn't "cruel and unusual".

Maybe the cop was having a bad day and you can settle it with a phone call... worth a shot????

 

try keep changing your court date if you can, i hear that if the cop doesn't show, you win by default.

 

I called and they set my court date for June 27, 2001 at 7 pm. Hope the cop don't show up. I will let you guys know how it turns out. Any more suggestions is welcomed.