Help me fight a ticket?

Are you planning a more severe infraction?

Oh wait, I guess that was a stupid question!

It's called "Nolo contendere", or "nolo" for short.

It essentially means "I'll pay the fine, and not contend it", and it DOES NOT go on your record as a guilty plea (nor innocent). That means it can keep your record clean for points or insurance reasons.

I'm not familiar with only being able to plead nolo every so often, nor the ins and outs of posturing yourself in order to save your nolo pleas for the ones that really count. Can't help you there.

Sounds like you beat the points. It will impact you insurance a bit, but the bright side is that you still have your nolo in case you should by chance face an arson, conspiracy, wreckless driving or drunk and disorderly conduct charge.

poopshovel wrote: ... Pretty sure the judge and I were the only ones wearing shirts that had buttons...

On one hand , that kinda of behavior really bothers me. It is one of the basic priciples of our free and democratic society. A right garunteed to you by the blood and sweat of heros over the last 233 years. I don't care if you hate the cop, hate the judge and hate your mother. Show some respect for the process.

But my more slefish side loves those folks, becuase every single time I have been to court for the last 20 years, they just make me look that much better. Back in my Georgia days, even for the most minor traffic infractions, I would choose to go to court, and plead guilty just like you. With few exceptions, the judge would commute the fine and all I paid was court costs. All for putting on a shirt without a funny phrase, a tie and belt and saying "Yes Sir" like my parents taught me.

they just make me look that much better.

yup.

I have gotten out of two speeding tickets - not really gotten out of, but I had both of them reduced to non points non moving violations.

Both times I arrived early to court and asked to speak to the prosecutor and told them that I would like to get these reduced. The first time I told the prosecutor that I was going to plead not guilty and take my chances in a trial. The 2nd time, I took had my 1 year old daughter with me, and the guy spent more time talking to me about her then about my ticket. The first time was in municipal court, the second time was at mayors court (which was surprisingly was not presided over by the city's mayor).

I still paid fines, but the offenses were reduced to something with the severity of driving with a headlight out. $50 and court costs (another $50).