Legal advice needed

[CharlesAFerg]

I got pulled over today by some fatass in a suburban for my license plate (front is german) I got a 100$ ticket ?!? wtf.

What can I do to help this go away/be cheaper? Also, does this raise my insurance or anything for this ********?

THanks guys
-Andrew

[SnakeyesTx]

You know, I don't really see what the hell the big deal is about having a look-a-like plate as long as the numbers match the state plate on the back. Some states don't even require a front plate (mine does, but I know of some that don't). Maybe you could plead the numbers matching and maybe show them that you do possess the correct front one as well. Worse comes to worse you might have to put it in the front windshield if you really wanna leave the current one up front. Most laws read "must have visible front license plate" but don't specify where. A lot of kids get away with sticking them in the windshield on the dash.

[Eric Clark]

Does you state require a front plate? If not I do not see what the problem is. If it does $100 and no points seems fair for being in the wrong.

[KenB]

Legal advice*: pay the ticket.

If your state requires a front plate (state issued) as many do, you are not likely to get around it by fighting it in court. By not using the proper plate, you are asking to get stopped. Of course, if you think the law is stupid you have the right to go to court to argue your view, but it won't change the law and you'll pay a bigger fine for using the court's time.

I got stopped in a drunk driver checkpoint last year and with nothing else to charge me with, they issued me a ticket for not having my signature on the back of my driver's license. I just paid the fine of $55, as assinine as I thought it was. It just wasn't worth further aggravation.

There are NO points on a non-moving violation. It will NOT raise your insurance rates.

If your state does not require a front plate, they may allow a "decorative" plate (fight cancer or your favorite team) but not allow a numbered plate such as yours, which might be construed as misidentification.

New Jersey requires a front plate and I know of a couple people that use a "decorative" european type plate on their vehicle. Their local police may ignore it but at some point, a state police officer may take issue with it so I wouldn't use one since I don't like to give any of them a reason to stop me.

*Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer and offer this information only as a reference to my own experience dealing with such issues. Your results may vary.:)

[brosher]

Put the real front plate on or move to a state that doesn't require one. Why give the police an excuse to pull you over at will?

If you really want to get it reduced you can go to the court with a correct front plate and tell them you were wrong, but have corrected the vehicle. Just don't be out in the parking lot switching back to your other wanna-be plate later.

[Jehu]

nearly each time I've gone to the hearing to challenge a fine it has either been dismissed or reduced.I would go for the hearing with the Magistrate. Plead youthful ignorance and show a picture of the car with the correct plate and apologies. If they still find you responsible and don't reduce the fine politely ask if they would.If they refuse, and you can spare another few hours of the morning in court go for the judge. At least that's how it worked in Mass when i lived there . You send in the ticket checked off you want a hearing, go for the hearing before the magistrate, if they find you responsible you can appeal it to a Judge. I went for that every time but one , when the magistrate said I'd have to pay $20 for an appeal. I thought that sounded strange because I'd been in several different courts and never been told i had to pay for Justice. I thought we paid for Judges by our taxes .Anyway Judges have more often dismissed or reduced the fine than not from me experience.You've got nothing but a few hours in court to lose.

[mikell]

Don't know where you live, but in my neck of the woods, showing up with a receipt for new plates ("the other front plate was lost") and acting contrite will likely get you off without more. Just showing up with a photo of a legal plate fastened safely and legally on your car might also work - don't know. But, if you mouthed off to the cop, you're dead meat.

[632 Regal]

you got the ticket, might as well go enjoy the show.

I always go to court, almost 90% of the time I get reduced or dismissed.

[mikell]

Hmmm - not my idea of entertainment, but it is sometimes quite the freak show.

[billb]

...allowing vintage/antique cars to run a historical plate as long as they carry the correct one with the vehicle. Thus, I run my 1929 NC tag on the car, and carry the modern Horseless Carriage tag under the seat. Had a few interesting looks from LE officers, but no one has challenged me on it yet.

Here's a fun profile shot...mine's the fourth radiator down.
http://www.tarwheela.com/gallery/funpics/slides/IMG_0976.JPG

[theonlyrealperson]

First things first - the disclaimer. I am NOT a lawyer and I am NOT giving legal advice. (I have to do that, or else I get in trouble and I will never be a lawyer ;) )

If your state doesn't require front plates:
If you have nothing else to do, go ahead and and go into court with a pic of the state-issued license plate or with it off. Plead ignorance and apologize - you may get a sympathetic judge who'll reduce it and let you off. (They have lots of other fish to fry - the 21 year olds with multiple DUI's in two months, for instance.) It's a crap-shoot, no garaunteed results. The rule was broken, all you can hope for is lienence.

If your state does require front plates:
Just pay the ticket. Your odds go way down if a pseudo-plate is on rather than the real one.

Having wrong plates isn't technically a moving violation, so your insurance company doesn't care. Your rates will stay the same.

[Chris'91'525i]

In California it's just a "fix it ticket" for no Ft. plate. No fines, just go to the issuing agency or CHP office with the correction fixed and it's signed off.
At least it was about 10 years ago, anyone know if this is still true ?
In Calif. it's probably illegal to have false plates on the car. Never could figure out why people would have a phony foreign plate on their car.

[PaulJ]

...allowing vintage/antique cars to run a historical plate as long as they carry the correct one with the vehicle. Thus, I run my 1929 NC tag on the car, and carry the modern Horseless Carriage tag under the seat. Had a few interesting looks from LE officers, but no one has challenged me on it yet.

Here's a fun profile shot...mine's the fourth radiator down.
http://www.tarwheela.com/gallery/funpics/slides/IMG_0976.JPG
But North Carolina doesn't require/issue a front license plate which is what he's talking about here.

Paul

[Eric Clark]

My uncle in NC drives an old 74 VW with PA historic tags on it. He has not lived in PA for over 15 years now. When a cop stops him he tells them he uses the car for work and takes it to PA once a month. He has yet to have a cop issue him a ticket.

Last year I was driving down route 24 in NC heading to I40 and the car in front of me turned 90* and started driving through a farmers field.

I now wonder about that state...

[trumpetr]

I got pulled over today by some fatass in a suburban for my license plate (front is german) I got a 100$ ticket ?!? wtf.

What can I do to help this go away/be cheaper? Also, does this raise my insurance or anything for this ********?

THanks guys
-Andrew

Did this happen down where you live,,or in WA? Been thinking of getting a german plate for my front, but,, hmm,,,,,,

[billb]

But North Carolina doesn't require/issue a front license plate which is what he's talking about here.

Paul
I was just making an observation of all the weird laws across our states. NC seems about the most lax.

And Eric, I agree, I've seen some pretty weird stuff on the road here.