20 replies to this topic

[Copaman]

Long story short I've been given two tickets, one for a "disorderly house" (loud music, large amounts of people) and underage drinking.

HOWEVER

The cop spelled my name wrong, and put a wrong address on the ticket for my home. My SS number and Driver's License number are correct however.

Can I dodge these charges by saying it isn't actually me that the ticket was issued to? (name/address being wrong)

I'm not *terribly* concerned about it, from what I've heard 1st offence punishments are remedial in nature. The only thing that I'm truly concerned about is driver's license suspension.

Would appreciate any help I can get.


==

Also, just the more reason that I support lowering the drinking age. I'm responsible enough to vote, kill people for our country if called upon, and I'm considered an adult, but god forbid I'm caught after having a few beers -- instant criminal status...

[duke_Qa]

Hah, you zilly Americuns with your fundamentalist drinking ages!

If you were worried about losing your license I'd probably prostrate myself and make as little trouble as possible. Unless its already set in stone, in which case, make hell. That's my general philosophy on law at least.

Beyond that, don't listen to Scandinavian aid for American problems

[Elvenlord]

Yeah, you're pretty much screwed. Making trouble will likely increase your suspension, so I wouldn't recommend it.

[Copaman]

It isn't set in stone until I have a hearing, which I most likely will, in order to try at the alternate punishment.

The cops didn't tell us anything... just where to go within 10 days else there will be a warrant out for our arrest. They were complete tools about it.

[Elvenlord]

Good luck then.

[Phil]

I'm quite sure the misspelling of your name and address won't help you in the slightest. As long as they can find and identify you, you'll have to deal with it. Even though Hollywood wants to make you believe that law is just hairsplitting, the system is smarter than that

Usually when the facts are obvious it makes most sense to go the "I'm so terribly sorry, it will never happen again"-route. Especially if you're young and this is your first offence. Make the justice system think you have learned your lesson already so they feel their goal has been achieved. Certainly do not be a smartass and risk pissing people off.

Also, the disorderly house thing is certainly not worth more than a small fine, is it?

[Pasidon]

Apologizing is your solution? He won't get Dark Side points for that route.

They can vomit wax on your ticket for all you're concerned, Copa... as long as they have your license plate number, you're easier to track than a Spanish flag ship in the middle of a Christmas ham. But I've had about 8 crimes in which they told me to go to some court hearing or pay something... I have yet to pay my fines or go to a court hearing. Well... I went to my illegal firework usage hearing only to find the court they told me to go to was being fumigated and closed for a week... I never did hear anything else from that case. Long live my greatest firework creation... Queen Andrea's Vengeance. Over 50 bottle rockets and 27 ounces of black Remington gunpowder... but let's move on from that note.

[Vortigern]

Why does underage drinking get you a driving ban? Unless you were drink-driving, in which case you have only yourself to blame and should accept the consequences of your actions. Ha, just kidding, go early to the courthouse or wherever for your hearing and plant a bomb, then they'll forget all about it. Nothing like a bit of domestic terrorism to make everyone reconsider their priorities.

[Elvenlord]

It's like you want him to never see the light of day again

[Beowulf]

Shut up, pay the fines and everyone's happy (except you). Seriously. The city just wants its money.

[Pasidon]

Pay? That's the chump's way out. It ain't easy bein' sleazy.

[Beowulf]

In this case, the chump's way out is the easiest. There's less hassle and the city won't bitch later on.

[Ash]

Lol, I've dished tickets with incorrect name-spelling before. It won't matter worth a shit in Court. And here's why:

Magistrate: "Officer, do you see and recognise the individual to whom you issued the ticket in the Court here today?"
PC: "Yes, Your Worship."
Magistrate: "Can you identify that individual to the Court, please, Officer?"
PC: "Certainly." *Points to YOU*.

OK, I imagine it's a local judge rather than a magistrate/Justice of the Peace in the States but the principle is the same. All they'd do is call the copper in and you'd be kippered.

I also don't see how you'd lose your driving licence for underage drinking unless you were drink-driving. If you were, in fact, drink-driving, you deserve all you get, you c**t.

Tickets can be resolved without a courtroom appearance, as I understand it. In fact, that's the whole damn point of tickets. Maybe that's how it works in my country: Cops dish tickets because it's a shitton less paperwork (and less stressful, and an altogether easier and more painless means of disposal for all parties concerned in the process, including the Sus/Def) than putting you before a court. And in all actuality it becomes almost a matter of 'selling' the ticket to someone (especially someone who's adamant that they didn't do whatever it is you ticketed them for, when in all actuality they did and are trying to make you doubt yourself); a Court can impose a greater penalty than the ticket gives, so it becomes worth their while to just pay up and be done with it, rather than go before a Court and most likely lose. That is definitely true of the States than it is here. Fact.

So either, what he's done is report you on summons rather than dish a ticket (the UK doesn't even have a "Disorderly household" law...all we'd do is go around and issue words of advice which, if not adhered to, would lead to Breach of the Peace lockups. And we don't have underage drinking laws - it's an offence to purchase alcohol if U18 or FOR U18s unless >12 with a meal, or for home consumption, or to serve to U18s but it is not an offence to drink it!), or your country has one fucked up way of processing crims from the police side.

Bottom line: Pay the fucking fine, you goober. You'll get off easier than trying to contest it, at which point you'll be hammered for other stuff.

[Pasidon]

That would make sense if we lived in Harry Potter Land. Neh... people don't seem to support thug life anymore these days, so this really don't surprise.

[Beowulf]

That would make sense if we lived in Harry Potter Land. Neh... people don't seem to support thug life anymore these days, so this really don't surprise.

[Phil]

I second that picture...

[Pasidon]

Word.

[Copaman]

So, I'm gonna fess up to the underage drinking ticket because I can get it wiped from my record faster as a first offence and alternate punishment option and blah blah blah.

The lot of us are going to hire a lawyer to fight Disorderly House for a number of reasons; mostly, because it stays on your record and it's extra BS I don't need.

For those of you across the pond wondering why the hell my license is getting suspended, your guess is as good as mine. From what I've read on the interwebs, in the eye of the Law, if you lack the responsibility to not drink under the age of 21, you lack the responsibility to drive as well. Which is bullshit; following that logic, I lack the responsibility to be called into the armed forces should there be a draft and I lack the responsibility to vote for my elected officials as well ... I probably lack the requisite responsibility to be a legal adult as well, not to mention the responsibility to purchase tobacco for myself (and thereby potentially others). America's legal system is a funky, fucked up place sometimes.

[duke_Qa]

Sounds reasonable enough, but I dunno how you can convince a judge that it was not a disorderly house if the cops gave you that. But I guess that is the lawyer's job.

[Pasidon]

Copa, you're just one radical opinion away from making this topic go into Think Tank...

Screw it, I'm'ah got opinion too. America's history has deep ties with alcohol that never turn out well. Hinting to the prohibition in the early 20th century and the dead amendment that made alcohol illegal to the modern days where millions of meat-bags cause drunken crimes far to often... it only makes sense to make drinking as late as possible in a grasshopper's life. The prisons are already over-booked...