Blackbriar2189

so... admittedly stupid as it was, i received a reckless driving ticket for doing a doughnut in an empty parking lot. the ticket reads... "driver accelerated at a high speed in the parking lot to where his tires lost traction." The cop caught the tail end of it, but he never questioned me about it, just wrote me the ticket.
My question to the forum: can this be fought in court?
Not to say a little white lie could help my situation, as long as the court can believe that i 'lost control' due to... accidental slippage of the foot or an ecu problem?
Please post if you feel you can help my situation.
-Blackbriar2189

mike[piston eater]

iTrader: (3)

not gonna happen

mike[piston eater]

iTrader: (3)

if you go to court though they can lower your fees

Hidef1080

I really don't think so...

The "I hit the gas when I was going for the brakes" might work. I've seen people use it before but I think you're going to have to pony-up on this one.

Good luck.

pistonkilla

idk sometimes you have to pay to play. literally in your case. good luck

rx8speeddmon

iTrader: (4)

Wow, sucks! Yep, your going to have to bite the bullet on this one.

Symbioticgenius

parking lot... oil spill. Cop only caught tail end of you saving the car... and stores, and wrote you a ticket.

you're welcome.

shazy

What he said.

pistonkilla

plausible, but still idk. worth a shot right?

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

If your driving record is important to you, consult a lawyer. The first office consolation is free. It will only cost you if you use him in court. He will let you know if your defense will hold up before the judge or not. Your insurance company will not look kindly on that kind of ticket. You need to at least get it reduced to a lesser offense.

Pico

iTrader: (2)

Don't think your going to get out of a ticket on with this one. Depending on your driving record in the past you may be able to get a reduction in points and pay the court cost. The bottom line is that it's your word against his whether in your eyes he did see the tail end. 9 out 10 times the judge will believe the officer. Try pleading guilty to a lesser offense. You broke the law and unfortunately you got caught, it sucks but the law is the law. Next time find another parking lot well out of site. Good Luck

JinDesu

iTrader: (2)

You don't have a ZR1.. the oil excuse may be the best possible excuse, but that's still a long shot. There's no reason why you really should have lost traction.

A lawyer is the best bet on this one..

Spinning Sushi

iTrader: (21)

Say that you're a beginner driver, it was your second time driving a stick car and you still haven't gotten the hang of it. You accidentally depress the clutch pedal too fast and it caused it to accelerate a bit fast causing you to lose traction in the rear.

Hidef1080

I like that one....

cyclone1208

iTrader: (5)

Just say your learning how to drive stick in an empty parking lot....let the clutch out too fast and gave too much gas therefore the tire skid and lost traction......this could actually work

Oooops didnt see Renesis's post.....

tubingchamp

iTrader: (3)

Just hit on the judge, it works every time.

bose

iTrader: (5)

Call a lawyer, it's your best bet. I don't know about your state, but reckless driving is a class b misdemeanor in Utah. And while I'm sure it doesn't happen often, you can get up to 90 days in jail and a 2500.00 dollar fine and lose your license for 6 months. Plus your insurance will make you pay.

The Drunk IT Guy

I'm no lawyer but it seems like you shouldn't get a ticket if it was a private parking lot..

zoom44

how much is the ticket?

RufusVonStorm

What kinda cop? City cop, sheriff, highway patrol?

Bike or patrol car?

Keep requesting extensions until you get out as far as you can from the ticket date.
Enter a not guilty plea.
Try to pick a time when you think the cop will be busy.
If cop doesn't show, case is dismissed, bail is returned.

ken-x8

I'm also not a lawyer, but that's the first thing that occurred to me.

Al's recommendation of consulting a lawyer makes a lot of sense...a lawyer would know.

IMHO, spinning a yarn about the ECU farting or not knowing how to drive a stick won't get anywhere. Telling the judge that you specifically went to an empty parking lot, because you'd never do something like that on on the street, might get some understanding. Although I'm not a judge, either.

Ken

StormyWankel

There's no such thing as a "private parking lot" persay... A parking lot at a public place (strip mall, hardware, what have you) is considered public domain and things such as speed limits (when posted) and stop signs are technically enforceable by municipal authorities (police). That being said, I agree with getting the judge to be lenient with you by admitting that your actions were dumb (let's face it, they kinda were) and that you were taking "precautions" by performing said actions in an empty parking lot. Was it dark out? Did you have your headlights on? If anything, you would be lucky to get this knocked down to a simple ordinance violation rather than a moving violation...thus no points on your license (think "fix-it" tickets). "Private" parking lots are usually reserved to private establishments (college campuses where only students/faculty are allowed to be, country clubs, private/gated communities) as these places normally have their own patrol and enforcement entity (rent-a-pigs). I doubt that any loss of control excuse would work because what were you doing there in the first place (assuming the establishments that use the parking lot were closed). Sticky situation, I wish you luck and am curious as to the outcome.

Credentials - Pre-law degree from Marquette University, soon attending Law School there (next year hopefully, finances allowing)

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

if its a private parking lot. like your friends parking lot, than the police officer doesnt have a right to give you a ticket. afaik.

if its a private parking lot, like 7-11s parking lot, where police are authorized to act as agents of 7-11, they do.

ken-x8

Probably depends on the state. When I lived in Massachusetts, an odd itemization in my insurance bill was a small amount that covered me when not on state highways. That referred to being in parking lots.

Of course, as you point out, the police are pretty likely to be allowed to enforce laws in such places. If it needs permission or request from the property owner, I can't imagine property owners not routinely giving such permission.

There's a private toll road near where I live. The road owners not only allow enforcement, but they pay the State Police to patrol it.

Ken

Bigbacon

iTrader: (4)

You took the chance doing something you were pretty sure was not the best thing to do and got caught....

spinning the tires is reckless driving in most if not all states no matter where you do it.