Speeding Ticket cleck tells me i may or may not have a warrant for my arrest

[orac_zen]

I received a speeding ticket 4 days ago. I look up the fine online today and see I owe $183. "What the fuck? I was doing 9mph over the speed limit! Really that's an entire months worth of groceries! I remember getting a ticket in Czech republic for speeding and paying it on the spot for like $10 USD.

Ok now that I have vented a bit I see that I don't have the money to pay it in my account currently and I don't get paid till the 14th next month. I call the clerk to get an extension and she says she can extend it 3 days and I may or may not have a warrant issued for my arrest 3 days before I get paid. Guess I will be hiding for 3 days.

 

[Blind Owl]

I received a speeding ticket 4 days ago. I look up the fine online today and see I owe $183. "What the fuck? I was doing 9mph over the speed limit! Really that's an entire months worth of groceries! I remember getting a ticket in Czech republic for speeding and paying it on the spot for like $10 USD.

Ok now that I have vented a bit I see that I don't have the money to pay it in my account currently and I don't get paid till the 14th next month. I call the clerk to get an extension and she says she can extend it 3 days and I may or may not have a warrant issued for my arrest 3 days before I get paid. Guess I will be hiding for 3 days.

Jesus, you get arrested in the US of A for unpaid speeding tickets?
In Canada they just charge you interest, and won't let you renew your registration until you pay the fines.

That's fucked man.

 

[Grimbli]

Jesus, you get arrested in the US of A for unpaid speeding tickets?
In Canada they just charge you interest, and won't let you renew your registration until you pay the fines.

That's fucked man.

Welcome to the home of the brave and land of the free-ish.

 

[Blind Owl]

Welcome to the home of the brave and land of the free-ish.

Hahaha, indeed.

 

[Grimbli]

Hahaha, indeed.

I'm so close to saying "fuck it" and moving to Germany.

 

[orac_zen]

Yeah they may issue a warrant, if they do then that will just be another $200 or so to pay it off on top of the $183. Or if I get pulled over while the warrant is out then I go to jail and sit in jail to pay off the $383 for a few weeks. It the most fucked up system I have ever seen. Wouldn't it be easier to just charge a decent rate for tickets under $100 instead of put people in jail in order for them to pay off a traffic ticket.

 

[Blind Owl]

I'm so close to saying "fuck it" and moving to Germany.

Hahaha, move to Canada. ;)

Yeah they may issue a warrant, if they do then that will just be another $200 or so to pay it off on top of the $183. Or if I get pulled over while the warrant is out then I go to jail and sit in jail to pay off the $383 for a few weeks. It the most fucked up system I have ever seen. Wouldn't it be easier to just charge a decent rate for tickets under $100 instead of put people in jail in order for them to pay off a traffic ticket.

Dude that's all sorts of fucked.

 

[Beerjerker]

That's how they support a bloated municipal gov't without taxing you into oblivion. A parking ticket on the street outside my place will run you around $120. City life is losing it's charm fast for me.

 

[Bruttle]

I would be extremely surprised if they issued a warrant so close to the issue date. Never assume the clerk you spoke with actually knows the law. If I have any legal questions regarding traffic laws, I usually contact the state patrol in the area. They require a much higher level of education than the local police (usually college degree vs. GED).

That being said, every county I have ever heard of allows for payment plans. They can make the payments pretty small as well. So you shouldn't have to give up your grocery money. That being said, if you miss a payment and they feel like being a d!ck, they can issue a warrant for non-payment.

Like I was saying earlier, they tend to not issue bench warrants quickly unless there is another reason to do so (like suspected activity). The prison/jail system is far too overcrowded here in the states. To be on the safe side though, I would try to set up a payment plan. Make sure to emphasize your financial difficulties and express an earnest desire to pay the ticket off. They will usually hook you up with something you can work with.

 

[Thugari]

I thought you had 30 days to pay it?

 

[CosmicTrader]

Hahaha, move to Canada. ;)

Yeah, move to Canada.

 

[orac_zen]

me too. but the clerk said I have till the 9th with the 3 days extension. I thought they could give you a 30 day extension instead of a 3 days one as well. Maybe it is just a stupid clerk. She did say she would put a note saying I would pay on the 14th. I even told said in the phone call "so I may or may not be arrested on the 10th thru the 13th". she said that it probably would not go a warrant but it could. I replied "so do I need to come in and talk to a judge?" She said "no". the level of incompetence is just astonishing to me and no wonder people end up in jail sitting out a traffic ticket. Think I will just drive extra careful for a few days.

 

[Grimbli]

I once went to renew my license. The woman told me I had to go home and get these other two documents. I went back and got a different one right next to the other and she said, "Oh you don't need all this, here, I'll get it sorted out."

The death stare I gave that other bitch...

Most people working in any government capacity know nothing about their jobs.

 

[Phantomoftruth]

Where the hell are you located, Orac? that's some draconian-level of fuckery.

 

[RipVanDan]

I once went to renew my license. The woman told me I had to go home and get these other two documents. I went back and got a different one right next to the other and she said, "Oh you don't need all this, here, I'll get it sorted out."

The death stare I gave that other bitch...

Most people working in any government capacity know nothing about their jobs.

Been there done that. And that story didn't even include the 45 minutes waiting in line each time.

 

[Malvariuz]

I received a speeding ticket 4 days ago. I look up the fine online today and see I owe $183. "What the fuck? I was doing 9mph over the speed limit! Really that's an entire months worth of groceries! I remember getting a ticket in Czech republic for speeding and paying it on the spot for like $10 USD.

Ok now that I have vented a bit I see that I don't have the money to pay it in my account currently and I don't get paid till the 14th next month. I call the clerk to get an extension and she says she can extend it 3 days and I may or may not have a warrant issued for my arrest 3 days before I get paid. Guess I will be hiding for 3 days.

lol, this user is currently offline hiding.

 

[orac_zen]

East Texas.

 

[orac_zen]

lol, this user is currently offline hiding.

but yet I just posted?

 

[Bigcracker]

I received a speeding ticket 4 days ago. I look up the fine online today and see I owe $183. "What the fuck? I was doing 9mph over the speed limit! Really that's an entire months worth of groceries! I remember getting a ticket in Czech republic for speeding and paying it on the spot for like $10 USD.

Ok now that I have vented a bit I see that I don't have the money to pay it in my account currently and I don't get paid till the 14th next month. I call the clerk to get an extension and she says she can extend it 3 days and I may or may not have a warrant issued for my arrest 3 days before I get paid. Guess I will be hiding for 3 days.

Clerk is most likely on a power trip. If you go down to the court and speak in front of a judge you can set up a payment arrangement or even get it lowered if the judge feels that need for it to be. Do you live in a small town by chance?

 

[orac_zen]

a town of like 100,000. I am from a small town of 3,000 so I don't consider 100,000 to be a small town.