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So I got a ticket about 3 weeks ago on the way to work for speeding. State Police officer, a young guy, was pretty polite but my speed was high enough that I didn't have much chance of a warning. So, I got a ticket. No big deal. It was in the county where I live, and since I work an hour away from home, there's usually no chance of me making it to the courthouse. But, I took a few vacation days from work last week, so on Friday I went in to pay it. The "court appearance" date is today, December 5...so I only had a few days left to get it paid (I got the ticket on November 13, it seems like I've gotten more time than that in the past).
So, I hit up the ATM for some cash, go to the courthouse, find the clerk's office and show them my ticket. When she tried to look it up, she realized that the officer hadn't turned it in yet...4 days before the court appearance date. Great. So, she tells me I can call back the following week once he's turned it in to get the number that I would need to be able to pay it online. That works, because there's so way I can get there while I'm working.
I kinda forgot about calling yesterday since I was busy, so I just called today. The court appearance date written on the ticket said 4pm, so I figured I could get it paid in the morning before it became a big deal. I give the lady on the phone my name and DOB and all that...turns out it's still not in their system because he still hasn't turned them in. She had me give her the officer's ID number from the ticket (since his name was totally illegible), and after calling the prosecutor's office she said that there are apparently a bunch of tickets that this Officer Flores hasn't turned in yet. That part sucks, because if there are a bunch it seems to me that they will get ahold of him and let him know that he needs to turn them in today.
She said if he turns them in today, the prosecutor will give everyone an extension to get it paid so that people who can't get in and/or don't want to pay the EIGHT DOLLAR "convenience fee" for paying it online (scam) can have more than an hour or two to get the ticket paid. If he doesn't get it in by 4pm, according to her, it will be dropped and I won't have to pay it.
My question is this: shouldn't he have to turn them in BEFORE the date on the ticket (like, the day before at the latest)? Is the "deadline" for the ticket being filed (and charges being dropped if it isn't) actually the exact time on the ticket, or should the charges be dropped if he doesn't have it in by that day?
I would think that he shouldn't be allowed to wait until 5 minutes before the "court appearance" date/time to turn in a stack of tickets (and I doubt if anyone at the courthouse appreciates that too much, either). I just wonder if, technically, it's already too late since it's the day of the court appearance, the charges should already be dropped, and they are just acting like if they get it before 4:00 people still have to pay them, or if he really DOES have until the very last minute to get them in.
As far as him not getting it turned in on time, does that ever actually happen (especially with what is apparently several tickets), or will the prosecutor or clerk just call his superior and make sure that he gets the tickets turned in so they can get their money? I would think that if it was just one random ticket it might fall through the cracks, but a number of them won't fail to make it there. I just wonder if I should already be in the clear...Mark?
So, I hit up the ATM for some cash, go to the courthouse, find the clerk's office and show them my ticket. When she tried to look it up, she realized that the officer hadn't turned it in yet...4 days before the court appearance date. Great. So, she tells me I can call back the following week once he's turned it in to get the number that I would need to be able to pay it online. That works, because there's so way I can get there while I'm working.
I kinda forgot about calling yesterday since I was busy, so I just called today. The court appearance date written on the ticket said 4pm, so I figured I could get it paid in the morning before it became a big deal. I give the lady on the phone my name and DOB and all that...turns out it's still not in their system because he still hasn't turned them in. She had me give her the officer's ID number from the ticket (since his name was totally illegible), and after calling the prosecutor's office she said that there are apparently a bunch of tickets that this Officer Flores hasn't turned in yet. That part sucks, because if there are a bunch it seems to me that they will get ahold of him and let him know that he needs to turn them in today.
She said if he turns them in today, the prosecutor will give everyone an extension to get it paid so that people who can't get in and/or don't want to pay the EIGHT DOLLAR "convenience fee" for paying it online (scam) can have more than an hour or two to get the ticket paid. If he doesn't get it in by 4pm, according to her, it will be dropped and I won't have to pay it.
My question is this: shouldn't he have to turn them in BEFORE the date on the ticket (like, the day before at the latest)? Is the "deadline" for the ticket being filed (and charges being dropped if it isn't) actually the exact time on the ticket, or should the charges be dropped if he doesn't have it in by that day?
I would think that he shouldn't be allowed to wait until 5 minutes before the "court appearance" date/time to turn in a stack of tickets (and I doubt if anyone at the courthouse appreciates that too much, either). I just wonder if, technically, it's already too late since it's the day of the court appearance, the charges should already be dropped, and they are just acting like if they get it before 4:00 people still have to pay them, or if he really DOES have until the very last minute to get them in.
As far as him not getting it turned in on time, does that ever actually happen (especially with what is apparently several tickets), or will the prosecutor or clerk just call his superior and make sure that he gets the tickets turned in so they can get their money? I would think that if it was just one random ticket it might fall through the cracks, but a number of them won't fail to make it there. I just wonder if I should already be in the clear...Mark?
