I got a speeding ticket driving my father's car. Our names are the same except for our middle name, and the cop wrote my dad's name on the ticket since that's the name on the registration. Is this grounds for dismissal of the ticket?
by 
John Barnes
ANSWERS: 9
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A minor typographical error of that sort isn't usually grounds for dismissing a ticket. It doesn't put any facts of the case in dispute.
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The difference in a senior/junior situation would make no difference. your drivers license number is not the same as your dad's and believe me, the traffic court knows that!!
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No way........your drivers license numbers are different. you forgot that, didn't you?
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Did it ever occur to you that maybe the police officer was maybe trying to save you from the citation because of your age? or, maybe he was just trying to be in a "learning mode" for you? police officers most always have a reason for what they do. what are your dads comments? i'll bet there was an underlying reason for this incident.
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It's true most judges won't throw out a ticket for a minor tyopgraphical error, however what you COULD do is have your dad show up at court and plead innocent on the grounds that he was not driving your vehicle that day. I mean technically he is the one being charged with the crime, right? If it works, I wouldn't brag, because the officer could still write YOU a new ticket.
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If you're old enough to have a drivers license and using your father's car, then for heaven's sake start behaving as an adult and act like a MAN! Own up to your responsibilities!
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Just to clear everything up. This happened in 2005, and the case was dismissed. HOWEVER, the officer who wrote me the ticket forgot to show up to court. I wasn't told outright by the court that it would've been either dismissed or followed through if he had been there but after asking where the officer was and being told he wasn't showing up the judge dismissed my ticket. More than likely the above comments are correct: minor typographical errors like this probably wouldn't have gotten it dismissed, it was the officers absense. In reality your best bet for getting out of a ticket is getting your case continued. Just show up to court (before your court date) and ask for a continuence. It's what most lawyers will tell you they're doing with your case right off the bat when you hire them. It gives the officer involved more time to lose your ticket, forget details, and, as in this case, not even show up. Continue your case as much as possible. PS: if you find yourself in the above mentioned situation, in court with an absent cop, get creative! It's your word against no one's.
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It might not be grounds for dismissal, but in my household it certainly would have been grounds for grounding. : )
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Not unless your date of birth and drivers license are the same as your dads. This is just a typo the officer probably made off the registration slip. It can be corrected in traffic court and the citation is still valid. The Defensive Driving Course is your best choice to satisfy your citation.
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