Ticket for fail tu use turn signal: what to do

Pay the ticket. You wouldn't win in court.. your word.. his word.. but I'd go a step further. ASSUMING you're 100% sure you did use your blinker, I'd file a complaint on the cop. I would emphasize this fact when filing, as it would be a waste of time otherwise. If nobody every says anything, they get away with it. If he starts to get a few complaints, over time, it'll damage his rep.

I had a cop who had it in for me once, because I got out of a jam, and he didn't like that.. the last time he "tried" to give me a ticket, I flat out told him I would drive to the cop shop and file a report on him.

Also had a cop who accused me of doing 40 over, when I was doing 20 over. When we got to court, and he realized that I had a friend on the force, that his name would get tarnished, that he would be building a bad rep, that HE would never get a favor thrown his way by coworkers, low and behold, he withdrew the ticket outright. I wasn't "jo blow" anymore.

It's about the fine money Vs your time. You're not getting out of this cheaply no matter what.

1. Cheapest route: pay the fine and move on. (the way the system is rigged)

2. Not as cheap route: pay the fine and ask for court supervision (some extra $$ added to your fine). Your record is wiped clean after 90 days as long as you do not get another moving violation. A clean record helps keep your insurance rates down. This is the payback for spending some extra $$ for asking for court supervision.

3. Not cheap at all route: Hire a lawyer. A good lawyer will tell you to go for options 1 or 2 and save the money you would spend on him.

Good luck.

Roishe Cheng said:

Just don't tell the prosecutor that you're "sure" you used it -- that leaves a percentage of doubt in their mind.

Just defer the appearance multiple times. I've deferred tickets up to 18 months, that when I got to court and the officer was there, he didn't have those notes, so the case was dismissed.

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Yeah, slant the truth and waste everyone's time and money playing games. And they say personal responsibility is dead .......

scooperhsd said:

If they gave tickets for that here in NC, half the drivers on the road would have a ticket.

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The everyone was breaking the law argument ..... yeah that is a winner

CourierGuy said:

Pay the ticket. You wouldn't win in court.. your word.. his word.. but I'd go a step further. ASSUMING you're 100% sure you did use your blinker, I'd file a complaint on the cop. I would emphasize this fact when filing, as it would be a waste of time otherwise. If nobody every says anything, they get away with it. If he starts to get a few complaints, over time, it'll damage his rep.

I had a cop who had it in for me once, because I got out of a jam, and he didn't like that.. the last time he "tried" to give me a ticket, I flat out told him I would drive to the cop shop and file a report on him.

Also had a cop who accused me of doing 40 over, when I was doing 20 over. When we got to court, and he realized that I had a friend on the force, that his name would get tarnished, that he would be building a bad rep, that HE would never get a favor thrown his way by coworkers, low and behold, he withdrew the ticket outright. I wasn't "jo blow" anymore.

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Pay the ticket is the correct advise. The other nonsense you posted may get you charged (at least in Ohio) with False allegation of Peace Officer Misconduct which is a first degree misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in County Jail and/or a $1,000 fine. That is a popular charge in a local Municipality close to where I live.

As shocking as it may be to some of you to consider, if you did it or are not sure you didn't do it, just pay the dang ticket. It is called giving to Caesar what is Caesar's ....... Here is an instructional video to explain the frustration you will save yourself and how this thread has managed 3 pages:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk7fYBw6PfQ

My main point is that some cops are the a hole type. If they've done it to you, they've done it to others. If nobody says anything, they'll keep doing it and get away with it.

If I didn't do something, and get accused of it, watch out. I won't take it sitting down.

Up to OP what he wants to do, after he pays the ticket.

CourierGuy said:

Pay the ticket. You wouldn't win in court.. your word.. his word.. but I'd go a step further. ASSUMING you're 100% sure you did use your blinker, I'd file a complaint on the cop. I would emphasize this fact when filing, as it would be a waste of time otherwise. If nobody every says anything, they get away with it. If he starts to get a few complaints, over time, it'll damage his rep.

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Please do file a complaint and sign your name stating you used your license and the officer is a liar. Ensure your name is signed. Becuase if the officer has dash cam and the lack of signal is recorded you just committed a felony by giving false statements. Trying to lie to damage a persons repution is slanderous and officers are now beginning to civilly sue for damages.

I had a cop who had it in for me once, because I got out of a jam, and he didn't like that.. the last time he "tried" to give me a ticket, I flat out told him I would drive to the cop shop and file a report on him.

Also had a cop who accused me of doing 40 over, when I was doing 20 over. When we got to court, and he realized that I had a friend on the force, that his name would get tarnished, that he would be building a bad rep, that HE would never get a favor thrown his way by coworkers, low and behold, he withdrew the ticket outright. I wasn't "jo blow" anymore.

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Sounds like you need to check your driving habits.

My driving habits are just fine. Now. For the past decade and change. My early 20s were a different story.

Look Up The Violation...

I don't know about IL but in CA there are two sections officers can use for the violation of failing to signal when changing lines. One mentions a failure to signal when changing lanes and a vehicle is close enough to pose a threat the other requires using the turn signal whenever changing lanes/turning whether or not a vehicle is near.

I would look up the violation section and read it. Sometimes the officers may not know all the "intricacies" and "finer points" of the laws they are enforcing. No fault of theirs really since there are literally hundreds if not thousands of "laws on the books".

Cleenlivin said:

I don't know about IL but in CA there are two sections officers can use for the violation of failing to signal when changing lines. One mentions a failure to signal when changing lanes and a vehicle is close enough to pose a threat the other requires using the turn signal whenever changing lanes/turning whether or not a vehicle is near.

I would look up the violation section and read it. Sometimes the officers may not know all the "intricacies" and "finer points" of the laws they are enforcing. No fault of theirs really since there are literally hundreds if not thousands of "laws on the books".

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Good idea here. You never know what you can find out with a little bit of research. I know of a large contraband seizure that was flushed because the initial traffic stop was flawed- the suspect was pulled over after failing to signal when returning to the travel lane from the shoulder after letting a car pass. Consented to the search, and the rest was history. Only problem was that he wasn't required to signal- something discovered by a good defense attorney. The locality kept the seized cocaine, but the driver walked out a free man.

I successfully challenged a ticket I received after getting stopped coming home from work. I was cited for 10 over the limit. That seemed odd to me, as I'm not one to speed often, but it didn't really pop out in my mind until I went to work the next day and noticed that the city had zoned the road for 35 mph in one direction and 45mph in the other. Somebody in traffic engineering made an oops. The information was brought to light, and the citation was dismissed.

To the OP, I guess my point here is that only you know what the best course of action is. If you truly feel like you're getting the pointy end of the stick, by all means fight the citation. I would too. But if you know you were caught fair and square, and you're thinking about resorting to lying or trickery to skate on something you did, then...well, you know what the right answer is.

Not a bash, just my honest two cents. Take them for what they're worth.

As we don't know what county the ticket was issued (they all have various fees and surcharges attached to the tickets) the numbers are speculative cost options:

1. Pay the fine and move on: ~$125 to ~$175

2. Pay the fine and get court supervision: ~$250 to ~$350

3. Stand your ground and hire a lawyer to get the ticket dismissed: ~$500 to $1500.

What's NOT going to happen: Get the ticket dismissed without the help of a lawyer or avoiding a trial.

If the lawyer fails to get the ticket dismissed (not guilty verdict) usually the judge is annoyed enough that this time-wasting trivial silliness (typical judges' attitude) wasn't worked out with the state's attorney's office for the county to avoid a trial and will levy a larger fine and deny court supervision. If one wants to see how the system works, go to traffic court before your first appearance date and watch & learn. Watch how judges treat people who FEEL or THINK they were innocent and do not hire a lawyer. How unfair one FEELS or THINKS the ticket was only annoys the judge. I stress 'feel' and 'think' because judges base their ruling on facts, legal technicalities, and law, not emotion. People who think they can win on emotion lose fast & hard.

I used to get a lot of well deserved tickets when I was young & stupid. Now it's just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Good luck.

I got a ticket for not following fall...

First available legal lane.

Made a right, and worked my way into the left side of the doubles... I think she was raggin'.... Aunt flo was in town...

Sent from my rooted HTC Supersonic using Tapatalk 2 Pro

BKmetz said:

,,,,,,
3. Stand your ground and hire a lawyer to get the ticket dismissed: ~$500 to $1500.

What's NOT going to happen: Get the ticket dismissed without the help of a lawyer or avoiding a trial........

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Here is a free consult

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSqo1w9TNsU

john.jackson9213 said:

Just a small point: The ticket was likely for failure to signal a lane change, not failure to use a blinker. You can still use hand signals. Even at night. Cop probably never looked for a hand signal. And maybe, just maybe you had to use a hand signal because the blinker was out?? Who knows, right. Certainly not the cop.

I have been driving a long time and got a few tickets I don't think I earned. But, if I got a ticket every time I did something wrong, boy would I be in trouble!! So I just don't worry about it and try to learn something from it.

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I've used hand signals in front of a cop at night. Can't remember exactly what the problem was, but I was shocked he didn't pull me over.

supton said:

I'd view it as a tax and probably would pay, assuming no points on the license / no impact on insurance. Your words against his, and he'll simply win in court.

I'd call the insurance company; odds are they'll let it slide, under the notion that even good people make a mistake, and not using a blinker is pretty low on the list of biggies.

I'd probably frame the ticket, actually. Blinker non-usage is a pet peeve, and the notion that a ticket was actually given would shock me!

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I got a failure to stop at traffic light. It went yellow almost right before crossed the line, but went red really fast. Cop was on the oncoming side of the light.
Anyways got the ticket. Told him it was easier for me to go on through vs lock up brakes, which is very true in a heavy truck.
Showed up to court (young nice looking lady judge ?) was going to ask for deferred payment, but she said if I could pay by the end of week it'll be cheaper than a deferred payment. Might have dropped it by $50 or so.
Also didn't affect my insurance (allstate) actually went down a dollar or two.
Failure to signal is a pet peeve of mine also. I mean if you're in the middle of nowhere and no other traffic around, I could care less. But if you decide to make an abrupt stop and turn in the middle of a two lane road, you will get hit. Again....

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BKmetz said:

I used to get a lot of well deserved tickets when I was young & stupid. Now it's just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Good luck.

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I have a stack of those.. well deserved.. wayyy too many to admit publicly.

Past decade and change, just like you, and well said, wrong place - wrong time. I'll remember this one

As its been said, it's all about money. The police have a huge incentive to go after what makes them money. Tickets, drug cases, asset forfeitures, etc. The "justice" system couldn't be named anything further from what it really is. People complaining about tickets, look at everything else the government does. Don't get me started, I could write about 10 pages on that right now. Lol

2011tdiproject said:

As its been said, it's all about money. The police have a huge incentive to go after what makes them money. Tickets, drug cases, asset forfeitures, etc. The "justice" system couldn't be named anything further from what it really is. People complaining about tickets, look at everything else the government does. Don't get me started, I could write about 10 pages on that right now. Lol

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And most of that would contain popular misconceptions like those within your above post. The Justice system (and the government) is made up by people like yourself. If you think there is something wrong with it, maybe that is where you should focus 10 pages writing about .........

There are bad apples everywhere. And in the police "circuit", there are power trippers. I've met some. A friend of mine is a cop, and boy, does he have stories to tell me

thebigarniedog said:

And most of that would contain popular misconceptions like those within your above post. The Justice system (and the government) is made up by people like yourself. If you think there is something wrong with it, maybe that is where you should focus 10 pages writing about .........

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The government is most definitely not made up of people like me. It is made up of people, but not people like me. Just to clarify that.

Yes, I could write 10 pages off the top of my head about everything going wrong with government, and everything that has led to that in the last 100 or so years. I have done this before, and passed that essay around to groups of people I know for conversation, to get people talking and thinking.

You may not realize that when I say something like that, it comes from a background of knowledge, not a desire to argue with You.

The reason I said that is to keep it all in context. For example, using a little knowledge about the DEA and asset forfeiture as a reference, what do you think is going to typically happen contesting a ticket? I've only done that once in my life, figured I'd roll the dice and see. Well, guess what, the cop lied and they doubled the price of my ticket. 28 in a 30 school zone. When he pulled me over, he looked me right in the eyes and acknowledged there weren't kids present, and said we'd let the judge interpret it. The sign said "when children are present", but there weren't any kids out on the street. Then he lied in court and said there were kids out. So they could get my $120 or whatever it was. That's just a microcosm of how the system they've set up works.

Misconceptions. Look up how the federal reserve banking system was implemented. It's not even constitutional. The treasury is supposed to issue currency, not a private corporate bank. Why do I mention that? It's not a conspiracy. The relevance is that institution is right at the top, the pinnacle of government, and it's not even legitimate. Misconceptions, you start investigating from the top down and tell me how much faith you have left in the system.

A cop once lied in court on my situation. Clocked me in an 90kph zone, wrote me up for in the 70kph zone that was after the 90. I passed one car... Next thing I know, before hitting the 70 zone.. A 2nd sets of lights? Not good. He was in a private residence's driveway, lights off, ladar gun out. He clocked me passing a turtle driver.

That's the recorded speed he used. Not my cruising speed after. Or before. A speed that would not of warranted a ticket.

My word against his. I'm 19. On my motorcycle. Not a chance in hell.

Yeah, some cops really have that "us against them" or "them against us" mentality, some don't. I used to know a few guys in law enforcement who were genuinely good people. But it is really difficult to deal with a guy who just wants to "get you" or "bust" you. Some cops really enjoy that, and they'll break the law to do it too. But I can't say I hate all cops, I really don't. My problem is a lot more with the way the system is set up. It encourages a certain attitude, to be a certain way, and that attracts a certain kind of people. I think your best chance is when you get pulled over, not in traffic court, then it's too late. I always look the officer right in the eye, behave confidently, friendly, sure of myself, crack a couple jokes if I can. Hell, out of the previous 7 times or so I've been pulled over, I haven't gotten a ticket. First time getting pulled over in my tdi I did though. Usually I admit that I was speeding, or at least that I wasn't paying enough attention, and then say something like, "well, if you could write it down for a little less than it was I'd sure appreciate it, I'm not rich!"

But in America, it also helps to be a clean cut slim 6' tall well dressed white guy in his early 30s...I can only imagine how it would be if I were black. Seriously. Also, I read a statistic that more people have been killed by the police in America since 9/11 than American soldiers have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. It doesn't take more than a second to find hours of footage of trigger happy police killing unarmed, non threatening people on youtube. The total disregard for human life shown by so many of those videos is absolutely sickening. And the militarization of the police is making this worse. That flat out needs to stop. Anyway, I've said way too much in this thread, this isn't a political forum!

And.... another one for the unhinged list.

Bill

40X40 said:

And.... another one for the unhinged list.

Bill

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Sadly that would be in the plural and is a testament to our fabulous education system and the current narcissistic culture that forms, coddles and promotes this type of thinking. I enjoyed the post where the dude believes the government/cops are not made up of people ..... must be full of aliens I suppose.

This thread has run it's course. Merry Christmas.