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I'm going to more or less copy my tales of woe from early 2010 straight out of my LiveJournal, since nobody reads that anymore and I think its been long enough since the events contained have passed. Identifying details changed to exploit the guilty as usual. Bold headings identify the two separate entries I made at the time regarding the events. Dates mentioned are of course 2010.
Do I look like a bitch?
... Then why is the (my city) court and clerk trying to f*** me like one?
Ok, here's the timeline of events:
January: I get two tickets. First one speeding and insurance, second one speeding only. Same cop.
February 25: I go to city court on the first ticket. Judge J asks first about the insurance. I ask for a continuance and it is granted. Then he asks about the speeding. I admit, and he assigns me to city traffic school. Upon completion of traffic school, the speeding count is to be dismissed.
March 11: I go to city court on the second ticket. Clerk of the court catches me in the hallway before court starts (during check-in), offers me traffic school. I mention the other ticket, and she says yes I can still do traffic school, and yes I can use one traffic school to count for both tickets. I tell her my traffic school date and it is noted on my file for the second ticket.
March 13: I go to traffic school. Sign in, pay my $100, sit through the three hour class.
April 15: I go to city court on the continuance of the insurance count from the first ticket. I provide my insurance card to the court, and Judge J says count two is dismissed.
April 21: I receive two notices from the BMV, dated April 16, that my license has been suspended.
April 22: I call the city court. Their automated system says to inquire about a license suspension, press two to be transferred to the city clerk's office. I press two. I provide clerk employee with case number and details. It is clear to me over the phone that no effort is made to pull or read my file. Clerk employee says that I need to come down and get paperwork from the city to take to the BMV to lift the suspension.
Later April 22: I go to the court office. They send me to the clerk. I go to the clerk's office. Despite their posted closing time for Thursdays being 4:30, and it only being around 4:15, their windows are all closed and employees are already starting to go home. One employee tells me as she is leaving that I should come back next day, and sometimes there is an order in the file that needs to be taken care of.
April 23: I return to the clerk's office in the morning. Clerk employee pulls files from both tickets. Shows me file for first ticket. It was stamped failure to appear. Tells me she doesn't understand how my April 15th court date could have proceeded, as there was nothing in my file to indicate to the judge any prior actions. Also shows me file for the second ticket. It was as it was when I appeared to court, just didn't have noted that I had completed traffic school. Clerk advises me to find my traffic school receipt and bring to the court to resolve the second ticket. Tells me all they can do about the first one is accept payment of $470, which includes fines, court costs, and late fees, or I can take it up with the court if I disagree. I didn't at this time have time to go home, get my traffic school receipt, come back, and deal with the court office before work, so the matter is still to be continued. I plan to deal with the court Monday.
At this time I have a theory. Some of the dates I remember the clerk's office mentioning just didn't make sense. I wonder if the first ticket didn't somehow go in the system twice. I can't find my copy of the original ticket, think I gave it to the court during check in. I just remember the dates not lining up right. She said the FTA, for which the charges matched the first ticket, was for a March court date. Something isn't right here.
My Good Name Restored
Ok, so here's what happened following my last entry:
April 26: I go to the clerk's office again around 1:30 pm, as they open at 12:30 pm on night court days. Despite being the only person at the counter at first, and several employees having made eye contact with me, and even one guy walking right past me (twice), it was a good ten minutes before I was helped. Finally I'm helped by the same lady who helped me on the 23rd. I ask that both files in question be pulled for me to view. She grumpily complies, and a few minutes later she comes back with the files. I ask to see the original ticket on the file marked FTA. Indeed it is the same ticket I appeared for February 25th and April 15th. I produce the traffic school receipt and ask to be credited for the other file. Clerk emploee points out that the cause number on the traffic school receipt doesn't match the cause number of the second file. I point out that the traffic school dates indeed do match, and reminded her that the court offered me the opportunity to satisfy both cases with one traffic school. She says that should be sufficient to satisfy the file, but I would have to talk to the court to get proper credit. Ok, no big deal, I'll do that. Lets go back to that cause number on the traffic school receipt though. It's different from the cause number on the FTA case. Looks like my theory might be true. I tell this to the lady, and she immediately goes to pull the file of the cause number on the traffic school receipt. BAM! Instant change in attitude! I found it quite amusing actually. First, another clerk employee comes over and cheerfully tells me the first employee has my file and will be back with me in a few minutes. Soon thereafter, the lady who was helping me came completely out of their office, asked me to follow her, and was rather polite and so happy she could hardly contain herself--in fact she ended up dropping my files on the ground in the stairwell because she was excited and didn't want to wait at the counter and explain everything to me. In the stairwell, she tells me I was right, shows me the identical original tickets, and tells me she is going to personally explain the situation to the court employees. I follow her up to the court office barely even pausing at the metal detector (she told the bailiff on duty at the metal detector that I was with her). She has me wait in the court's reception area as she goes on into the court's office, and I watch her talk to the same lady who I talked to about traffic school. About five minutes later, she comes out. She returns my traffic school receipt and notice of suspension to me and tells me that the court agrees to fix this right away. The judge was not in for the day yet, but I was informed that an order of dismissal for the FTA case would go before the judge at court that night (I wouldn't be required to appear). I could pick up my order to lift suspension the following day.
April 27: I go straight from work to City Hall. I make it there about 5:02. Remember how I said the clerk doesn't open til 12:30 on days when there is night court? That's true, but I'm not sure why because they still close to the public at 5pm. WTF? Not very happy, I turn around and leave.
April 28: I arrive at the clerk's office again in the middle of the day, although this is a day that they open in the morning. There is a line. I wait in it. Clerk's employees are working slowly as usual. When I got there I didn't see the lady who had helped me my previous two visits. The girl who did help me this time must have been a trainee or something. She was young (and kinda cute) and asked one of the other workers if she could pull the files I asked her to pull. While she was gone, the lady who helped me the previous two days came in. (I guess she was at lunch.) She smiled and waved at me, then smalltalked with me briefly on her way to the restroom. I asked her if I should expect to have to pay the BMV for the reinstatement. She said I shouldn't have to. Soon after, the younger girl comes back. She assures me that all counts on all three of the files are dismissed, and tells me to wait one more minute for my order to lift the suspension. One of the other workers comes with the order, explaining its already been faxed to the BMV main office, but if I want my suspension lifted immediately I can take it to the city BMV branch, which is also a reinstatement center. I head there, sign in, wait in line, give the clerk my license and my order, wait some more, give another clerk my license, and I'm assured my driving privileges are now valid. Yay.
So there ya have it. My theory was correct, my record is now clear. Every charge in city was dismissed entirely, not just satisfied but dismissed. The suspension was lifted, and as an added bonus upon checking my BMV records I see I'm at zero points because a previous BMV traffic school credited me for more points than my last speeding ticket prior to now, all previous speeding tickets have rolled off my license, and it seems (another town) never reported that Driving While Suspended from July '08 to the BMV at all. My record, for once, is about as clear as it can get.
Do I look like a bitch?
... Then why is the (my city) court and clerk trying to f*** me like one?
Ok, here's the timeline of events:
January: I get two tickets. First one speeding and insurance, second one speeding only. Same cop.
February 25: I go to city court on the first ticket. Judge J asks first about the insurance. I ask for a continuance and it is granted. Then he asks about the speeding. I admit, and he assigns me to city traffic school. Upon completion of traffic school, the speeding count is to be dismissed.
March 11: I go to city court on the second ticket. Clerk of the court catches me in the hallway before court starts (during check-in), offers me traffic school. I mention the other ticket, and she says yes I can still do traffic school, and yes I can use one traffic school to count for both tickets. I tell her my traffic school date and it is noted on my file for the second ticket.
March 13: I go to traffic school. Sign in, pay my $100, sit through the three hour class.
April 15: I go to city court on the continuance of the insurance count from the first ticket. I provide my insurance card to the court, and Judge J says count two is dismissed.
April 21: I receive two notices from the BMV, dated April 16, that my license has been suspended.
April 22: I call the city court. Their automated system says to inquire about a license suspension, press two to be transferred to the city clerk's office. I press two. I provide clerk employee with case number and details. It is clear to me over the phone that no effort is made to pull or read my file. Clerk employee says that I need to come down and get paperwork from the city to take to the BMV to lift the suspension.
Later April 22: I go to the court office. They send me to the clerk. I go to the clerk's office. Despite their posted closing time for Thursdays being 4:30, and it only being around 4:15, their windows are all closed and employees are already starting to go home. One employee tells me as she is leaving that I should come back next day, and sometimes there is an order in the file that needs to be taken care of.
April 23: I return to the clerk's office in the morning. Clerk employee pulls files from both tickets. Shows me file for first ticket. It was stamped failure to appear. Tells me she doesn't understand how my April 15th court date could have proceeded, as there was nothing in my file to indicate to the judge any prior actions. Also shows me file for the second ticket. It was as it was when I appeared to court, just didn't have noted that I had completed traffic school. Clerk advises me to find my traffic school receipt and bring to the court to resolve the second ticket. Tells me all they can do about the first one is accept payment of $470, which includes fines, court costs, and late fees, or I can take it up with the court if I disagree. I didn't at this time have time to go home, get my traffic school receipt, come back, and deal with the court office before work, so the matter is still to be continued. I plan to deal with the court Monday.
At this time I have a theory. Some of the dates I remember the clerk's office mentioning just didn't make sense. I wonder if the first ticket didn't somehow go in the system twice. I can't find my copy of the original ticket, think I gave it to the court during check in. I just remember the dates not lining up right. She said the FTA, for which the charges matched the first ticket, was for a March court date. Something isn't right here.
My Good Name Restored
Ok, so here's what happened following my last entry:
April 26: I go to the clerk's office again around 1:30 pm, as they open at 12:30 pm on night court days. Despite being the only person at the counter at first, and several employees having made eye contact with me, and even one guy walking right past me (twice), it was a good ten minutes before I was helped. Finally I'm helped by the same lady who helped me on the 23rd. I ask that both files in question be pulled for me to view. She grumpily complies, and a few minutes later she comes back with the files. I ask to see the original ticket on the file marked FTA. Indeed it is the same ticket I appeared for February 25th and April 15th. I produce the traffic school receipt and ask to be credited for the other file. Clerk emploee points out that the cause number on the traffic school receipt doesn't match the cause number of the second file. I point out that the traffic school dates indeed do match, and reminded her that the court offered me the opportunity to satisfy both cases with one traffic school. She says that should be sufficient to satisfy the file, but I would have to talk to the court to get proper credit. Ok, no big deal, I'll do that. Lets go back to that cause number on the traffic school receipt though. It's different from the cause number on the FTA case. Looks like my theory might be true. I tell this to the lady, and she immediately goes to pull the file of the cause number on the traffic school receipt. BAM! Instant change in attitude! I found it quite amusing actually. First, another clerk employee comes over and cheerfully tells me the first employee has my file and will be back with me in a few minutes. Soon thereafter, the lady who was helping me came completely out of their office, asked me to follow her, and was rather polite and so happy she could hardly contain herself--in fact she ended up dropping my files on the ground in the stairwell because she was excited and didn't want to wait at the counter and explain everything to me. In the stairwell, she tells me I was right, shows me the identical original tickets, and tells me she is going to personally explain the situation to the court employees. I follow her up to the court office barely even pausing at the metal detector (she told the bailiff on duty at the metal detector that I was with her). She has me wait in the court's reception area as she goes on into the court's office, and I watch her talk to the same lady who I talked to about traffic school. About five minutes later, she comes out. She returns my traffic school receipt and notice of suspension to me and tells me that the court agrees to fix this right away. The judge was not in for the day yet, but I was informed that an order of dismissal for the FTA case would go before the judge at court that night (I wouldn't be required to appear). I could pick up my order to lift suspension the following day.
April 27: I go straight from work to City Hall. I make it there about 5:02. Remember how I said the clerk doesn't open til 12:30 on days when there is night court? That's true, but I'm not sure why because they still close to the public at 5pm. WTF? Not very happy, I turn around and leave.
April 28: I arrive at the clerk's office again in the middle of the day, although this is a day that they open in the morning. There is a line. I wait in it. Clerk's employees are working slowly as usual. When I got there I didn't see the lady who had helped me my previous two visits. The girl who did help me this time must have been a trainee or something. She was young (and kinda cute) and asked one of the other workers if she could pull the files I asked her to pull. While she was gone, the lady who helped me the previous two days came in. (I guess she was at lunch.) She smiled and waved at me, then smalltalked with me briefly on her way to the restroom. I asked her if I should expect to have to pay the BMV for the reinstatement. She said I shouldn't have to. Soon after, the younger girl comes back. She assures me that all counts on all three of the files are dismissed, and tells me to wait one more minute for my order to lift the suspension. One of the other workers comes with the order, explaining its already been faxed to the BMV main office, but if I want my suspension lifted immediately I can take it to the city BMV branch, which is also a reinstatement center. I head there, sign in, wait in line, give the clerk my license and my order, wait some more, give another clerk my license, and I'm assured my driving privileges are now valid. Yay.
So there ya have it. My theory was correct, my record is now clear. Every charge in city was dismissed entirely, not just satisfied but dismissed. The suspension was lifted, and as an added bonus upon checking my BMV records I see I'm at zero points because a previous BMV traffic school credited me for more points than my last speeding ticket prior to now, all previous speeding tickets have rolled off my license, and it seems (another town) never reported that Driving While Suspended from July '08 to the BMV at all. My record, for once, is about as clear as it can get.