First Parking Ticket - is it even worth going to court? | GTAMotorcycle.com

First Parking Ticket - is it even worth going to court?

CFunk

CFunk

Well-known member
So a breakdown of what happened:

I rode over to a side street and saw some bikes lined up so, I automatically backed in directly beside one of the bikes, looking back at the bike beside me as I did so to gauge my position, hopped off, and walked east down the sidewalk to work. When I came back at the end of the day, I see a little yellow slip sticking out from my seat (I imagine if the other bikes were still there 3 hours after I parked, they got them too) and, after reading it, I turn around and see the hydrant not far to the west from me.

While I understand what I did was against the law, it was really unintentional. Is it worth my time to go to court over the $100 ticket and plead my case, or would it make little/no difference in the fine?
 
You won't win, and it's not worth your time. Parking tickets have no effect on your driving history/record anyways. The only affect it has is if you don't pay it you can't renew your license plate.
 
In 2008 I got a fire hydrant ticket while downtown. I requested a court date.....still waiting for a court date. Always fight it.
 
These days, they're more proactive about setting court dates. 2 filed in the spring of 2010 got court dates 11 months later.
 
I guess mine got thrown out? Or should I be expecting it sometime this year?

Plus he could always plead guilty with an explanation and get the $100 ticket reduced to say....$50? That is if it's worth it to take the day off to request the court date, and then take another day off to fight the ticket.
 
GoLeafsGo said:
I guess mine got thrown out? Or should I be expecting it sometime this year?

Plus he could always plead guilty with an explanation and get the $100 ticket reduced to say....$50? That is if it's worth it to take the day off to request the court date, and then take another day off to fight the ticket.
Click to expand...

Yours most likely got thrown out and if you get anything in the mail, that's an easy 11b.
 
"Always fight every ticket" is how I operate. On occasion I do not contest a ticket, but I have won some very unlikely acquittals. You cannot tell what might happen. One time I was charged with violating section 23-W paragraph 5-V subsection 18 clause J(9), how do you plead?

I said I didn't know.

The magistrate looked at me as if I were a little child, and said,
"Mr. Dafee you have to plead guilty or not guilty.
Say 'guilty' if you concede you committed the offence;
otherwise say 'not guilty' and we will hear the evidence."

I said, "I know that, your worship. I went to City Hall to find
out what that law said, and nobody could tell me. If you tell
me what you think I did, I will tell you whether I think I did it."

The magistrate said that made sense, and asked the bailiff to read the law.
The bailiff thumbed through a book for a while, and didn't find that law.
The magistrate asked me to sit down while he heard the next case,
in order to give the bailiff an opportunity to find the law.

When the next case had been heard, and the bailiff had not found that law,
the magistrate said, "Mr. Dafee, we have no idea what we think you did,
so we are dismissing the charge. You are free to go, but don't do it again!"
(He had a smile on his face, and I had one on mine!)

So you never can tell how you might win. Fight. Them. All. ALL!
 
Last edited:
CFunk said:
So a breakdown of what happened:

I rode over to a side street and saw some bikes lined up so, I automatically backed in directly beside one of the bikes, looking back at the bike beside me as I did so to gauge my position, hopped off, and walked east down the sidewalk to work. When I came back at the end of the day, I see a little yellow slip sticking out from my seat (I imagine if the other bikes were still there 3 hours after I parked, they got them too) and, after reading it, I turn around and see the hydrant not far to the west from me.

While I understand what I did was against the law, it was really unintentional. Is it worth my time to go to court over the $100 ticket and plead my case, or would it make little/no difference in the fine?
Click to expand...

were you right downtown with a black bike? if so I saw you and you were like right beside the hydrant, guaranteed ticket. I got one at the same spot but I genuinely was trying to stay 3M away (without carrying my tape measurer on me :rolleyes:). Fought it, got a court date and won. You may or may not be so lucky.
 
Always fight it. The very worst that could happen is you get called to court, and actually have to try and fight the ticket. If you go to the location on John Street (just south of King) as soon as it opens (8:30 i think) there is hardly any line and you will be out in a few min, then just wait a year and a half to get called to court. In the mean time, it doesn't show up on your plate renewal. I never pay tickets, always bring them in to fight them. I've attempted to fight 10 or so, have only been called to court for one (this coming august) and had 2 or 3 thrown out right at the office by the clerks.
 
Salos Dafee said:
"Always fight every ticket" is how I operate. On occasion I do not contest a ticket, but I have won some very unlikely acquittals. You cannot tell what might happen. One time I was charged with violating section 23-W paragraph 5-V subsection 18 clause J(9), how do you plead?

I said I didn't know.

The magistrate looked at me as if I were a little child, and said,
"Mr. Dafee you have to plead guilty or not guilty.
Say 'guilty' if you concede you committed the offence;
otherwise say 'not guilty' and we will hear the evidence."

I said, "I know that, your worship. I went to City Hall to find
out what that law said, and nobody could tell me. If you tell
me what you think I did, I will tell you whether I think I did it."

The magistrate said that made sense, and asked the bailiff to read the law.
The bailiff thumbed through a book for a while, and didn't find that law.
The magistrate asked me to sit down while he heard the next case,
in order to give the bailiff an opportunity to find the law.

When the next case had been heard, and the bailiff had not found that law,
the magistrate said, "Mr. Dafee, we have no idea what we think you did,
so we are dismissing the charge. You are free to go, but don't do it again!"
(He had a smile on his face, and I had one on mine!)

So you never can tell how you might win. Fight. Them. All. ALL!
Click to expand...

LOL ... this made my day.
 
Fight it for a chance of being let off and to clog up the system for the rest of us xP
 
PLau said:
Fight it for a chance of being let off and to clog up the system for the rest of us xP
Click to expand...

Even if you see there's no chance, try to take up as much of court's time as possible. Prosecutors and JP's don't come cheap :cool:
 
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