Posted: 7/15/2007 7:43:50 AM EDT
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I'll do my best to keep this as brief as possible. First a little background. I was driving with my head a little up my rear this past spring and got myself a ticket. I was trying to make a left at a busy intersection and was in the intersection when the light turned red and I made the left anyway. Preceeding this, I came out of a gas station with a bit of "Gusto" in order to clear the straight-thru lane (it was a right out of the station, into the left turn lane and into the intersection) and get into the left turn lane. That got the attention of the Deputy Sherif somewhere across the street. The Deputy asked if I knew why I was being stopped and I confessed that I had a pretty good idea. I explained that I wasn't trying to run the light but had put myself in the position that I either had to turn or sit pretty much in the middle of the intersection, having to back up to get out of the way. I admitted that I should've just waited for the next cycle. Stupid, stupid me. I got a ticket for failure to obey a traffic signal. This will sound horrible if I get the interview for a flying job that I'm pretty sure is coming. I went to court to see if I could plead to a lesser charge or charges that wouldn't show up in a driver record as a "points" offense (in my old home of NJ you could plead to obstructing the flow of traffic...no points, pay a fine, go on to sin no more). The prosecuter offered me a plea of No Lo Contendre with zero fine. Fair enough. I took it. Someone I was talking with said that in their state, that type of plea would mean no points and therefore wouldn't show up on a drivers record as a points offence. My question is...What exactly does my plea mean and when the potential new employer pulls my drivers record for GA...what exactly will they see? Thanks in advance. My checklist now includes "remove head from rear end". |
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I was involved in a moving violation thing with the po-po a year or so ago and here's what the mouth piece relayed. . . . There are three types of pleas: guilty, not guilty, and nolo contendere. The latter meaning "no contest." In simple terms, you're not admitting to or disputing the charge. If the judge accepts the nolo contendere plea, to a moving violation, it will be reported to DMV and the nolo contendere plea will appear on your driving record. The difference between a nolo plea and a guilty plea. . . .points aren't assessed with a nolo plea. In GA, you are allowed to plead nolo contendere to a traffic offense, but only if you have not entered a nolo contendere plea to another traffic offense in the last five years. |
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I did go to court. I suppose I should have considered that had a chance of fighting the charge. Well...it's all water under the bridge now. I guess I had two choices...fight the charge or cut a deal. I went with the latter. If the nolo plea keeps the points off my license, that'll have to be good enough. The summons stated something to the effect..."video evidence of"...blah blah. I dont know how it went ecactly but it may have stated that I entered the intersection when the light was red. I may have. It all took all of about 2 seconds. I now know 2 new things. Be more patient and, if something like this happens again...learn the letter of the law and go better prepared! Thanks for the info folks. |
| I gotta ask, what flying job would really give you a hard time for a single ticket? Other than some commuter job with an interviewer on a power trip I can't imagine. Unless you have a bunch of traffic offenses on your record, explain it as it happened. If you don't tell them about it and it shows up...dishonesty will get you not hired or fired in the future. |
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Yeah, I know, it should not be a big deal. I have been a good boy for over 10 years now. Of course I have to be up front about it. They will find it in a background check. It is an interview with a Major though. Those don't come along evry day. I'm just concerned because it's not a "speeding" ticket, it's a ticket for "failure to observe a traffic signaling device". Just sounds worse to me FWIW. Too late to worry now as it's on the record. Water under the bridge. It will sound better that I was able to plead nolo contandre and the fine was suspended as well. |
). I wouldn't sweat it too much. For future reference get it reduced to a county ordnance, saves the reporting out part.