critique of criminal conviction addendum Forum

[bradleydee16]

I have two items on my record that resulted in fines above $200. The first occurred on April 24, 2009 in Okaloosa county Florida. I received a speeding ticket for travelling at 60 miles per hour in a thirty mile per hour zone. I was a student at the Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal School and was running late I did not realize the speed limit had dropped from 45 to 30. I paid a fine of $323 and completed an online driving course. No points were issued to my license. I have not received a citation of any kind since this incident.
The other event was a $200.03 fine ($465 total, including processing fees) for littering I received on the Citadel campus on May 10, 2007. I had returned from a week long Army field exercise. Summer school had begun and my car did not have the registered summer school sticker and I received a parking ticket. I then drove to the Junior parking lot to prepare for the drive home. I was the only car in the lot and I took off my boots and pants (I had gym shorts underneath). I had tossed my backpack, boots and clothes on the ground along with the parking ticket. A campus police car pulled up, lights flashing. Unsure why he was there, I told him I was preparing to drive back to Ohio. He said I wasn’t allowed to be changing clothes in the parking lot and picked up the parking ticket next to my boots and said I had littered. He wrote me a ticket. I explained I had not even left, yet and intended to pick it up. I took the parking ticket back along with the littering citation from him and went home. As I was preparing to leave for a month of military training, later that month, I called the court requesting a court date. It was a week or so before the court date. I was informed I needed to write a letter to the judge and the judge would not receive it in time. In lieu of receiving a charge for failure to appear in court, I agreed to pay the fine to settle the issue. I later became aware that littering (1st offense) was a misdemeanor (the lowest class) in South Carolina. I thought it was an infraction since I was not mandated to appear in court and was able to pay a fine to resolve the issue.
In the past two and a half years I have not received any citations or tickets. All fines were promptly paid and there are no infractions currently listed on my driver license abstract.

I think this might be too detailed and whiny? It's just the littering citation was total crap and I wanted to fight it but wasn't able to. Should I just skip all the details? Does it matter?

[CanadianWolf]

Too many details. You have a speeding ticket & a fine for littering.

[dextermorgan]

Now is not the time to fight it. Loose the details and anything that might be viewed as an excuse. Your convictions aren't serious.

[rinkrat19]

On April 24, 2009 in Okaloosa County, Florida, I was cited for travelling at 60 mph in a 30 mph zone. I paid a fine of $323 and completed an online driving course. No points were issued to my license. I have not received a driving citation of any kind since this incident.

On May 10, 2007, I was cited for littering in a parking lot on The Citadel campus in Charleson, South Carolina. I was unable to contest the ticket, as my court date was after the date on which I had to report to military training, and paid the $200.03 fine ($465 total, including processing fees).

[bradleydee16]

Thanks I appreciate the help. I figured there was too much detail.

[kublaikahn]

I was cited for speeding, a traffic infraction, on a city street in x location on x date. I was cited for littering, a misdemeanor, on x date at x location. I had dropped a piece of paper that was under my windshield wiper on the ground. I was ordered overseas and did not challenge the ticket. I was cited for failing to appear and my license was suspended. When I returned I paid a fine and my license was reinstated.

If your license was suspended or you were cited for failure to appear, you need to add that. The school doesnt care. But the Bar may have concerns if you are less than forthright. Save yourself the future hassle.

[rinkrat19]

I was cited for speeding, a traffic infraction, on a city street in x location on x date. I was cited for littering, a misdemeanor, on x date at x location. I had dropped a piece of paper that was under my windshield wiper on the ground. I was ordered overseas and did not challenge the ticket. I was cited for failing to appear and my license was suspended. When I returned I paid a fine and my license was reinstated.

If your license was suspended or you were cited for failure to appear, you need to add that. The school doesnt care. But the Bar may have concerns if you are less than forthright. Save yourself the future hassle.

He paid the fine to avoid FTA.

[kublaikahn]

I was cited for speeding, a traffic infraction, on a city street in x location on x date. I was cited for littering, a misdemeanor, on x date at x location. I had dropped a piece of paper that was under my windshield wiper on the ground. I was ordered overseas and did not challenge the ticket. I was cited for failing to appear and my license was suspended. When I returned I paid a fine and my license was reinstated.

If your license was suspended or you were cited for failure to appear, you need to add that. The school doesnt care. But the Bar may have concerns if you are less than forthright. Save yourself the future hassle.

He paid the fine to avoid FTA.

I see. He settled or he was never charged? My read was he took off without appearing. When he got back he either settled or paid the FTA as well. If he settled the FTA was dropped but if he was at first charged, it still needs to be mentioned.

[bradleydee16]

There was not a mandatory court appearance. I wanted to go to court because the ticket was complete crap and I want to not pay a ridiculous amount of money because an officer from public safety got butt hurt. I hadn't even left the area.