Help with a traffic ticket issue

[RitaZ.]

Sorry.. This is too complicated of a story/too much involved to put on here and explain correctly.

The cop knew who she was because all the officers know who has a school permit and who is 16 or older.

I asked to see the video... I was told I have to subpeona through my lawyer.

The cop told me he knew who she was. I just want to know why he waited until she got home to ticket her. No one is giving me answers. I called the chief of police and he laughed at me.

As for hearsay.. the police say they are told all the time of kids driving around on school permits. How do these people know where they are going?

I guess I am just rambling....

You must live in a small town if all the police officers know who has school permits and to be able to contact the chief of police over such a trivial matter. I can see calling to get their side of the story to make sure that you have both sides of it, but not to antagonize them.

If the police officer had berated your daughter, pulled her out of the car by force or some other inappropriate action, then I'd think your anger is warranted. As you've described the situation, I don't see anything inappropriate in how the officer acted.

I think this is a perfect opportunity to drive home the importance of following the rules in order to preserve the privilege of driving. There are times to be vocal and times when we should recognize how much more we stand to lose by being too vocal. Let your daughter learn from this situation and move on.

 

[kirstenb1]

I got a ticket for failure to stop for a stop sign (did the rolling through it apparently). The officer followed me for a few miles on a road where you're either on the road or in a ditch;one lane each way---not a lot of places to stop. She pulled me about a 1/4 mile from the nearest driveway. I ran back to her car to tell her I was pulling up into the driveway to keep us both safe. She seemed very appreciative, but I still got a ticket. It was a fair ticket, but I too have wondered why she waited to pull me.

OP, all I can say is, sometimes there doesn't seem to be a reason.

 

[LisaR]

I got a ticket for failure to stop for a stop sign (did the rolling through it apparently). The officer followed me for a few miles on a road where you're either on the road or in a ditch;one lane each way---not a lot of places to stop. She pulled me about a 1/4 mile from the nearest driveway. I ran back to her car to tell her I was pulling up into the driveway to keep us both safe. She seemed very appreciative, but I still got a ticket. It was a fair ticket, but I too have wondered why she waited to pull me.

OP, all I can say is, sometimes there doesn't seem to be a reason.

Really? My advice for the future is to NEVER run toward a police car that has just pulled you over. The next officer may not be as appreciative. You are suppose to remain in your car until they tell you otherwise.

 

[FlyingDumbo]

Was the key still stuck when she got home? Or had it magically fixed itself? I don't see any extenuating circumstances here or reasons why she would not have gotten a ticket. You do the crime you suffer the consequences. If this was my kid I would be questioning her, not the police department. She broke the rules and she got caught. Seems very cut and dry to me. If she had car trouble, she should have called someone for help. Kicking up a fuss over the cops actions will most likely result in your daughter being watched very closely.

 

[Allison]

The ticket she received was not based on hearsay. It was based on what the officer witnessed. Just because they heard of it happening before with kids does not make this instance hearsay. Where he issued the ticket is also irrelevant. Why are you focused on that point?

 

[leebee]

It sounds like the OP's daughter made some bad choices when she was faced with a situation she wasn't prepared to handle. That's precisely why 15 year olds need to have a licensed, adult driver with them when driving in Maine: Because they aren't experienced enough to make wise choices, not just with driving but with the hundreds of other things that come up while they are out and about.

I'd let her go to court and plead her story to the judge. That's how the system works. She's young, and didn't really know what to do when she had a problem with the car; her instinct was to go to the nearest family member for help. Not a bad decision, except she's not supposed to be driving there- which makes it a bad decision. A sympathetic judge will turn this into a learning experience; a less-sympathetic judge will let the ticket stand, which is where you are right now. Good luck with this. I am assuming your DD has learned the lesson already.

 

[LisaR]

I had to Google these special driving permits because this whole concept intrigues me (well, it actually scares me, honestly).

No clue where the OP'er lives but the first thing to come up was in Iowa.

In Iowa, a kid can get a license and drive without an adult as young as 14.5.

They only need 6 months practice on the road before that.

If they do get a moving violation while on this special permit, their license will be suspended for 30 days. I'm going to assume this is pretty standard and now the OP'er DD may be facing something similar.

I wasn't thrilled when my DD drove away at 16. I don't think I could handle 14.5.

 

[luvsJack]

Folks, it wasn't THAT many years ago that everyone was able to get their license at 15 or at least in this state. The law changed just before oldest DS turned 15 (he is 30 now).

While I think its good that the laws have changed to some degree, I don't think its that horrible that some can still drive at that age.

 

[manning]

My dd is 15 and has a school permit. She turns 16 in August.

She was picked up for being off the route yesterday. She went to get gas and was going to a baseball game at the school. Her ignition key was stuck so she was going to drive to my sisters house (yes.. 2 blocks off the route) to get help. She saw a cop following her and she panicked and started turning (never went to my sisters).

A cop saw her and followed her until she got to our house. She had already pulled into the garage. He motioned for her to come to his car. He then told her to stand at the trunk of the cop car. She received a ticket and a big fine.

I want to know why he waited until she got home to give her the ticket. The cop told me today when I called that he knew she was 15 and had a school permit. So there is no excuse that he had to put the car plate in the computer, etc. She was not speeding, not drinking, not texting. He knew who she was..

No one will give me an answer.. I want to know why he did not stop her the minute she made a wrong turn. He followed her for over a mile.

He asked if the parents were home (we were not).

I just feel this whole process was handled wrong. Yes she did something wrong but I was told they are basing the reasoning of giving a ticket vs. a warning on hearsay. That is not admissable in court.

Do her a favor and let her pay the fine and whatever else. Tell her to chalk it up as one of the many lessons in life she will have. Will make her a better person in the long run. In the grand scheme of things it's no biggy. After all she didn't commit a major crime.

 

[Coconut36]

She didn't follow the rules put in place for her to drive, she suffered the consequences. They are not obligated to give her a warning.

This..plain and simple. As for why he didn't pull her over the moment she made the first "wrong" turn..he was likely trying to find out where exactly she was going since she went off route. He isn't obligated to stop her immediately nor is he obligated to give her a warning. If she was speeding, drunk or committed a different traffic violation the officer wouldn't be obligated to give a warning then either.

I am curious where you are from..in my state you have to be 15 1/2 and must be accompanied by a licensed driver (had to be over the age of either 18 or 21 IIRC) until you receive a drivers license.

 

[LisaR]

Folks, it wasn't THAT many years ago that everyone was able to get their license at 15 or at least in this state. The law changed just before oldest DS turned 15 (he is 30 now).

While I think its good that the laws have changed to some degree, I don't think its that horrible that some can still drive at that age.

Must be in your state because in my state you got a permit at 15 just like today (and I'm a bit older than 30).

 

[Coconut36]

Folks, it wasn't THAT many years ago that everyone was able to get their license at 15 or at least in this state. The law changed just before oldest DS turned 15 (he is 30 now).

While I think its good that the laws have changed to some degree, I don't think its that horrible that some can still drive at that age.

I think for some states 15 is very unusual. I am 37 and you absolutely could not get a license before the age of 16 in my state. My Dad was born and raised here..16 then too. So for some of us yeah that is very unusual/surprising based on the laws in our state.

By the mid-to-late 1920s, the need for uniformity in the control and regulation of drivers emerged as
a critical issue in the United States, and 16 became the recommended legal age. Since then, a minimum
licensing age of 16 has become the norm in the United States.

 

[kaytieeldr]

She was picked up for being off the route yesterday. She went to get gas and was going to a baseball game at the school.

Is it just me, or does this plan sound like an abuse of the intent of the law - whatever state this is? My understanding of "school permit" (from this thread, since I've never heard of it until now either) is that it enables the student/underage driver to travel between home and school to attend classes - not to be a spectator at a sporting event, or possibly even participate in extracurricular activities

 

[LisaR]

Is it just me, or does this plan sound like an abuse of the intent of the law - whatever state this is? My understanding of "school permit" (from this thread, since I've never heard of it until now either) is that it enables the student/underage driver to travel between home and school to attend classes - not to be a spectator at a sporting event, or possibly even participate in extracurricular activities

The license I was reading about in Iowa actually stated they could go to extracurricular activities including sporting events if they were participating.

 

[Schmeck]

My guesses as to why the police officer did not pull her over right after the infraction:

1. It was not safe to do so (road too narrow, would block traffic flow).

2. He needed to run the plates to see if anyone else who could have possibly been driving the car had an outstanding warrant. Who is the car registered to?

3. He could sense that the driver was panicked, and waited until the driver was in a more familiar area.

4. The police officer was monitoring another situation on the police radio, and was waiting for an all-clear to be free to initiate a traffic violation.

5. Seeing that it was an underage driver, he was assessing the situation to see how many unsafe decisions she made. If she was making multiple bad choices (no turn signals, speeding, etc) he would have more data to recommend revoking her special permit to drive.

 

[phorsenuf]

The license I was reading about in Iowa actually stated they could go to extracurricular activities including sporting events if they were participating.

Yes, but since she choose to go to her Aunts and then home I'm guessing she wasn't a player. Otherwise why not go to the school where she could get help?

 

[LisaR]

Yes, but since she choose to go to her Aunts and then home I'm guessing she wasn't a player. Otherwise why not go to the school where she could get help?

No doubt she broke the rules. I was just responding to the person that said she may have violated the rules by driving to a game. It looks like at least one state allows extracurricular activities. It specifically said ONLY school, work, gas station, and extracurricular activities related to school. A child couldn't run to the grocery store for mom and they can't go to their aunt's house when their key is stuck.

 

[phorsenuf]

No doubt she broke the rules. I was just responding to the person that said she may have violated the rules by driving to a game. It looks like at least one state allows extracurricular activities. It specifically said ONLY school, work, gas station, and extracurricular activities related to school. A child couldn't run to the grocery store for mom and they can't go to their aunt's house when their key is stuck.

 

[bearloch]

I think we needed a little more info to reall understand BUT as far as the key thing my Ford van did that to me ALL the time I could for the life of me not get the key to turn off and then all of a sudden it would losen an turn have no idea the whys shop trie everything it was strange happned 2-4xs a yr for 6 yrs ( as long as I hd van!),

As far as girl driving wrong route? if she eneded up at home with only going a mile differnce how is that breaking the law?? she didnt break law by calling and texting while driving! maybe by driving by aunts she saw no one was home so she did the correct thing and went home?? If my child was in that sit and was scared/worried I would be glad she took/brought car home as safey as possible.. maybe she was worried car may stahl on main rd? maybe she was trying to avoid making a left with a promblem with car! I have many times taken a right and driven out of my way a little to avoid a high traffic left! AND I have alway been told BY a family member who is a police officer to Never assume the cop is alway right and NEVER stop unless it is a well lit and public area!! Lets give the kid a break!!! Untill all facts are known!!!!

 

[Allison]

Is it just me, or does this plan sound like an abuse of the intent of the law - whatever state this is? My understanding of "school permit" (from this thread, since I've never heard of it until now either) is that it enables the student/underage driver to travel between home and school to attend classes - not to be a spectator at a sporting event, or possibly even participate in extracurricular activities

It is possible to drive to and from extracurricular activities with a school permit. These licenses are very common where I live.