Q: I got a ticket with 2 charges, first is that I did not stop at a stop light and also for passing around a vehicle at
a stop light. I did stop at the stop light and waited for the person to turn right. The right turn lane is a lane you may yield on. The person in front of me was sitting and not wanting to turn right into the merge lane even though there was enough room for him/her to proceed so after stopping and waiting, I decided to go around the person (over a white line) so that I could access the merge lane. I was cited for not stopping at the stop light (I did stop at stop light and the traffic camera will prove it.) I just went around the person via the shoulder to access the merge lane. Total fines are $190. $90 failure to stop at stop light; $110 driving vehicle off roadway while passing vehicle. I do not know if I have points as citation does not state it, but I am innocent with regards to not stopping at stop light. I never went to traffic court but I want to fight it because of that charge for failure to stop at stop light. Please advise.
A: There are points, 2 to be exact for the stop light, 1 point (I believe) for the off road citation, but if paying both or if found guilty of both, you only receive the highest point total of any one ticket charged in the same incident (so, 2 points here). Request a trial, not a waiver hearing, because the officer is required to appear at a trial, but not at a waiver hearing where you are automatically guilty of both offenses. If the officer fails to appear for trial, you will be found not guilty if you plead not guilty. You can ask a judge for probation before judgment in order to avoid conviction and points if he finds you guilty, which may depend on how clean your drivers record is. You could also take an MVA approved Driver Improvement Program (DIP) to enhance your odds of getting that disposition.
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