Q: How likely am I to have an improper turn ticket dropped if I appear in court if there was glass in my immediate lane.
I was making a left hand turn out of a single lane while leaving my neighborhood at an intersection with a traffic light. The light turned green and I proceeded left into a two lane, but merged into the far right lane to avoid glass near the left hand lane in the intersection. After I passed the debris, I signaled to move back into the far left lane. The officer was stopped at the traffic light, to the right of me, in the far right lane facing the same direction that I was driving. There were no other cars turning opposite of me into that direction and none driving behind me when I attempted to avoid the debris. I was not given an opportunity to explain my reason for turning/merging into the far right lane instead of the left lane. I don’t want this to cause me to lose my job or affect my use of a company vehicle. Is fighting this in court a waste of my time or might I be able to get it dropped?
A: Prosecution has the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed a traffic offense----and you have a right (but you do not have to do so) to present a defense. It sounds like you have a defense---I would contact a traffic ticket lawyer or 3 in your area, discuss your ticket and circumstances with them, obtain your options, and then hire the one with whom you feel most comfortable.
1 user found this answer helpful
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
