Q: I received a Traffic Collision - Failure to Notify Owner of Damaged Property. I got stuck in a road that was a dead end.
The road was a dead end as I tried to turn around I got stuck in the snow. While I was getting my truck out I slid side ways a little into a green power box it damaged my truck I walked after getting unstuck it had a dent but looked fine. Got a call 3 days later apparently it knocked power out for propane fill station for the resort. I went to the mn payment center no fine or court date appears I just got it today. I told the Sheriff it was dark and it was partially buried in the snow it looked fine I gave him my insurance and said I was covered up to 50,000 he wouldn't tell me the resorts name. Do I need to go to court for this and could I lose my license I haven't had a ticket in 20 + years. My job depends on a license. It shows as a misdemeanor on the case it shows an attorney assigned
A: The charge is a misdemeanor because there was property damage involved. You will need to appear in court for this and you should strongly consider getting an attorney - either a private attorney or a public defender if you cannot afford one. You are unlikely to lose your license, particularly if you haven't had a ticket in 20 years, but this is likely to affect your insurance rates, so doing what you can to keep it off of your record is important.
A: It can take some time for a citation to show up on the court's records. But when it does, it will be time to set up a court date. In Hennepin County, they may require talking to a "hearing officer" prior to giving a court date. So in Hennepin the first step may be to set an appointment with a hearing officer. Most people would want to avoid a conviction if they could. A driving related offense, if a conviction results, would not only create a court conviction record, but would also go on the driver's license record. Without priors, it's not likely to trigger a license revocation. But it could affect insurance rates, etc. A defense attorney can help get a better outcome.
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