First and foremost, I am not denying that I may have deserved the ticket for speeding. I'm not sure, and I admit that I wasn't really paying attention until the cop yelped me. I got the ticket in Wake County. A real nice computer printout. At the bottom it showed the fine ($30) and court costs ($121), then it said that, if I want to just plead guilty and avoid going to court to send in the amount equalling the fine and costs. So my question is, if I'm not going to court, why am I paying a court fee? (A second question would be why is the court costs four times the amount of the fine? It used to be the other way around, back in the day.)
OH sorrry... to answer your question. Because they can. Sucks doesn't it. Try and protest any reasoning about how the court system is set up and this fella named Clif will come on here and tell you... oh nevermind you know how this goes. You just made my day and I guess I should thank you for that! THANK YOU CLIF!
Actually he has a valid point. Why do you have to pay court costs - all they are doing is filling in a few pieces of paperwork and depositing your check,...when you aren't even going to court? It truely doesn't make much sense.
Actually they are doing the same amount of work for your case wheither you show up or not, there for they are exerting the same amount of man power hours. Wheither you decided to plead guilty or not, they still are having to staff the court house just in case you do decide to show up, they are still having to process all of your paperwork. Should you decide to show up and plead not guilty and an extension is issued this creates more time, and thus the "court costs" increases due to more man power hours being wasted. Craig
Actually they aren't, if I admit guilt and send in the ticket with the fine. The judge does not have to be there for me, and with one less person to stand before her, she can hit the links a little early. Which is the purpose of the court costs. The question is why am I charged the court costs if I admit guilt and send in the money saving them all the time and trouble?
Actually that is semi incorrect. I have seen many cases in the past where the person's name still appears on the docit (sp), and when the name is read the DA will then announce to the Judge that Mr So-n-So has plead guilty, and paid the fines and court costs with check # so and so. This is done for the court records Course I guess you could always be the wise*** that you have been in the past, show up for court, and hope that A) the officer in question doesn't show in which case the ticket can be totally dropped, B) argue youre issue about having to pay court costs when pleading guilty in the first place. or C) suck it up and admit you did wrong and pay the piper. Craig
That is not done with people who send in the fines via mail. You are so quick to start hitting that you are missing the point of my complaint. What I am saying is that, if I were to send in my ticket and pay the fine, as is noted on the bottom of the ticket, and NOT appear in court, again as allowed on the ticket if I were to mail in my fine, then why am I charged court costs? As I stated in the beginning of this thread, I am not suggesting that I am innocent. I am fully willing to plead guilty since I really don't know if I was speeding or not. I am also fully willing to pay the fine, if it is so decreed. What I disagree with is the fact that I am to pay court costs regardless of whether or not I appear in court. But, hey, if you don't like my attitude then simply ignore me.
Because it's entirely possible and probable that I did do it. I cannot in good conscience plead not guilty, and "maybe/maybe not" isn't an option that the judge would accept (that I am aware of, at any rate).
Well he's already been charged with the crime... he was OBVIOUSLY breaking the law. So for him to try to plea bargain would be totally against his holier than thou persona on this forum where he has aired his ticket woes. Clif, whether you like it or not, there is NOTHING you can do to change the price of court cost. Nobody likes'em; that's because it's a punishment of sorts. Guess you should of aimed for a seatbelt ticket. I think their still 25 bucks. If I were you I would just stick with taking up for the rights of prisoners!
No, why? I'm not sure I would say I was "OBVIOUSLY breaking the law". Since I can't say for sure one way or the other, it's not all that obvious, at least to me. Perhaps you are one of those who believe that everyone is guilty, they just haven't been caught yet, or maybe you are one of those who believes that, if the cops arrest you you must be guilty. Either way it's not part of the discussion. You, as with others, are so ready to jump on me that you are completely ignoring what I have to say. I have not complained about the ticket itself, it is not my "woes". It's not even the amount of the fine, which I do find fair, and even a little on the light side. What I am complaining about is the court costs that are charged even if I don't take it to court. But, as I have said to others, if you don't like my attitude or, to use your word, "persona", feel free to ignore me.
I didn't see a holier than thou attitude...I thought it was a legitimate question. Maybe there is nothing anyone can do to change the price of court costs, but he can ask why it's there. And as for already being charged with the crime, well, he hasn't plead guilty yet, and he has his day in court, if he wants....Innocent til proven guilty right? Not til then is anyone charged.
The court system still has to handle the paperwork, even if you plead guilty by mail. The conviction still needs to be entered in the court records. Court cost is the same whether you use 5 minutes of the court's time, or 5 hours, or 5 days. It is a user fee. The alternative would be to allocate all of the funds to operate the court from general revenues - IOW, tax moneys.
"Not guilty" is not the same as innocent. A plea of not guilty requires the state to prove each and every element of the offense charged, so even if you think you may be guilty of something, it is entirely appropriate to plead not guilty. Of course, it's also reasonable to assume that would be a waste of everybody's time, and decide you would rather just plead guilty and pay the piper. Or, the court.
