I was involved in a car accident and I was charged with an improper turn. Could I

Lawl.E.Pop

New member
fight the charge in court? At the time of 3 AM (low visability & wet roads from rain earlier in the night) I entered an intersection from a stop sign and as I entered the road I was struck by a vehicle driving down from behind the hill which I had not seen prior to the accident. I want to plead not guilty, but in doing so, what are my chances of successfully reducing liability or even succeeding in fighting the charge? If I can't fight the charge then it'll be difficult for my insurance company to reduce liability. I can't afford a lawyer and I doubt I can procure one to work on a contingency with little to gain.
 
You could certainly fight the charge. However, most days, the police have cameras in their vehicles. If you did in fact perform an illegal turn and they have it on tape, don't tell the judge you didn't commit the act. If it's not on video, then you might be able to tell the judge that you didn't do it. But, it's better to be innocent than guilty.

If you did not see the sign, you could possibly argue that in court. For example and in some cases, if a sign is impaired by another object, then you can't be legally charged unless you know for a fact what the sign says. If the sign is impaired by a tree, bush, etc, how would you know what it said? You wouldn't and only the police would because they are sure to be familiar with the signs in the area.

If the police have the proof on video, your chances to argue falsely being charged, will fail. If no proof is provided by the police and you have a valid reason why you did the illegal turn, then by all means argue it. You also have to weigh out the difference between the time you spend in court and what the actual cost is to the crime. In some cases, you can argue a $100 ticket, but if the judge decides you were in the wrong and you argue you weren't, the judge could actually impose the maximum charge, which could be higher than what the police charged. Be careful and weigh the odds. Most importantly, be very respectful of the judge and police if you do go to court.
 
it is hard to tell from your description, how it happened.But any time you enter from a stop sign, you must yield to traffic having the right away
 
I think that you could plead not guilty and say that that there was low visibility and the roads were wet. I think that they should have stopped in time. I would go for it and see what happens!
 
See if you can plead guilty of a lesser charge, maybe. You might also be able to keep it off your record if you have an otherwise clean one. Pay the fine and ask that they not put it on your permanent record due to extenuating circumstances.
 
you left out to many details. did he have a stop sign? what was his speed ? was he driving safely for the road conditions?. were there any other mitigating factors such as street lights, did he have his lights on and on and on
 
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