Speeding ticket in WA

[Soundy]

No, I didn't get one... but you all might want to check this article out: B.C. drivers who ignore U.S. speeding tickets facing fines, jail - BC | Globalnews.ca

Keep in mind this isn't just for "excessive speed"... you get ANY speeding ticket in WA and don't pay it, you COULD be jailed the next time you cross the border.

And if you think getting your car impounded for a few days is bad, what do you suppose they do with your car down there if you're tossed in the clink? I'm gonna guess, impounded for the duration of your stay... which may be up to 90 days.

Suddenly BC's laws don't seem quite so bad.

[snails]

i dont have a passport..

[FN-2199]

I don't understand how anybody can avoid paying a speeding ticket and still think they can drive freely in Washington. It all comes around eventually.

[zulutango]

Yah...Washington is NOT BC. Whuddaya thinkin?

[Marco911]

Originally Posted by Soundy

No, I didn't get one... but you all might want to check this article out: B.C. drivers who ignore U.S. speeding tickets facing fines, jail - BC | Globalnews.ca

Keep in mind this isn't just for "excessive speed"... you get ANY speeding ticket in WA and don't pay it, you COULD be jailed the next time you cross the border.

And if you think getting your car impounded for a few days is bad, what do you suppose they do with your car down there if you're tossed in the clink? I'm gonna guess, impounded for the duration of your stay... which may be up to 90 days.

Suddenly BC's laws don't seem quite so bad.

1) If you receive a ticket in WA, you are presumed innocent. By ignoring the ticket you are deemed not to have disputed and will be convicted of the offence. If you are arrested, you can still pay the fine, bail and any other penalties and retrieve your car. In BC, your car is impounded though you have not been convicted of any offence.

[JShifter]

Don't speed pay attention to all the speed limits and you'll never have to worry about a thing : )

[zulutango]

Originally Posted by Marco911

1) If you receive a ticket in WA, you are presumed innocent. By ignoring the ticket you are deemed not to have disputed and will be convicted of the offence. If you are arrested, you can still pay the fine, bail and any other penalties and retrieve your car. In BC, your car is impounded though you have not been convicted of any offence.

In layman's terms...If you were presumed innocent, the ticket would never have been issued. The ticket says that the Crown says there is enough evidence to issue the ticket. The ticket will be cancelled if you enter evidence to disprove the evidence or raise reasonable doubt. Your lack of action to dispute is taken as a defacto "guilty plea"..

[Marco911]

Originally Posted by zulutango

In layman's terms...If you were presumed innocent, the ticket would never have been issued. The ticket says that the Crown says there is enough evidence to issue the ticket. The ticket will be cancelled if you enter evidence to disprove the evidence or raise reasonable doubt. Your lack of action to dispute is taken as a defacto "guilty plea"..

Actually, no. If you dispute a traffic ticket in BC, none of the points, fines or penalties apply until you are actually convicted of the offence. If you are deemed not guilty, no financial or punitive penalties apply. If your car was impounded, and you disputed the ticket the following day, you still can't pick your vehicle up.

[zulutango]

Originally Posted by Marco911

Actually, no. If you dispute a traffic ticket in BC, none of the points, fines or penalties apply until you are actually convicted of the offence. If you are deemed not guilty, no financial or punitive penalties apply. If your car was impounded, and you disputed the ticket the following day, you still can't pick your vehicle up.

So then, in layman's terms again.... if you are deemed innocent then how come you were issued the ticket in the first place? The law requires that there must be reasonable grounds an offense has been committed to begin any court process. Otherwise Police could issue a speeding ticket to you when you had no car and were home watching the Cannucks loose another game.

Your statement about the points & fines is correct and I never said they would be applied unless you are either convicted or you choose to not dispute the allegation (ticket) No criminal penalties would apply either unless you were convicted. If you showed up in court for a criminal trial and offered no defense you would likely be found guilty...and you can be convicted "in absentia" without even being there.

[Graeme S]

To clarify:

When you receive a ticket, you are alleged to have committed an offence, but are not considered 'guilty', until you have either paid the fine or have disputed and been proven guilty in court.

Not [yet] being guilty is not the same as being innocent.

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by Graeme S

To clarify:

When you receive a ticket, you are alleged to have committed an offence, but are not considered 'guilty', until you have either paid the fine or have disputed and been proven guilty in court.

... or simply ignored it past the cutoff date for filing a dispute. Per the article, "a B.C. driver’s licence is automatically suspended three months after a ticket is issued.". You're not going to get arrested crossing the border a week after it happens, but simply ignoring it doesn't make it go away either.

ALLEGED offenders are given plenty of time to deal with it. After that, ALMOST ALL jurisdictions consider you to have accepted a guilty plea by default.

[zulutango]

... or simply ignored it past the cutoff date for filing a dispute.
Sorry, forgot that one as well. Dispute abandoned, deemed convicted.