Question about speeding tickets in US

[Gord]

When i was in holiday in Florida I got done for speeding

The cop gave me a ticket for $150 - I was in a hire car

Now I didnt pay the ticket - as I thought shit who the fuck will ever catch up with me here in UK

I gave my licence no that had my details. Now I doubt that Florida state dept will send Interpol over to try and catch me , but I am now thinking that if I go back to states my details might be picked up on entry with the outstanding speeding ticket on it.

Does anyone know if these things are centralised - say if I arrived at JFK - would a big buzzer go off and I would be whisked off to to time in some state jail ?? - or is it a state by state thing - any traffic cops out there ?

Maybe I should just pay

 

[Freya]

You're lucky. I got a speeding ticket in Michigan, and the cop made me pay $100 cash on the spot as bond, or he'd take my license. It was an American holiday weekend, and we were heading back on the Monday, so I had little choice. But they sent me back a cheque for the difference a few weeks later.

 

[brokenbrainwave]

Yes, John Ashcroft is wanting to question why you were in Florida on said dates. You're suspected of being a terrorist. Look for you picture on Fox News by the end of the week.

You do like the tropics this time of year, yah? Gauntanamo Bay is going to make a great winter home for you.

 

[Linedrive]

If you bailed on your ticket, you likely have a warrant in that state. While they won't arrest you coming into the airport, if you were pulled over somewhere along the way you could be.

 

[plasticman33]

Gord, you're safe to come back, just don't go to Florida. If you got stopped there they probably have a warrant out for you.

 

[Purrde Flower]

Just don't get pulled over anywhere in the US. They check for warrents normaly in every state. At least they do in Texas. If you get a ticket in Lousiana don't worry about it, unless you already have a warrent. Lousiana doesn't put warrents out on their out of state travelers for speeding tickets. (as far as I can remeber I could be wrong.. but I don't have a warrent from there from a ticket 3 years ago.) Lousiana is one huge speed trap.

 

[Ishmael]

When i was in holiday in Florida I got done for speeding

The cop gave me a ticket for $150 - I was in a hire car

Now I didnt pay the ticket - as I thought shit who the fuck will ever catch up with me here in UK

I gave my licence no that had my details. Now I doubt that Florida state dept will send Interpol over to try and catch me , but I am now thinking that if I go back to states my details might be picked up on entry with the outstanding speeding ticket on it.

Does anyone know if these things are centralised - say if I arrived at JFK - would a big buzzer go off and I would be whisked off to to time in some state jail ?? - or is it a state by state thing - any traffic cops out there ?

Maybe I should just pay

Well Gord, I can tell you what the State of Florida will do.

The State will issue you a drivers license. They will then suspend it for failure to appear and failure to pay fine.

I doubt very seriously that this will have any effect on an entry visa (check with the consulate concerning that) but if you hire a car and are pulled over for any offense, the Florida suspension will show up in the computer and you will probably go to jail for driving with a suspended license. That fine will be even stiffer.

I'd look into clearing it up if I were you.

Ishmael

 

[Gord]

If you bailed on your ticket, you likely have a warrant in that state. While they won't arrest you coming into the airport, if you were pulled over somewhere along the way you could be.

but isnt it crossreferenced agaisnt a registration and not a name

That is the thing - say I got pulled and they put my name into police computer - would my name jump up. Especialy if I was in a seperate state. I mean it was only speeding and I am not a US citizen

 

[Purrde Flower]

but isnt it crossreferenced agaisnt a registration and not a name

That is the thing - say I got pulled and they put my name into police computer - would my name jump up. Especialy if I was in a seperate state. I mean it was only speeding and I am not a US citizen

I don't think they will care. They just want their mony. Your DL# name.. address and whatever else you had to give the officer is in their computers.

 

[Purrde Flower]

Re: Re: Re: Question about speeding tickets in US

Shit !!

dont fancy that - maybe I will pay before I come back to Florida. They wouldnt throw a tourist in jail though for a speeding ticket ........... would they ???. I will just claim I was drunk at the time and forgot all about it

We are talking about Florida here. You have you answer already

 

[Gord]

Re: Re: Question about speeding tickets in US

Well Gord, I can tell you what the State of Florida will do.

The State will issue you a drivers license. They will then suspend it for failure to appear and failure to pay fine.

I doubt very seriously that this will have any effect on an entry visa (check with the consulate concerning that) but if you hire a car and are pulled over for any offense, the Florida suspension will show up in the computer and you will probably go to jail for driving with a suspended license. That fine will be even stiffer.

I'd look into clearing it up if I were you.

Ishmael

Shit !!

dont fancy that - maybe I will pay before I come back to Florida. They wouldnt throw a tourist in jail though for a speeding ticket ........... would they ???. I will just claim I was drunk at the time and forgot all about it

 

[Linedrive]

If you get pulled over, just tell them you're stoned and trying to get to Buckingham Palace.

 

[Gord]

If you get pulled over, just tell them you're stoned and trying to get to Buckingham Palace.

yes good one - I took the wrong turning , where am I , and some idiot nicked my licence last year. - no idea what your talking about occifer ....hic

That is the thing though about identity fraud. All he took was my licence details, it used to be pretty easy to get a fake licence

Just deny everything

 

[Purrde Flower]

yes good one - I took the wrong turning , where am I , and some idiot nicked my licence last year. - no idea what your talking about occifer ....hic

That is the thing though about identity fraud. All he took was my licence details, it used to be pretty easy to get a fake licence

Just deny everything

It still is easy to get a fake ID. However they run the numbers.. if you are found out your gonna go to jail.

 

[kidthor]

You're lucky. I got a speeding ticket in Michigan, and the cop made me pay $100 cash on the spot as bond, or he'd take my license. It was an American holiday weekend, and we were heading back on the Monday, so I had little choice. But they sent me back a cheque for the difference a few weeks later.

Why would you come to Michigan for holiday?...Why would you come to the US?...You have all the good beer, strip clubs and hockey up there already...

 

[Ishmael]

Re: Re: Re: Question about speeding tickets in US

Shit !!

dont fancy that - maybe I will pay before I come back to Florida. They wouldnt throw a tourist in jail though for a speeding ticket ........... would they ???. I will just claim I was drunk at the time and forgot all about it

Oh, good thinking on the "drunk" part.

Not just Florida Gord. All of the States now have reciprocity. If you are pulled over in ANY state, off to jail you go.

I'd look into taking care of it. A letter to the Clerk of the Court should provide with the info that you need.

Ishmael

 

[Gord]

It still is easy to get a fake ID. However they run the numbers.. if you are found out your gonna go to jail.

Shit you guys are tough

seriously - they wouldnt send someone to jail for avoiding a speeding fine - being a bit heavy there. Sure fine me , give me points etc

Anyway I think I will pay if I go back to Florida just in case

would put a bit of a damper on the occassion if I ended up on some chain gang breaking rocks instead of downing the odd margertita in St Petes Beach

 

[Purrde Flower]

Shit you guys are tough

seriously - they wouldnt send someone to jail for avoiding a speeding fine - being a bit heavy there. Sure fine me , give me points etc

Anyway I think I will pay if I go back to Florida just in case

would put a bit of a damper on the occassion if I ended up on some chain gang breaking rocks instead of downing the odd margertita in St Petes Beach

They would send you to jail. Count on it. If you get pulled over in any state you will go to jail. Just pay the fine. Likely you will also have to pay a warrent fee of anywhere between 50-100 dollars added onto the ticket now.

 

[Linedrive]

Shit you guys are tough

seriously - they wouldnt send someone to jail for avoiding a speeding fine - being a bit heavy there. Sure fine me , give me points etc

In Texas they might give you the chair

 

[Gord]

They would send you to jail. Count on it. If you get pulled over in any state you will go to jail. Just pay the fine. Likely you will also have to pay a warrent fee of anywhere between 50-100 dollars added onto the ticket now.

Great

Now I am seriously depressed - might have to go somewhere else for holidays instead.

I think I will try and pay it over the net and see what happens.

See if it accepts my payment - and then get a receipt of the net.

Not going to rent a car next time

 

[Purrde Flower]

Great

Now I am seriously depressed - might have to go somewhere else for holidays instead.

I think I will try and pay it over the net and see what happens.

See if it accepts my payment - and then get a receipt of the net.

Not going to rent a car next time

You can call the county or state up that you got a tickert and set up a payment plan. That will take away the warrent and you also wont be out a ton of cash all at one time.

 

[Gord]

You can call the county or state up that you got a tickert and set up a payment plan. That will take away the warrent and you also wont be out a ton of cash all at one time.

Ok might do that - just claim to be stupid foreigner who didnt understand what was going on

But as they say ignorance is no excuse when it comes to the law.

I will just throw myself at the mercy of the state and plead forgiveness.

 

[Byron In Exile]

Ok might do that - just claim to be stupid foreigner who didnt understand what was going on

But as they say ignorance is no excuse when it comes to the law.

I will just throw myself at the mercy of the state and plead forgiveness.

There is no "stupidity defense" in the US. There are too many stupid people for that to be practical.

When you signed your ticket, you signed a "Promise to Appear" and that is your problem now. You've broken the law twice: once by speeding, a second time by failing to appear in court. It says on the ticket what will happen if you (1) don't show up on the specified day, or (2) don't mail in the bail amount before that time. The state has probably issued a warrant for your arrest by now. They won't actively pursue it, but if you're stopped driving a car again, and it appears you have a warrant, you'll be arrested.

In the good old days, it just meant "you can't drive in Florida ever again." But now, states share information, so if you do come to the US, don't drive until you get it resolved.

 

[Purrde Flower]

Ok might do that - just claim to be stupid foreigner who didnt understand what was going on

But as they say ignorance is no excuse when it comes to the law.

I will just throw myself at the mercy of the state and plead forgiveness.

I wouldn't claim ignorance. Just fess up to it. They aren't going to hurt you down. They don't even do that when you live in the state or city you got the ticket in. Get it taken care of though. It is your best option. Payment plans are normaly avaliable everywhere because they do want th e money. They don't really care about your excuses. Once you get a payment plan going you can drive and be free and clear about it as long as you make your payments on time.

 

[Gord]

Thank-you all for the depressing but accurate information regarding my entry onto Americas most wanted list

Actually feel a bit worried once you know that a warrant has been issued for my arrest -

Probably wont drive in the US for a while but I guess I should write to the court and find out how much I owe them ? and settle up.

dammmm !!