Question:
Hello, and thank you for your service.
I had a situation at a gas station in which the gas attendant and I had a disagreement. After I left he called the police. The initial problem has been settled however he had told the officer that I “sped off” therefore the officer said he is mailing me a careless driving ticket. There are no cameras, no witnesses, and the officer was not present at the time. It’s just the hearsay of the attendant. What is the likelihood I can beat the ticket? Thank you in advance! Stay safe.
Answer:
I wish it was that easy to write tickets when I worked…. I don’t know what state your in but if I got a citation like that I would love to go to court to fight it. Where I worked, an officer either had to witness the violation, or a camera captured the violation such as a toll evasion camera or red light camera that photographs the license plate and driver image. Technically the attendant is a witness if he told the officer you sped off, but I’d find it unlikely a citation would be issued just based on his statement. If you did get one, I’d go to court to fight it. You said the officer said he was mailing you a ticket, did he speak with you in person or is that what the attendant said? Your right, it’s hearsay if there were no cameras or other witnesses. If you go to court ask the attendant what his qualifications are to determine what careless driving is….
