I got a ticket for something I did not do. Will the officer get rid of it?

[WilsonJones]

Hi. I just have a quick question for the police officers here. I was stopped by a cop for "illegal engine breaking". I didn't even know that there was a law like that but as it turns out there's a sign saying it was against a local ordinance to enginebreak in that town. Anyway, I didn't actually shift to slow down my car but I was using my regular breaks going down hill. The officer was driving behind me and said he knew I was lying because he saw my car slow down without the break lights going on. I'm pretty scared of cops so I didn't argue with him when he wrote me the ticket. After he was gone I wondered if maybe my break lights were out and sure enough they were dead. So my question is if I can tell the cop that I wasn't engine breaking but that my break lights were out and will he get rid of the ticket? I really don't want to pay a fine for something I didn't do. Thank you for your time.

[Curt581]

No police officer would be willing to "get rid of" a traffic citation. That may have been possible years ago, but no more. We no longer have that authority. Once written, it's out of our hands.

Traffic tickets have to be decided by a judge. You were given a court date. Go to court and plead your case.

[Citicop]

You are looking at this the wrong way.

Don't think "will the officer get rid of this ticket"

Think "I have a very good defense to this charge"

Get the brake lights fixed somewhere, bring the bill into court, and explain it to the judge.

And don't forget that it's ALSO a violation to be driving a car without a single brake light on it.

-Citicop.

[Ispbear]

Sounds like your trying to test out a made up excuse on an internet forum to get out of a ticket. It's not hard to tell if a tractor is using it's engine brake. That the whole reason some towns have an ordinance against it because of the noise it makes.

[kels]

Let me guess, you got one of those little round fart can mufflers.

Good luck in court, the officer probably needs the overtime anyway.

[Buffboy]

You got a ticket for engine braking in a car??

[GoDirectly2Jail]

If your story is believable, then you got a ticket for "engine braking" when you should have gotten a ticket for "defective equipment".

No, the officer will not get rid of the ticket. Fight it in court if need be, as is your right.

[Wolfman]

Maybe you can tell the brake light story to the Prosecutor and see if he'll let you get off with paying for an improper equipment instead of engine braking...? Maybe the officer will agree. --- probably not, but you can ask

[patchcop]

Try your best in court - but don't hope to get too much. If it was here and I stopped you with both break lights out of work your ride was at the point of it's end. I don't let go a driver with both breaklights broken, it is to dangerous for himself and all the other drivers around. So be glad that you got the ticket for the other thing and the cop let you ride home.

[Officer20]

If your story is believable, then you got a ticket for "engine braking" when you should have gotten a ticket for "defective equipment".

No, the officer will not get rid of the ticket. Fight it in court if need be, as is your right.

I agree with this point of view. One way or another, you were in the wrong. If paying the fine for the "correct" violation is important to you, I'm sure the prosecutor would entertain a plea deal where the charge is amended to defective equipment (or no brake lights or whatever the equivalent statute is). The fine is likely the same for both, so it may be easier to just pay the ticket and move on, but all options are open.