Can I beat a ticket if the officer put wrong information ?

Question

I was pulled over yesterday and received a citation for "supposedly" running a stop sign. The officer put the wrong road on the citation. The closest road he stated on the ticket was 5 miles down the road in a development. Would this be enough to beat in court? If I brought a witness that I did stop would it help me? Also the officer decided to ask me for my phone number and social security number after the citation? Would this help me at all? I feel really wronged as I know the officer was a half mile down the road and could not have seen if my tires stopped or not.

Answer 1

Sure you can.  Seriously!  How much legal and courtroom training have you had?  None?  You're so screwed.  Willing to learn some?  Fast?  Familiar with the process (not to mention cost) of subpoenas?  Because you are going to need something to prove you were on a different road when you were cited than the one stated on the ticket.  You'll need to cross-examine the cop's testimony to get him to state that you were on a certain road, and then PROVE that you were actually on a different road, in order to render his testimony invalid.

Yep, it can be done.  You can beat it.  But most likely you won't.

Interesting.  Laughter had a good idea about pictures as evidence.  Now here you are, in court, and you want to introduce your pictures as evidence.  But the prosecution objects.  The judge asks why.  Prosecution answers, "Predicate."  Now, how do you respond to the judge so that he overrules the objection?  Don't know?  Sustained.  Now your pictures are just worthless paper.

Answer 2

NO. The "wrong street" does not change the fact that you ran the stop sign.  A ticket can be amended at any time.  

Answer 3

No,

he'll change the wrong info to the correct info before court.

Answer 4

NO

Answer 5

Bring the case to traffic court. See how it goes. You have every right to go to court to contest to ticket. So say everything you said here to the judge.  You have a good chance of winning I think. I am not 100% sure.

Answer 6

Plead not guilty and set a trial.  In all likelihood, he will not clearly remember the incident but will testify from his report.  If his report also lists the wrong location, you have a shot.  Your best shot is if the location listed does not have a stop sign in the direction of your travel.  Use pictures that include street signs and when you cross examine the cop, have him identify the pictures to make sure the location is right, and then have him identify the picture showing no stop sign.  Note that this is not likely to work but it might, and it could be fun.  Be sure that you do not testify yourself, because then they can just amend it to the right location.  

Answer 7

A ticket is simply a charging instrument, and can be amended at any time. As long as he can identify you as the driver, the ticket will stand.

As far as the rest, that comes down to credibility in court.