Fined vs Convicted

[motobrewer]

I got pulled over the other day (plates are expired...whoops). Anyway he gave me a $10 ticket for operating without proof of insurance. I have insurance, just didn't have the updated cards in the car (policy renewed last month).

Anyway, wisconsin statue 344.65 states:

344.65  Violations.
(1) 
(a) Any person who violates s. 344.62 (1) may be required to forfeit not more than $500.
(b) Except as provided in par. (c), any person who violates s. 344.62 (2) may be required to forfeit $10.
(c) No person charged with violating s. 344.62 (2) may be convicted if the person produces proof that he or she was in compliance with s. 344.62 (1) at the time the person was issued a uniform traffic citation for violating s. 344.62 (2). This proof may be produced either at the time of the person's appearance in court in response to the citation or in the office of the traffic officer issuing the citation.

in (c), does "convicted" mean "fine"? So if I show up at the police station with my proof showing I had coverage, I'll get out of the fine?

 

[509inc]

So if I show up at the police station with my proof showing I had coverage, I'll get out of the fine?

Correct.

I know in Oklahoma you have a few days to show up with your proof of insurance.

 

[dkwolf]

Part (b), which establishes the $10 fine, also says "Except as provided in par. (c)"

And consider yourself lucky. In Iowa, the fine is higher. Much, MUCH higher. Like a couple hundred bucks. But you also have 7 days to prove to the court that you had insurance in place at the time, and then the fine (and citation) is voided.

 

[45_70sharps]

Wow!! $10? I've never heard of any fine for anything that low!
In Washington, the fines start at $250.

 

[509inc]

Wow!! $10? I've never heard of any fine for anything that low!

I once got a $10 ticket for parking in my yard. What I found even more ridiculous was I was in the garage at the time when I thought I saw someone in my yard. The cop opted to fine me instead of letting move the car.

 

[45_70sharps]

I once got a $10 ticket for parking in my yard. What I found even more ridiculous was I was in the garage at the time when I thought I saw someone in my yard. The cop opted to fine me instead of letting move the car.

Wow! I'm glad I don't live in town.

 

[motobrewer]

$10 is the fine for not wearing a seatbelt here as well.

 

[45_70sharps]

$10 is the fine for not wearing a seatbelt here as well.

I believe it's $101 here.

 

[Airplanedoc]

Here, if you bring in your proof of insurance, which you had before the ticket, they will drop it.

 

[Psych]

This $10 fine business is insane, everything is $130 or up here, except for parking violations which are like $20 or so. No insurance (or no plates showing up to date insurance) is easily over $200.

Who cares about a $10 fine? Though the way things are worded here at least, once you pay said fine it means you accept guilt for said crime, and are thus "convicted", goes on your record, etc.

 

[ctrlpabrewer]

PA is funny about fines. I was given a "failure to obey traffic control devices" fine for rolling through a stop sign. The fine is $25, but with all of the fees it adds up to about $109...

But back to your original question...yes you should be able to show proof on ins. and be good to go...

 

[IXVolt]

I was washing my truck once when I lived in Cali and being the guy I am I drove that b*tch up on the lawn to wash it so the water would drain into the grass.

Cop pulls up while I'm inside filling my bucket with warm water in the tub and puts a ticket in my window for illegal parking. Didn't even stick around for me to "talk" about it. I came out probably 3 minutes later with a bucket of water and saw I had a ticket.

 

[jmendez29]

I got a $10 ticket for parking in my driveway. Beat that!

Local ordinance says something about parking between the sidewalk and street, but the way it's worded implies that parking on the grass between the sidewalk and street is what is really at issue. Tried discussing it with the officer the next day, no luck. Followed through on the court hearing to see if I could persuade a judge, no luck. But as I was leaving, I was just kinda making conversation with the officer and the judge when I went to the cashiers window to pay. My buddy's sister was the supervisor there and I started talking to her. It became obvious I knew her. I haven't had a similar ticket since then. Not sure if the fact that I "knew someone" helped or if maybe they took the hint that I was willing to fight for what's right so they leave me alone. Maybe it's just coincidence.

 

[reinstone]

lucky you-in this shisthole IL you would be in court talking to the judge. Pay the ten bucks-

 

[Zuljin]

10 bucks!? Is there a fee schedule for other crimes? I may want to go on a spree.

 

[zolakk]

10 bucks!? Is there a fee schedule for other crimes? I may want to go on a spree.

I know! I got a ticket for the same thing in Vegas and it was something like $1200 if I couldn't bring proof to the courthouse to get it waived

 

[reinstone]

I got a 100 dollar fine for drinking a beer outside a bar here in the IL

 

[DromJohn]

$10 is low enough to make it often cheaper to pay the fine than to contest it, which probably ups the total fines collected in Wisconsin while lowering the court costs for the state.

 

[63belair]

MA insurance companies don't issue proof of insurance cards, it can make driving (well really getting pulled over) in other states a PITA.

Way it works in MA is if you can only register an insured car. If you cancel don't pay etc your insurance, they notify the registry and they revoke your registration. Once officer mcfriendly runs your tags they show up as revoked.

I never understood why a little card stating you had insurance at one point in time was so important, couldn't you cancel your insurance the day after you got the card and just hang onto the card as 'proof of insurance'?