Inaccurate Violator Information on Ticket

[95PGTTech]

On my way to vacation a few days ago in North NJ I was stopped by a State Trooper for illegally having my front windows tinted on our 05 Ford Escape. He seemed to be in a bad mood so I just cooperated and went on my way. When I went to pay it today as soon as I got back (39: 3 - 75) I confirmed no front tint is legal in NJ. My rear windows are factory tinted and fine, my fronts are 35% to match and have been since it was a PA car and legal 7 years ago (never stopped for it before, totally forgot).

On my ticket, my address is incorrect. I bought a house in July and informed the officer that the current address was on the sticker on the back of the license I gave him. He wrote down my old address on the ticket. Additionally, I got vanity plates for this vehicle a few months ago. The registration I handed him has these new vanity plates, yet he still wrote down the "old" plate. Are either of these inaccuracies reason to have the ticket thrown out, and what is the process for pursuing this? If I was in the Cobra and booking it and he was letting me off the hook with a tints ticket I'd merrily count my blessings and pay it ASAP, but I feel like he was unnecessarily rude and unprofessional to my wife so if I can stick it back to him on this one I will.

We were going up a steep hill to the point I had to go to second gear and he was sitting behind a liquor store on my side. I assume he was shooting radar into cars rear as they went by coming down the hill and looked back after I passed him and commented he was really well hidden and thought nothing of it. A half mile down the road I was surprised to see him lights on in my rearview and was honestly wondering if something was really wrong (not that feeling when you blast past a cop at 20 over and KNOW what he's mad about). When he said tints I was like what the...

 

[oldmodman]

NO.

The officer or maybe even the court can change a paperwork error since it has nothing to do with your guilt or innocence.

 

[95PGTTech]

Should this be something I mention when I pay it to avoid some problems down the road proving I paid it or having to pay it again?

 

[silver03svt]

In the courts eyes, these are just minor clerical errors on the officer's part. The address was your address at one point, and the tag he wrote was still issued to that vehicle at one point. A court of law would simply allow the updated information to be amended on the charge, and then it would be business as usual for the actual violation.

 

[95oRANGEcRUSH]

In the courts eyes, these are just minor clerical errors on the officer's part. The address was your address at one point, and the tag he wrote was still issued to that vehicle at one point. A court of law would simply allow the updated information to be amended on the charge, and then it would be business as usual for the actual violation.

This.

I have written down a violator's "old" address several times. There are several reasons why this sometimes happens but I usually do it out of expediency. If the person is a major mope, has attitude issues, calls backing up in my district, heavy traffic in vicinity of traffic stop, etc. I may not want to prolong my time standing in the roadway next to the violator trying to get their updated address. It's just not worth it, and, has no bearing on the validity of the cite.

 

[95PGTTech]

In the courts eyes, these are just minor clerical errors on the officer's part. The address was your address at one point, and the tag he wrote was still issued to that vehicle at one point. A court of law would simply allow the updated information to be amended on the charge, and then it would be business as usual for the actual violation.

This.

I have written down a violator's "old" address several times. There are several reasons why this sometimes happens but I usually do it out of expediency. If the person is a major mope, has attitude issues, calls backing up in my district, heavy traffic in vicinity of traffic stop, etc. I may not want to prolong my time standing in the roadway next to the violator trying to get their updated address. It's just not worth it, and, has no bearing on the validity of the cite.

So the follow up question is do I go about getting the information correctly to avoid more/double trouble for me or just let it go uncorrected and pay it as is?

 

[silver03svt]

So the follow up question is do I go about getting the information correctly to avoid more/double trouble for me or just let it go uncorrected and pay it as is?

If you are going to pay, then just pay it. If you are really that concerned about future troubles over it, you could always just send a quick letter with the payment making sure that they know the correct address and plate #. Honestly, the court probably doesn't really care as long as they get the payment for the violation.

 

[ShelbyGT5HUN]

LEO wrote the wrong birth date on my ticket. I brought it up to the judge, and he let the officer correct it right there on the spot in court. So like the above said, it isn't grounds for dismissal.

 

[305oh]

Minor clerical erros of a dob, address, or ethnicity on a citation doesn't clear your cite.

 

[Gravik]

So you pretty much have to rent a car to go from PA to NJ if your car has tinted windows that are within the legal limit in PA, otherwise you can get a ticket. Makes sense...

 

[Lt. ZO6]

So you pretty much have to rent a car to go from PA to NJ if your car has tinted windows that are within the legal limit in PA, otherwise you can get a ticket. Makes sense...

Don't believe you can legally tint front windshield in PA...

 

[Troponin]

I had a friend years ago that fought a ticket in which he fought the officer's procedures during the stop. The officer neglected to identify himself and didn't tell him why he had pulled him over. This was a small town dept where I grew up that eventually got shut down for corruption and screw balls though. It's not common that an officer doesn't tell you why you were pulled over. It's pretty standard stuff. Now, I have had officers neglect to identify themselves. Not sure if that alone is enough to get a ticket thrown out though.

Regardless, was just adding to the discussion. Don't have anything to addd that hasn't already been said.

 

[Lt. ZO6]

I heard if the officer gets out of his vehicle and isn't wearing his hat, the tickets get thrown out also...

 

[ashleyroachclip]

Is the car registered in PA or NJ.
If it is registered in PA where front tint is legal , you have nothing g to worry about .
If it is registered in NJ where the tint is not legal, remove the tint, take the car in and show them, or ha e pictures proving it has been removed , and if it is a fix it ticket , you will be done .

 

[Explosive]

I had a similar issue last year. Got a ticket in my car and somehow the ticket had my fathers name and birthdate on it ??? When i went to court they just made me run from courthouse to police station fixing their own errors......

 

[95PGTTech]

In the courts eyes, these are just minor clerical errors on the officer's part. The address was your address at one point, and the tag he wrote was still issued to that vehicle at one point. A court of law would simply allow the updated information to be amended on the charge, and then it would be business as usual for the actual violation.

Is the car registered in PA or NJ.
If it is registered in PA where front tint is legal , you have nothing g to worry about .
If it is registered in NJ where the tint is not legal, remove the tint, take the car in and show them, or ha e pictures proving it has been removed , and if it is a fix it ticket , you will be done .

It's registered in NJ, and there was no offer to fix it, though he did tell me to remove it.
Sorry, at one $55 ticket since I've had the car, that's not worth the effort to remove it. Leather gets ****ing hot.