Hiya,

Made the mistake of going to Boulder today. Got a ticket from Boulder's finest at Broadway and 18th for not yielding to a pedestrian. It's a $100 fine and 4 points.

Is it worth going to court and trying to plea bargan the points down or should I just mail in the check and take my lumps? I don't mind the fine but the 4 points kind of hurt. In Denver they would plea bargan with no problem but I don't know about Boulder.

And if I do go to court should I get a lawyer?

I have (had) a clean record with no tickets / accidents. I was going all of 10 mph in bumper to bumper traffic at the time (3:15pm). The two guys crossing the street had just reached the median and weren't even looking my way as I passed. I'm still guilty, but man, that was a picky call.

I've learned my lesson and from now on will just stay the heck away from Boulder. I used to like the town. Lived there for 7 years back in the 80's. No more....

Dan

 

They may cut you some slack on points when you go, but doubt you will be able to get much from them....Boulder is pretty tough when it comes to things like that. Doubt a lawyer will do you much good either, between the court time, lawyer fees, etc, is it worth it?

cheers
jon

 

>>Boulder is pretty tough when it comes to things like that.
>>

That's what I'm thinking. I'll probably show up in court and see what happens. If I can get it down to 2 pts it would be nice but if not, the court costs are only $25 more.

I've taken my S to Boulder twice now and both times have drawn the attention of the men in blue. First time was late at night back in November just after I got it. They pulled a U'e and followed me for about a mile before going on their way. I think they just wanted to check out the car.

I do know if I head to Boulder anytime soon again it won't be in my MINI. Think I'll take my 11 yr old Honda del Sol. Less conspicuous.

Dan

 

Dan,

I work in Boulder and live in Longmont. A few months ago, at 6:45pm, I got a ticket for making a right turn past a sign that said "No right turn between the hours of 7:00am and 7:00pm". There was a police car waiting for me half a block down the street. He pulled me over and gave me a ticket. I was pissed but kept my cool dealing with him (it paid off).

I went to court and learned a few things.

1. If you have a clean record, they will generally send you a plea offer in the mail -- usually reduced fine and or points.

2. The officer usually makes notes regarding circumstances and drivers attitude on the back of the ticket that he turns in.

3. You can change the outcome during your discussion with the judge or the city rep that you plea bargain with if there were mitigating circumstances and you maintain a good attitude.

In the end you could get the fine or points reduced or you could get a defererred sentence or you could get a major violation reduced to a lesser violation.

In my case, I went from a moving violation with 4 points ..... to not wearing a seatbelt (I was wearing it) .... and finally to driving with a defective headlight (it wasn't). I paid the fine and didn't get any points.

Johnna

 

Thanks for the info Johnna. Glad you got your ticket downgraded. I do have a clean record so hopefully I can work something out.

Dan

 

My experience is to go to court whenever possible and make your case in a calm pleasant manner. Don't be hot or indignant, and don't bad mouth the police. The judges work with and know these officers and sometimes even like them; so no matter how petty you think they were when they ticketed you, treat them with respect. Tell your story and hope for the best. If you are perceived as nice, then the judge will be very likely to reduce your fine. Good luck

 

>>I've learned my lesson and from now on will just stay the heck away from Boulder.<<

Sorry to be the downer here, but your lesson should be not to blow through crosswalks while pedestrians are waiting to cross. If you were going 10 mph, obviously you could see them, and arguing that their heads were momentarily turned away doesn't absolve you of your responsibility. You should have stopped your car, plain and simple. Stop whining, pay the ticket, and drive more responsibly in the future.
_________________
"Meine dispatcher says there is something wrong with deine cable"

 

>>Sorry to be the downer here, but your lesson should be not to blow through crosswalks while pedestrians are waiting to cross. If you were going 10 mph, obviously you could see them, and arguing that their heads were momentarily turned away doesn't absolve you of your responsibility. You should have stopped your car, plain and simple. Stop whining, pay the ticket, and drive more responsibly in the future.
>>_________________

Hi Chrisnl,

You're not being a downer here. I asked for opinions and you gave yours. You're right, after reading my post it does come off as whining. Sorry about that. Bottom line: I am guilty, I did fail to yield, and will pay whatever fine I end up with.

I had meant for the post to ask about how tough the Boulder courts were on plea bargaining. That's why I posted it in the Rocky Mountain forum. Guess it didn't come off that way.

On another note: If you ever come out this way, you should check out Boulder and the area around it. It's a mecca for biking, hiking, & rock climbing. Tons of open space with miles-n-miles of trails. The foothills are within walking distance of downtown. Read your profile that you are an environmental consultant. I think you'd really like the area as Boulder is a very liberal town and big on environmental issues.

Dan

 

Dan,
I don't believe you were whinning. Just my opinion and I hope I am still allowed to express my opinion, even in Boulder.

_________________
MINI... greater than the sum of its parts

 

Unless it is an opinion about girls and football

 

What Chris didn't say is that he (and I) lives in Massachusetts where there's a long, noble, tradition of yielding to pedestrians. You'll note if you ever visit our fair cities (particularly those that contain a surplus of college students) that pedestrians dash out into traffic with impunity 'cause it's pretty much illegal to run them down no matter where they are (unlike, say, New York City where you're fair game if you're not crossing in a crosswalk). This does put the average Baystater at a distinct disadvantage when s/he visits a less pedestrian-friendly city. Maybe we should head to Boulder as it sounds pretty safe there.

Good luck with the ticket, hope your otherwise clean record cuts you some slack!

 

Here's a funny story about Boulder's parking enforcement:

I got married in Boulder at the Episcopal Church near the Boulderado. Directly in front of the church doors is a "NO Parking" zone to allow for the church to provide an open place where elderly people can be dropped off for church, or to ensure that a hearse has access for a funeral, etc.

I arranged for the valet at the Boulderado to deliver my white Land Rover Defender 90 to the front door right before the wedding was to end so that my wife and I could leave the church in style after the wedding. The Land Rover was decorated with flowers and had a custom spare tire cover that had a Land Rover logo that said "Just Married" on it. It was completely obvious that my vehicle was parked there for a wedding.

When we came out of the church, I had a parking ticket on the windshield! It was the first sign that my marriage was a terrible mistake!

 

(Boulderado? Sounds someplace that the Flintstones would visit. )

 

If you get an attorney to represent you, you'll have a much better chance of getting the plea (e.g. no points) than going pro se (defending yourself). If your insurance rates would take a hit due to the points, well then it seems to be a no-brainer. If not, go have fun in court yourself and save a few bucks in the process.

 

>>I had meant for the post to ask about how tough the Boulder courts were on plea bargaining. That's why I posted it in the Rocky Mountain forum. Guess it didn't come off that way.<<

I probably jumped the gun in flaming you; I do tend to get testy when it comes to crosswalk violations because I walked to work here in Boston for three years. As jsun says, people are probably more aware of those laws here in Massachusetts, but my middle finger was definitely a regular feature of my morning commute on foot. The thing about Boston is that the drivers suck, the pedestrians suck, the cyclists suck, AND the cops suck. Everyone is out for themselves at everyone else's expense, and there's no common respect. It tends to make one bitter, to put it mildly.

The one thing Massachusetts pretty much ignores is jaywalking, which can be every bit as dangerous as ignoring crosswalks behind the wheel. Go figure.

I'm planning a cross-country trip next year before heading to grad school, and definitely plan to check out Colorado! All I've seen of it was out the window of an Amtrak train.

 

4 points!!!??? You get 9 in NJ for running them over AND killing them... 4 points is waay to much, especially considering the circumstances. Go to court, be nice, and I'm sure they'll let you slide with a bigger fine (like $200) and no points. Points just cost too much in the end, when your insurance goes up for 3 years (or whatever it is in your state)

 

I've only had to deal with the Boulder PD once. They gave me a ticket for expired tags on my old truck. I was able to argue that one away by showing up with fresh registration by the time the ticket was due. No court at all. They had me dead to rights if they had wanted, so there is hope. Though I estimate the best you could hope for is a reduction to a 2 point ticket in this case.

 

Do they offer a traffic school (most offer it on the internet so you can do it any time)???

Earl