So im driving on my way to school to turn in some papers for my loan. I take the exit off the interstate and get to this traffic light. Keep in mind that I've never seen the traffic light green at the time. Im 5 cars back from the 1st car waiting at the light. Its a two way lane there is a total of 9 or 10 cars in front of me. The light is still red and traffic starts to build up behind me. Im about a half a mile away from the school. So I'm still waiting been about 2 mins and waiting for a bout a good 4 min. So cars start to honk their horns behind us its a bout a half mile of traffic behind us. Now people start to assume that the traffic light is broken and start to run the red light but doing it in a proper fashion as if the traffic light were broken. All 9 or 10 cars run the light and now its my turn. I look around a wait for the car on the side of me to go we go at the same time and out of no where a cop comes out and decides to give only me the ticket!!! But yea you think I could go to court and get out of it? I think that its BS!

 

What was the ticket for..?

 

can't hurt to go to court.

if it were me, i might have tried to make a right turn on red and found my way around the intersection.

 

I think running the red light...

 

i mean ive heard of this before cops in our town sit at lights hidden and control them normally late at night and wait to see how long and if the person will run the red light....its sorta entrapment, but they try pulling it anyway.... idk if this is the same situation you are in but if it is you can fight it.....

 

i actually heard of that too haha

 

sorry man, you're screwed even if you fight it. It sucks that you're the one that got hit, but no matter what, it's breaking the law. You should have turned right at the light which is legal, and made a u turn when you could. Sorry man, i've been in the same situation too many times myself...i just go with the right turn option always so as not to get busted...cuz my luck sucks!

 

^^unless it says no turn on red haha... idk if you even have those signs in CA but here in PA some of the lights have a No turn on red Sign posted...

 

IF, you can prove the light was manipulated, then its entrapment and your off the hook. But otherwise, good luck. Oh and call a lawyer if they did.

 

preach it to the judge or run to mexico?

 

That sucks. I was on my way to work one day bright and it was early morning. These one lights take about 5 min to turn green, Its early morning, I'm tired so eh. w.e I don't care i'll wait em out. They just turned red as I rolled up too. So I'm sitting there. Then I see the the perpendicular lights go Yellow, Red, I put it into first, raise the RPMs a little, then the Perpendicular lights skip my turn and go to green. Not a single other car on the road mind you. I'm like wtf and just blew the light.

That cop stopping you is a little messed up but at a busy intersection, like you make it sound to be, I woulda done what Drax said.

 

i couldnt turn at the intersection it was a 2 lane and i was on the left side but the car on side of me passed the red light the same time he was in the right lane. Its usually not a busy intersection but that light was just taking forever 4 mins at a light is kinda ridiculous. I always pass the light when i go to school & never had this happen before. Usually it fast to turn green. But yea I recall my boss saying he got connections to get out of tickets. It was NOPD and not a state trooper so i might have a chance at this one. Yea Hans its was like that but only 10 cars ran the light before me and I happen to get caught.

 

4 mins thats all...We have a light here thats way longer than that! but sry to hear about your situation...

 

I think fayetteville has some of the worst lights. They will be red for what seems like forever, then they turn green and let 2 cars through before they are red again and you are stuck waiting again. I would love to meet the guy who made the light system here just to punch him in the face.

 

Do I think it's fair? Yes. You did something illegal. Do you think it's fair that 9 theives didn't get caught stealing but the 10th did? You took a chance... You did something illegal and yea it sucks you got busted, but that's just the luck of the draw. How many times were you doing over the speed limit and didn't get caught but someone is pulled over on the side of the road? It sucks but that's life. I doubt you'll get out of it. The judge isn't going to say, "oh, well you waited for 3 minutes, so after the 3 minute point it's OK do run red lights"

 

that happened to me but without the cop. I get to a 6 intersection street and there were a couple of cars already. i'm on my way to work so i'm in a bit of a hurry. i'm waiting for the light to turn but it never does the lights cycled 3 times but my light didn't change. so people started taking the light. no one got caught i believe but i'm sure i could have fought it if i did.

I read in the motorcycles driving manual that if this happens to a motorcycle, a motorcycle can legally run it if they make a complete stop and take precaution. the only difference in ur situation is that u drive a car instead. Some other states like South Caroline and Tennesse have this law

 

i dont know if its legal for a bike to run it or not but i know the reason they do is because the bike wont set off the sensor sometimes. My friends have to do it all the time.

 

Doesn't matter..the Cop chose you...Similar thing happened to me too!...Just deal w/ it...

 

you should fight it.

 

Look....4 years ago when I got home from the service and got my first ticket, I did a lot of research on the net. Every. Single. Site. says to FIGHT. The WORST that can happen if you fight is you lose and have to pay the fine. The best is that the cop doesn't show up and you're off scott free. You do need to hire a lawyer though. Most will do traffic citations for only $75. a far cry from the $200 that a red light ticket will usually run you.

In the case of traffic tickets like these, it's on the part of the court to PROVE that you did not act REASONABLY given the circumstances present at the time.

Bear in mind, that if the cop shows up and it goes to a jury trial, you'll have 12 people sitting there who've all probably had a ticket or two in their lives.

The simple truth (as I understand it from your post) is that the light was broken and everyone was working together to treat it as a 4-way stop sign, just as you are supposed to do in such instances. It is up to the court to prove otherwise and in a traffic court, just as in a criminal trial....if there is ANY REASONABLE doubt that you didn't intentionally 'run' the light, you're off. Any half-decent lawyer will beat that in a second.

FIGHT.