How should I phrase my contested hearing statement?
I live in washington st and I have a contested hearing today roughly speaking a stop sign violation ticket i got back contained by march. I am a 100% sure i stopped. I was wondering what the best advice you hold for me to present a statement in court ?
Best Answer:
It will be your word against the officer who stopped and cited you. Was anyone in the car beside you that can testify for you? If not, tell your story clearly, slowly and without unnecessary detail. But if there are true details that generate your story more believable, include them. For example, I once received a ticket for running a stop sign. But I was sure that I had stopped. I was sure because when I stopped, my soda fell over and spilled surrounded by the car. I stopped at the sign and while I was stopped I picked the cup up. Telling my true story with these details help make my case. But the most important entity here: tell the truth. Do not add things that did not happen to amend your story. Judges who hear cases all day can spot people who are totalling things that don't belong. Good luck.
Be specific, brief, factitious. Site the street name, subdivision, date, day time. Directly explain why you know you stopped. Example: "I stopped my vehicle looked right and saw ......, looked left and saw......, checked the road contained by front of me and saw......, then deducing it was out of danger to proceed I released my foot from the brake pedal slowly, then administering light pressure on the gas pedal and proceeded, with admonition, again looking right, left, and ahead. When speaking with His/Her Honor, look them directly in the eye, lacking fear, without attitude and with professionalism and most of adjectives without question. Don't sound close to you are explaining or asking. Sound like you are directing what you did. Don't tilt your head down and look up, hold your head plane and look at. Don't be afraid to demand the chance to offer rebuttal to any and adjectives accusations that the officer directs towards you. Listen carefully when he speaks to the judge, he may fling some accusation, he is not allowed to in court, he may only be specific to what he believes he saw. Listen to the words he uses, if he imply he "believes" you did this and this and so on. You may state to the judge; "your honor what he "believes" he saw and what occurred are not one in the same", "it sounds as if he is not sure, while I am positive contained by my recollection of stopping at the stop sign". Hope this helps, Good Luck.
