Michigan speeding ticket - written out to my mother, not me. What to do?

Parent Cafe
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<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>Tonight I was issued a speeding ticket for driving 5-over on a road just off the expressway (I was really going 13 over, but the officer said he gave me a break) and he encouraged me to schedule a court date and explain myself to the magistrate (I was lost and confused as I missed my exit and thought I was merging onto another expressway). </p>

<p>However, when I got home and checked the ticket, it has all of my mother’s information on it (her DL number, height, weight, name; EVERYTHING)… This is because she is the registered owner of the vehicle, but I gave the officer my DL right away and in no manner attempted to mislead him. In fact, since I asked him for directions after he issued the citation and I was quite polite about the ordeal, I bet he would remember me.</p>

<p>I called a friend of mine, and he said I should call the clerk on Monday, explain to them that I’m the one who received the ticket but that my mom’s name is on it, and say I want it dismissed since I was alone in the vehicle and because the ticket is incorrect. In court if the officer appears at the hearing, I should state that I would like for the ticket to be dismissed since the information is incorrect. Is this what I should do?</p>

<p>Here’s what I’m worried about, though: the court won’t believe me and will make my mother either pay or show up to a hearing, or potentially put out a warrant for her arrest if I show up at the hearing alone saying it was me and not her. My mother is FURIOUS at me and said she will not in any way pay a ticket or show up to court, and even though I explained to her that technically it IS issued to her and she’s the one who did it as far as the record is concerned, she still thinks it’s just something for me to take care of and for her to just sit there.</p>

<p>Yes, I did speed (though accidentally) and if the court were to want to re-write the ticket in my name (though I don’t think they can do that?), I would pay the fine, take the points, and get on with my day. I made a mistake and should learn to not drive in the dark in unfamiliar surroundings. However, since this now concerns my mother as well, I want to make sure nothing happens to her and, ideally, I would like for the ticket to be dismissed because that is a gross oversight on the officer’s part.</p>

<p>Any advice? Should I consult a lawyer? </p>

<p>Thanks in advance. I appreciate it.</p>

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<p>I would have my mom call and try to get it dismissed even before going to court. She can call the officer’s station and tell them “I didn’t even drive my car that night. He gave it to one of my kids accidentally”. If they don’t dismiss then have her show up in court and she will get out of it. </p>

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<p>Thank you for your response!</p>

<p>I have a sort of follow up question, then:</p>

<p>Should I not even get involved? Should I have my mom just call and say she didn’t drive it and that someone had driven her car (and not mention me?)? And if they want her to go to court and if she goes, when they ask the officer if that’s the woman he cited, he’ll say no and they’ll drop it? All she’ll have to do is prove her innocence?</p>

<p>Will he then want to correct it to the right person if he remembers me?</p>

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<p>I wouldn’t even get involved. If they make her go to court then she can say it wasn’t her. The officer should remember that it wasn’t her but it wouldn’t hurt for her to be able to prove it (e.g. she was with so and so and not even near there). They can’t change to ticket after the fact to your name. </p>

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<p>Are you 100% sure you didn’t accidentally give him your mom’s DL? I only ask because that sort of information wouldn’t be on a registration so I don’t know where he would get it…</p>

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<p>@Sdgal2‌, I’m 100% positive. It was definitely mine and I was returning home from somewhere and hadn’t seen her for a few days. And maybe he got it from the license plate?</p>

<p>And @TV4caster‌, that makes sense, but my mom is thus far very negative about this and says she doesn’t want to miss work and go to court. But she kind of has to if they say to, right? I mean, it’s HER name on HER record. She has to prove she didn’t do it.</p>

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<p>D1 was given my car to drive during grad school. In St Louis, Missouri they gave tickets by a video tape. She did not stop completely at a right turn red light and I was issued a ticket and it was sent to my home (in another state)_. They even sent the link to the video. I then had to sign the ticket- option one- I was driving the car and here is the money (around $150), option two- I was not driving the car and this is who was and their relationship to me and their address, options three- the car was stolen or something like that. I choose option 2 and then she was sent a ticket and I made sure the payment went through. I looked it up- It was questionable and I think California had something like this- they are arresting the car…but neither of us needed a warrant… </p>

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<p>Your signature is on the ticket and unless you and she share the same name, it should be proof that you got the ticket not your mother.</p>

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<p>My signature? I didn’t sign anything, nor did he ask me to.</p>

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<p>^^^that’s very odd. You have to sign a ticket. They always say “this is not an admission of guilt, but simply an admission that you received the ticket”. </p>

<p>Check the ticket and if there is no signature I would tell your mother to call the officer and say that she did not get a ticket and that someone gave it to her and that it was not signed. </p>

<p>@rockymtnhigh is correct. They can give tickets by video (I got one for not stopping at a stop sign). This is not one of those cases from what the OP posted. </p>

<p>Then bottom line is that he screwed up and copied the info from the registration and there is no chance either of you will get found guilty now. IMO. </p>

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<p>Yep, I definitely did not sign anything, and after looking this thing over top to bottom, I don’t even see a space for me to sign besides the part about admitting responsibioity or not that you have to mail in.</p>

<p>I do see that by the officer’s information there’s a checked box thay says “I served a copy of the civil infraction complaint upon the defendant (or owner/occupant by posting if applicable). I declare under the penalties of perjury that the statements above are true to the best of my information, knowledge, and belief”</p>

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<p>Oh, and there is a part on the bottom about “violations for which court may wave fees/fines” that reads “correct the violation. Present the citation to any law enforcement officer to certify the correction. Mail or bring the citation to the court clerk at the address shown before your appearance or hearing date”</p>

<p>What exactly does that mean? Prove that he wrote it to the wrong person? But how is “any law enforcement officer” supposed to know that?</p>

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<p>I think “correct the violation” refers to getting some part of the car fixed that wasn’t working, like a headlight. Not getting a ticket changed to reflect the correct person. :)</p>

<p>Frankly, this sounds like a mess. I’d probably call the patrol sgt. on Monday and see if that person can help you figure out what to do. This has all kinds of possibilities of bad things happening to your mom if it isn’t cleanly resolved.</p>

<p>Suggestion: keep it really simple when you talk to the sgt.
Friday night I was driving on <roadname> when Officer <whateverhisnamewas> stopped me for speeding and issued a ticket. I was driving my mom’s car. When I got to my home and looked carefully at the ticket, I realized that it was written out with all my mom’s information on it, not mine. My mom wasn’t even in the car. What do I need to do to get this resolved so that the ticket is in my name as the driver?</whateverhisnamewas></roadname></p>

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<p>That invalidates the ticket, it shouldn’t be a big deal to go to court and indicate that it was clearly you driving and not your mom, who you should be able to prove was not in the car.</p>

<p>Case dismissed.</p>

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<p>^ I agree with the above. You need to call and fix this not your mom. </p>

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<p>I also agree with arabrab. That’s the best and most honest approach. </p>

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<p>Honesty has nothing to do with it. The officer screwed up and she should not try to get it switched to her name. She should call and try to get it dismissed by the officer or his supervisor. '</p>

<p>I would call the officer and/or supervisor and explain that you were driving and gave him your license but that he accidentally wrote the ticket to the car’s owner based on the registration and that he needs to throw it out. I wouldn’t even tell him who you are. I would just say “I borrowed the car”. If nothing else, the fact that you are bringing this up will make the case be fresh in his mind if it isn’t dismissed and your mom still has to show up in court. </p>

<p>If it is not dismissed you mom MUST show up in court. She will be found in contempt if she does not since it is her name on the ticket and not yours. </p>

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<p>How very strange that he had all of your mother’s DL information. That isn’t on the registration. </p>

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<p>Okay, I’m sorry, but I’m getting conflicting advice here… so I take it that we SHOULD start with calling the officer or his supervisor and explaining what happened in lieu of just making a hearing and trying to explain it there, but what should we say, exactly? I should call and say “i got a speeding ticket but it was issued to my mother since I was driving her car, so rewrite it” or “i got a speeding ticket but it was issued to my mother since I was driving her car, so dismiss it”?</p>

<p>My mom has a call into a family friend who works in our county as an officer, so hopefully he’ll be able to help (if he calls back)</p>

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<p>And @alwaysamom‌, it is strange. We still don’t really know why/how it happened since I gave him my DL right away. Someone told me that the registration does have all that when they put it through the system or something, but I don’t really know </p>