Ticket for Expired Tabs in Washington

[prusakolep]

My question involves vehicle registration or title in the state of: WA.

I got a ticket for driving with expired tabs. I am rather pissed at this, as it was on July 8th and I had a June sticker. The cop was following me for about a mile before pulling me over, apparently trying to see if he'll get anything else. He just took my license/registration without saying why he pulled me over, and wrote a $124 ticket. I asked if he could give me a fix-it ticket since it was less than 30 days expired, but he just launched into a tirade that the registration is expired "over a month" and if it was over 2 months, it would be an even bigger ticket. It makes me feel that they find it harder to catch speeders on Mercer Island and they try to find just any reason to give people tickets...

Naturally I got the emissions test and registration the next day, question is how should I deal with the ticket. The ticket cites statute RCW 46.16A.030.5.L. There is no subsection L in the statute, though from what I was able to find out, the "L" refers to "less than 2 months expired" even though there is no such text in the statute. Is there any reason to try to dismiss the charges based on the non-existence of the cited statute? If I don't try to argue the incorrect statute, should I ask for a mitigation hearing or a contested hearing? Either way I would show proof of registration and ask for the fine to be dropped or reduced. The ticket as written is for a traffic infraction and that it will go on my record if found guilty. Does this mean my insurance can be affected? Should I try to get the ticket changed to a non-traffic infraction? I could describe a personal story why I didn't get the registration done on time, though I doubt that it will matter.

Any other advice on this? This is in Mercer Island court.

[flyingron]

The section numbers were revised July 1. The number given was the older one. It's not going to get you out of anythig though.
What sob story do you think justifies running around without renewed registrations. The statute doesn't say you must display valid registration unless it's inconvenient or otherwise difficult for you to do so?