Paying Ticket Same Day As Arraignment

[erh97823]

My question involves traffic court in the State of: California

A few hours before my scheduled arraignment for a cell phone ticket in Los Angeles, I decided to pay the fine rather than waste two or more days in court. There is no way to get in touch with anybody at the Metropolitan Courthouse, so my question is whether my payment has gone through in time to skip arraignment. (By paying, I pled guilty, after all.) I have the receipt that states I paid 2 hours before my court time. Help ASAP please!

[cdwjava]

So, you paid today and missed - or WILL miss - your arraignment?

NEVER, EVER miss your arraignment unless you have a written notice in hand saying you may avoid it!

Bring the receipt with you to the hearing if you still have time. Alternatively, head to the courthouse in person and check on the matter - make sure it gets cleared up today or tomorrow. Otherwise, pray that it went through and your license is not suspended for failing to appear.

[erh97823]

Thank you for your response.

The site where I paid the ticket said "Full Payment to Close Your Citation" and listed the amount. I paid the amount, after which I learned "The system will reflect this transaction on the next calendar day after 10.00 a.m.". Had I done this a week before arraignment, the situation would be the exact same, however I would not have been cutting it so close. I am not MISSING my arraignment, I just chose to plead guilty and pay the fine (which they expressly stated on the site was an alternative). If someone receives a traffic ticket, then pays it the next day, do they then still have to attend an arraignment 10 months later?

P.S. I have the written receipt of my payment stating that "Your payment in the amount of --- and the e-Public Access service fee of --- have been processed."

I'm just incredibly anxious because I have never done this before. This was the first time I was ever stopped and I got cited. (Yes, I understand that warnings are not mandatory.)

[That Guy]

Thank you for your response.

The site where I paid the ticket said "Full Payment to Close Your Citation" and listed the amount. I paid the amount, after which I learned "The system will reflect this transaction on the next calendar day after 10.00 a.m.". Had I done this a week before arraignment, the situation would be the exact same, however I would not have been cutting it so close. I am not MISSING my arraignment, I just chose to plead guilty and pay the fine (which they expressly stated on the site was an alternative). If someone receives a traffic ticket, then pays it the next day, do they then still have to attend an arraignment 10 months later?

P.S. I have the written receipt of my payment stating that "Your payment in the amount of --- and the e-Public Access service fee of --- have been processed."

I'm just incredibly anxious because I have never done this before. This was the first time I was ever stopped and I got cited. (Yes, I understand that warnings are not mandatory.)

So what would you like for us to do for you?

You can either trust the receipt and use it as proof you paid in case it didn't update quickly enough...

Or you can not trust the receipt, contact the court (yes, I realize that means going to court) and confirm that it went through and had no negative effects!

If someone receives a traffic ticket, then pays it the next day, do they then still have to attend an arraignment 10 months later?

How is that even remotely similar to your situation when your payment was not made 10 months in advance; it was made 2 hours when the system tells you it updates the next business day?

[erh97823]

Rude response was not necessary. The system does not tell you it will take a day to post the transaction until after you have paid. It actually leads you to believe it is an instant way to close your case, should you decide not to fight your ticket after all. I was looking for someone to answer from experience, not to answer with whatever bull they wanted to up their posting numbers.


For those who may have found themselves in a similar situation, I confirmed with a traffic lawyer and the DMV (seeing as there is no way to get in touch with anyone at the court house) that the proof of payment prior to the arraignment appointment will suffice, should they try to get you on a failure to appear.

[cdwjava]

For those who may have found themselves in a similar situation, I confirmed with a traffic lawyer and the DMV (seeing as there is no way to get in touch with anyone at the court house) that the proof of payment prior to the arraignment appointment will suffice, should they try to get you on a failure to appear.

But, you might be horribly inconvenienced as you struggle to get a car out of impound and get your license reinstated if there IS an error.

You might be exonerated, but that exoneration might cost you a few dollars and cause some frustration.

If you have missed your appearance, about all you can hope for is that you can get a hold of someone to make sure their records reflect your no contest plea and payment.

[That Guy]

Rude response was not necessary.

"Rude" is fairly subjective... And what you might see as rude simply because it did not affirm what you had anticipated or hoped for, I see as a inquiry as to what answer you would like to get so I can retype it and make you happy!

The system does not tell you it will take a day to post the transaction until after you have paid.

As with any other transaction that I do online, unless and until you can verify with a live person that payment was received and that the case updated accordingly, I wouldn't bet on anything. In fact, this is part of the reason why you are here!

It actually leads you to believe it is an instant way to close your case, should you decide not to fight your ticket after all.

Here is the online use agreement that appears when you select the "sesarch for Citation" option... Where is it that "it actually leads you to believe it is an instant way to close your case" in this screen???

And here is the first Box where different options are given; this one does not have the typical "traffic School" option, but then again, for a cell phone violation, neither did yours! Where is it that "it actually leads you to believe it is an instant way to close your case" in this screen???

I was looking for someone to answer from experience, not to answer with whatever bull they wanted to up their posting numbers.

If you don't like my answer, you can skip over it, skip whining about it and wait until someone else posts "from personal experience"... Carl was kind enough to post his opinion, but you can be sure that he is speaking from what he's seen and experienced from the other side of someone who went through the same experience as you!

As for upping my numbers.... Sure, that is the only way I can get that BIG paycheck at the end of the month!

If my post count bothers you that much, you are free do this every time you look at my post count, simply subtract "one" from where it stands at the time!
As for this post, well, it simply reiterates that you have an ugly attitude, so it does count... Sorry that I am unable to help you with that... Feel free to wait around for someone else to address that!

For those who may have found themselves in a similar situation, I confirmed with a traffic lawyer and the DMV (seeing as there is no way to get in touch with anyone at the court house) that the proof of payment prior to the arraignment appointment will suffice, should they try to get you on a failure to appear.

Other than what Carl has stated in ^this^ regard, I hope, for your sake, that you didn't have to pay the attorney much for that highly secretive information that you should have been able to figure out on your own. As for the DMV's opinion, where do you get the idea that the DMV can dictate what the court can and cannot do?

Fact is, the DMV MUST place a hold on your license if instructed to do so by the court... -NO QUESTIONS ASKED-
Additionally, the DMV cannot and will not remove that hold until and unless instructed to do so by the court!
And last but not least, regarding this part: "seeing as there is no way to get in touch with anyone at the court house", I am not sure which part of the FACT that court is open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday suggests to you that "there is no way to get in touch with anyone at the court house"...

[erh97823]

For anyone who is looking at this thread trying to solve their own similar problem, my case is closed. No arrest warrant, no car impounding, no license suspension. For your stress level sake, I obviously do not recommend it, however, if you find yourself in need of this information, it is probably too late for that.

cdwjava -- thanks for the actual help, things turned out okay in my situation