Ticket for a Non-Working Headlight

My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: Metuchen NJ

I was stopped by a traffic police today. He showed me that my front passenger headlight was not working. He issued me a ticket for "Maintenance of Lamps". I have never had a ticket before in the city of Metuchen in the state of New Jersey.

The police officer said to me that he could give me three tickets; i.e. one for front passenger headlight, two for front license plate that has a cover frame from dealer that I bought the car and three back license plate that has a cover frame from dealer. He then said to me that I was suppose to say "Yes" to his proposal that he was giving me one ticket instead of three (in a very rude sarcastic manner). I was really offended by his behavior. It appears that he had some kind of prejudice against me. BTW, I am Indian in my ethnicity.

He said that it is illegal to drive in the state of NJ with dealer advertised plate cover.

Here is my question:

1. Is it true that it is illegal to have a dealer frame on the license plate?
2. Could the police officer give me a first warning? Of course it was never my intention to drive with a bad headlight. How am I suppose to know?
3. The fine is $54 but I am not sure about the points. Am I getting points too?
4. What should I do? Contest or pay? Do I have a strong grounds to contest?

My emotions are high right now so I need to get some right advice from you. My first reaction is to plead not guilty but the fact that my headlight was bad doesn't put me in any better position. However, I can use the argument that the officer tried to demonstrate that he was doing me a favor by giving me one ticket instead of three, therefore, is it true that it is illegal to have a dealer frame on the license plate?

I can drive around the city and take picture of many cars that has dealer frame attach to their license plates (I am sure that I can find many). But how should I tackle this matter to the judge. What would be a better way to manage this situation?

Your help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Here is the relevant part of 39:3-33. Markers; requirements concerning; display of fictitious or wrong numbers, etc.; punishment

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No person shall drive a motor vehicle which has a license plate frame or identification marker holder that conceals or otherwise obscures any part of any marking imprinted upon the vehicle's registration plate or any part of any insert which the director, as hereinafter provided, issues to be inserted in and attached to that registration plate or marker.

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The license plate frame doesn't obscures or conceals the plate. It is a frame most dealers would put on everyone's car license plate. I don't understand what you are trying to say. Please advice.

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My first reaction is to plead not guilty but the fact that my headlight was bad doesn't put me in any better position.

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so, how do you argue you were not guilty? The fact your headlight was bad doesn't just put you is a worse position; it is the proof of guilt.

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However, I can use the argument that the officer tried to demonstrate that he was doing me a favor by giving me one ticket instead of three,

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how does that do anything to fix the headlight?

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I can drive around the city and take picture of many cars that has dealer frame attach to their license plates (I am sure that I can find many). But how should I tackle this matter to the judge.

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You can probably find some cars with bad headlights to that have not been given tickets. I have no idea why you believe that somehow makes you any less guilty.

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1. Is it true that it is illegal to have a dealer frame on the license plate?

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Most states do not allow anything that obscures information on the plate. Does your cover cover any information on the plate?

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2. Could the police officer give me a first warning?

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yes but he didn't choose to

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3. The fine is $54 but I am not sure about the points. Am I getting points too?

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Offhand I do not know. As a general issue, many states do not assign points to such an issue as it is considered a non-moving violation in many states.

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Do I have a strong grounds to contest?

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if the headlight is out, you don't have any grounds to contest it.

The first thing I would do is fix the headlight.

Many license plate covers put on cars by dealers are illegal. If you cannot interpret or follow the law, you should not be driving.

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Quoting kanada

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The license plate frame doesn't obscures or conceals the plate. It is a frame most dealers would put on everyone's car license plate. I don't understand what you are trying to say. Please advice.

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I have seen a LOT of dealer trims that are actually illegal as they do obscure information on the plate.

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Quoting jk

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so, how do you argue you were not guilty? The fact your headlight was bad doesn't just put you is a worse position; it is the proof of guilt.

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I did say that the fact that my headlight was bad doesn't put me in any better position. I don't deny it.

I believe you are misunderstanding me. I am not contesting that my headlight was bad. I am sure that the officer could have given me a first warning, which you are right that he did not chose to.

I am offended the way he approached the situation. I have been driving my car since 2005 and never ever has any officer pointed out to me that the plate frame is illegal. I feel that the fact that the officer is using this as a motive to issue me a ticket is ridiculous (which I can be wrong since I am rather emotional right now). The plate frame doesn't obscure or conceal the plate. Many cars have that on their plate. I have seen fans using football and baseball team covers. Does that put the drivers in a collusion with the law.

All I want to know if I could bring this matter to the court as a case of prejudice against me.

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The fact that the officer is using this as a motive to issue me a ticket is ridiculous.

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he issued you a ticket for a bad headlight. You even admit to it being bad. What is your defense to that?

the license plate frame is not an issue here since you were not ticketed for that.



as to the prejudice issue: you had a bad headlight. That gives him all rights to stop you and ticket you regardless of your ethnicity.

You received one ticket and 2 "gimees". That is not unusual for an officer to do. He was letting you know the other reasons he could have ticketed you and did not.

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Quoting kanada

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I did say that the fact that my headlight was bad doesn't put me in any better position. I don't deny it.



JK, I appreciate your response. I believe you are misunderstanding me. I am not contesting that my headlight was bad. I am sure that the officer could have given me a first warning, which you are right that he did not chose to.

I am offended the way he approached the situation. I have been driving my car since 2005 and never ever has any officer pointed out to me that the plate frame is illegal. I feel that the fact that the officer is using this as a motive to issue me a ticket is ridiculous (which I can be wrong since I am rather emotional right now). The plate frame doesn't obscure or conceal the plate. Many cars have that on their plate. I have seen fans using football and baseball team covers. Does that put the drivers in a collusion with the law.

All I want to know if I could bring this matter to the court as a case of prejudice against me.

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Quoting jk

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he issued you a ticket for a bad headlight. You even admit to it being bad. What is your defense to that?

the license plate frame is not an issue here since you were not ticketed for that.

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Sir, you are still not getting my point. The license plate frame is an issue because the officer points out that he is issuing one ticket instead of three in a very rude and sarcastic manner. Nobody wants to be disrespected, I am sure neither do you.

All I want to know is if it is against NJ Law to have frame around the license plate.

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Quoting Disagreeable

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Here is the relevant part of 39:3-33. Markers; requirements concerning; display of fictitious or wrong numbers, etc.; punishment

No person shall drive a motor vehicle which has a license plate frame or identification marker holder that conceals or otherwise obscures any part of any marking imprinted upon the vehicle's registration plate or any part of any insert which the director, as hereinafter provided, issues to be inserted in and attached to that registration plate or marker.

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Again, my plate frame does not obscure or conceal the license plate. The officer knew that very well, otherwise, it would not have taken 8 years for an officer to point that out to me. The fact that he chose to use this as an excuse to ticket me and show me that he is doing me a favor, is wrong. If I had 3 bad headlights and he says that I am giving you one ticket instead of three, then I can understand his generosity.

You also misunderstood several times. Here is one point:

My quote: I can drive around the city and take picture of many cars that has dealer frame attach to their license plates (I am sure that I can find many). But how should I tackle this matter to the judge.
Your response: You can probably find some cars with bad headlights to that have not been given tickets. I have no idea why you believe that somehow makes you any less guilty.

I am not talking about going out to find cars with bad headlights. I am trying to make a point that there are several cars with frame license plates that exits. If it is that serious of a concern, then why not ticket all those cars. I am not here trying to justify that I am not guilty or any less guilty.

I am trying to understand how can I go to the court and make a case; not a case of my headlights but a case against the officer's behavior.

Also, since this is my very first ticket in Metuchen city, can I seek for leniency.