Issued a Speeding Ticket with the Wrong County

[Redemptionman]

My question involves a traffic ticket from the state of: MS

So, I was out of state traveling back home and a trooper wrote me a ticket for 15 mph over the limit. It had the wrong county listed on the ticket and I could not make out any of the other printed nonsense on the ticket. I worked out the ticket and got it reduced to where it would not go on my driving record with the county listed on the ticket. However, that county was not the county in which the trooper turned the ticket into. So, the court I sent it too sent me the money back and told me to contact the other county which I did. This county does not have assistant DAs but rather department sheriff investigators. I found this strange, but I called them and told them about what happened and while the officer was nice and told me that they would dismiss the ticket that day. That did not occur, and with only a day or so left to go to court for it, I live out of state and will not be able to be there in person. I paid the ticket online since I did not want a failure to appear or a warrant issued for me for not showing up. Now, I do not CARE about the money, All I care about is it not going on my record. I contacted an attorney down there and sent a letter to the DA office in order to remind them of what they told me.

With no assurance that it was dismissed, I got scared and just paid it. Rather right or wrong it was out of state and I have no intention of going to court. The wrongly listed county sent me my money back and I am wondering if I still can get it dismissed, or at least not going on my record. I realize paying the fine pretty much closes the case but can I amended the plea in order to not get it to go on my record. Some states do not report to other states and some do. I did not and could not trust the officers representative to have my best interest at court so that is why I paid it, with no time to hire a proper lawyer. I will add that it took the wrong court 2 months to send me my money back and the corrected court where it was to be heard. I had only one week to work it out so I panicked. Any advice would be appreciated thank you, and I currently have no tickets on my record.

[Mr. Knowitall]

You have already spoken with a lawyer in Mississippi. If you want to know if you have any chance of having your plea set aside and your fine refunded, such that you can attempt to contest the ticket, you should speak with your lawyer. Truly, once you choose to pay the fine, most issues preceding that you might otherwise have raised are deemed waived, making any legal fight an uphill battle. An attorney who knows how to appeal to the prosecutor's sympathy may be the best and cheapest way to get any relief from your ticket -- although you'll have to weight the cost of representation against the fine (and potential insurance impact) of the ticket.

[Redemptionman]

You have already spoken with a lawyer in Mississippi. If you want to know if you have any chance of having your plea set aside and your fine refunded, such that you can attempt to contest the ticket, you should speak with your lawyer. Truly, once you choose to pay the fine, most issues preceding that you might otherwise have raised are deemed waived, making any legal fight an uphill battle. An attorney who knows how to appeal to the prosecutor's sympathy may be the best and cheapest way to get any relief from your ticket -- although you'll have to weight the cost of representation against the fine (and potential insurance impact) of the ticket.

I paid it in order to insure that I would not get a warrant issued for me, I believe it should be dismissed but what I believe and where I am makes it hard for me to be there in person.

I would like to note, that the original county that was on the ticket had accepted my payment money order for the fine and then returned it to me. So, I originally had it worked out but the other county was way more difficult to work with.

I should have hired the attorney before I paid it as he could have got it moved out to a later date. Hope something good comes out of it, as I am not concerned about the ticket so much as I am about the outcome. Here is hoping for the best.... thanks

Oh yeah, I forgot to add that the DA investigator for the county in which the ticket was sent too said he would dismiss miss it, I had no faith that it would get done so when I just decided to pay it online.

I have researched it more and it does appear I should have hired an attorney since I believe it could have been dismissed. I already paid to due to the fact that I did not want an out of state warrant issued. Can they amend the ticket or dismiss it with not being there, I hired an attorney after the fact but surely it can get done what the da told me they would do.

You have already spoken with a lawyer in Mississippi. If you want to know if you have any chance of having your plea set aside and your fine refunded, such that you can attempt to contest the ticket, you should speak with your lawyer. Truly, once you choose to pay the fine, most issues preceding that you might otherwise have raised are deemed waived, making any legal fight an uphill battle. An attorney who knows how to appeal to the prosecutor's sympathy may be the best and cheapest way to get any relief from your ticket -- although you'll have to weight the cost of representation against the fine (and potential insurance impact) of the ticket.

The assistant to the DA told me that they would dismiss it, for whatever reason that was not done. I should have contacted an attorney when the wrong county sent the payment back. I doubt since I already paid it that there is anything that can be done. However, It was not fair for the first court to hold it for 2 months until a week before a court date in the other county. Classic rub job since maybe they caught the mistake and wanted to put as much pressure on me to pay it as quickly as possible. It is not fair but dealing with this is not a fair thing either. We will see what the lawyer can do when all is said and done.