Drag Racing Ticket Given to Me but They Wrote It in My Dads Name

[Austinbhd]

So first off I was never drag racing my car was parked the entire time I have pictures and proof, I was just at a car meet and hanging out with friends.
So cops come (some people were actually racing, I was not in any shape or form) so cops ask for ID this is where I think I slipped up I kindly said I don’t have to show ID I’m not in a car or broke any laws, so I give in and hand him my ID he must have taken it the wrong way any how, 50-60 people there and maybe 3 got the ticket of drag racing and then me, I have pictures of my car parked off the road turned off and video of speaking with the officer. So she hands me the ticket ask me why I was drag racing I said who said I was drag racing? Completely blown away and to make things better the whole entire ticket has my dads birthdate, name, address. Everything, he knows about the situation obviously I told him.

He holds more of a share in the car my names second in the registration, but the car is pretty much in his name and under his insurance.
I handed the cop my license way before they gave me the ticket and they must have mixed it up obviously getting his info from the plate.

But anyhow, how should we handle this? For one I’m innocent and absolutely was not participating in drag racing I was standing out side away from my car on a public rd. But then second what will my dad need to do he obviously wasn’t there or the driver I mean no one was the driver they just willy nilly wrote a ticket to someone who wasn’t even in a car.

Edit I want to note I got the car meet spot and my car was parked off and away for a solid 40mins before the cops came

Thanks for read sorry this was long

[Taxing Matters]

Completely blown away and to make things better the whole entire ticket has my dads birthdate, name, address. Everything, he knows about the situation obviously I told him.

Then your father is the one who is charged for this right now, due to the cop's mistake. Your father ought to see a criminal defense attorney. That attorney will know the best way to get the charges dropped or get your dad acquitted, hopefully without you ending up getting charged in the process.

If you do get charged, understand that the photos you have of your car not drag racing are of limited value. The reason being that while the photos show your car sitting still at the time the photo was taken, that only proves you were not racing at that particular moment. You could have been racing either before or after the photo. After all, in the drag racing events I've seen, even the participants in the races spend a lot of time with their cars sitting still waiting their turn to race. That doesn't make the photos totally useless. It just means the photos themselves may not carry the day for you. Testimony of other witnesses there would be quite helpful. And, of course, a good cross examination of the cop would be important, too. But it may be that you never get charged.

[Austinbhd]

I could provide witness if need be, also when the cops drove up it’s a one way road I’m assuming as they drove up their cop car cams also got video of my car just sitting, if I was able to obtain that video however I’m not sure how well it would help me, I’m really hoping to just have my dad go in and say he was not there and it wasn’t him and have a witness state it wasn’t him, because he was in bed at home while all this went down, if they then go as far as re writing the ticket I feel if I’m just straight up and say “yea I shouldn’t have been there, but I wasn’t racing I was just watching” that kinda thing, maybe talk about my goals lol and apologize I think the judge will have easy on me, I’m 22 and never have gotten into any kinda trouble I have a good driving record.
I’ve talked to several people and my boss at work knows a lot of police officers cause we have a contract to work on trooper cars, he asked one and they said my dad should just call and explain it was not him.

If they want to re write it and go from there I’ll due as I state above, an attorney would be nice but for something like this even though it sucks I really don’t want to have to spend money on one. I think it’s something the judge will see hopefully in my innocence for what it was and the pictures and videos I have, and just how I hold myself morally as a person.


Edit also there is a business where we were parked i will call and ask if they have footage of my car parked that’ll clear everything up completely

What do you think?

State is Michigan also I forgot to clarify

[adjusterjack]

This is a criminal offense with dire consequences.

The penalty for street racing or drag racing is a misdemeanor conviction punishable by a fine up to $100.00 or up to 90 days in jail, or both. Although there are no license sanctions with this offense, a conviction will add 4 points to the defendant’s driving record (which cannot be avoided by taking the basic driver improvement course). Since this is a misdemeanor, it is considered a crime that will remain on your permanent criminal record since criminal traffic offenses are not currently available for expungement.

You and your father should be consulting a criminal traffic defense attorney ASAP.

Do not contact the authorities on your own. That's a good way to talk yourself into a conviction. Let a lawyer handle it.

[L-1]

The Michigan drag racing section (257.626a) applies to persons rendering assistance in any manner to such competitive use of vehicles. While I can't find the court citation at the moment, "persons rendering assistance" has been successfully applied to spectators at these events, so it appears by his own statements, OP committed the violation, the only issue is one of proper identity of the person cited.

[Austinbhd]

I kind of want to contact the business on that street and explain my circumstances and see if they have video of my car just sitting there proving no drag racing took place. I read that section law for Michigan I think they’re just meaning someone using their car to block roads or people waving the races and actually assisting the race.
I mean if that’s not the case the police can basically just go ahead and write someone a drag racing ticket for just standing at a car meet on a public road, just all seems so silly.

I’m really looking at it in two ways of my dad proving he wasn’t there obviously, and they throw it out and then possibly re write it to me but if I explain myself and have pictures video of my car parked and off the entire time I should be okay, cause in the end it is now illegal to just be standing on a public street no matter where you are if it’s public and you’re just standing there? Ya know, sure people were doing things they shouldn’t have been but in the grand scheme of it all I was never part of it.

[adjusterjack]

in the end it is now illegal to just be standing on a public street no matter where you are if it’s public and you’re just standing there?

Very amusing and a load of crap. Nobody's getting a ticket for just standing on a public street. You're thinking like a 12 year old.

It's the spectators who encourage illegal drag racing. If nobody showed up to watch the racers, they wouldn't have an audience to show off to.

Discourage the spectators and you discourage the racers.

[flyingron]

You still haven't indicated the state.

I can tell you that in some states, you'd be looking at jail time. Virginia, for example, street racing will almost certainly land you in the tank.

[Jim Kozlovich]

You still haven't indicated the state.

I can tell you that in some states, you'd be looking at jail time. Virginia, for example, street racing will almost certainly land you in the tank.

It was in his 2nd post

State is Michigan also I forgot to clarify