Can't Get a Job Because of Previous Unfounded Suspension

[FalconFour]

My question involves a driver's license issued by the State of: California

Okay, bear with me, this is complicated. Several years ago, I didn't have a driver's license, and I drove an electric scooter (which didn't require license or registration). One day I went around the corner to get something to eat, and I left the helmet at home. I got caught by a copcycle for not wearing my helmet. I got a ticket, thought a while about it, figured it wasn't worth driving myself further into debt over trying to "pay" (why do you think I was driving electric?), and shuffled it away.

Fast forward to today. I finally got my license about a year ago. I had nowhere to stay so I was sleeping in my car. I had no income and desperately trying to change that. I applied at pizza delivery places. One of them required a current copy of my driving record. Well, I had my laptop, a printer, and a scanner with me in the car (*geek*), so I went down to DMV to get a copy of my record. That was when I found that my license had been suspended for the past couple days (great timing). Confused, since it had been so long, I'm convinced there's some keys that slipped up on someone else's suspension. Long story short, here, I find it's because of that ticket on the scooter.

I go to traffic court and talk with a judge, and I get everything taken care of by just throwing money at the problem (I had a small backup fund). Went to DMV and paid them to have my license "turned back on". Everything was well and good. I got a job at one of the pizza places, they didn't require a current printout. I worked there for 6 months. But at the end of those 6 months, or when my background check expired, they re-ran it and told me I couldn't work there anymore. Confused once again by the breakdown of communication, it takes another week or so to get a definitive word from the people above as to why I couldn't work.

I couldn't work there anymore because of that PAST suspension on my record. A suspension that should never have occurred, because I never received *any* information about the ridiculous ticket, and I took care of it as soon as I knew it was there. So I continue on about my life, sore about this ridiculous suspension. Now, today, I went to an interview for my "dream job", a job I'm fully qualified for, and would be fulfilled in life doing. Halfway through the interview I'm interrupted after going over the reason for losing my pizza delivery job, and am told I can't have that position for the same reason - they need me to drive a company car and I can't have that suspension on my record.

Now I'm fuming. I am bound and determined to get that off my record any way I can. It should never have been there and is keeping me from getting a job I'm fully qualified for. What can be done about this? Where do I start? I'm not giving up on this until I've beaten DMV to the ground for ruining my life...

[M'sta Mikey]

You did receive information about the "ridiculous ticket". You received it, 'shuffled it away' and chose to ignore it. As you've learned, that wasn't a wise choice.

The DMV didn't "ruin your life", you did. If anything, take responsibility of what you did, or in this case, didn't do! If you ignore a citation, you risk losing your license, as you did. You have no one to blame but yourself.

Oh, and traffic violations cannot be expunged so this will remain on your record.

[FalconFour]

My opinions are just that.

And I'm hoping yours will just happen to be "one of those people who really don't know what they're talking about". Next, please.

[cdwjava]

You failed to appear for a traffic citation. Your license can be suspended for that - and it was. You could also have received an arrest warrant for failing to appear, so be thankful that the warrant did no also happen.

Now, WHY it took so long to get into the system, or why it was not caught before, is anyone's guess. More than likely, when you got the scooter citation you did not have a driver's license (either issued or in your possession) and the original citation was not "filed" under the license number you only just got one year ago. Finally, they cross-referenced the name, date of birth, etc. and found that you had a suspension under what is sometimes referred to as an "X reference" number - sort of a placeholder number assigned by the DMV.

Ultimately, this problem was created by your failing to act on the previous citation.

Sorry.

- Carl

[FalconFour]

Okay, I seem to have not mentioned that very clearly. No, I didn't have a license. No, I didn't take care of the ticket because there was nothing to take care of, no instructions, no information. I never got anything in the mail or on the phone telling me what or where. And it was a worthless ticket for "not wearing a helmet", a widely disputed "law" that is practically pure bull anyway. So it's a ticket I should never have gotten, that resulted in a suspension on a premise that should never have occurred, that resulted in something on my record that never should have occurred.

The fact of the matter is, this garbage is keeping me FROM GETTING A JOB, and the sheer obscenity of the whole situation should be glaringly obvious to anyone with a functioning neural mass in their head. It's like being locked up for sneezing in a movie theatre, without bail. A totally ridiculous and purely excusable thing you did, resulting in unending misery for you, years after you "learned your lesson". What kind of justice is that?

[cdwjava]

No, I didn't have a license.

Hence the reason you were likely assigned what is called an "X reference" number. It is essentially a DL number with an X in front of it (instead of a "D", "A" or whatever yours is now).

No, I didn't take care of the ticket because there was nothing to take care of, no instructions, no information. I never got anything in the mail or on the phone telling me what or where.

What about the court date that was ON the ticket. You are required to show up for that.

If you were ticketed into juvenile court and were never notified, then you might have an argument against the suspension.

And it was a worthless ticket for "not wearing a helmet", a widely disputed "law" that is practically pure bull anyway.

Was it a motorized scooter or a push scooter? Either way, the law is clear - and WAS clear even 6 or 7 years ago. Who is (or was) disputing it? Whether you agreed with it is not a legal defense.

So it's a ticket I should never have gotten, that resulted in a suspension on a premise that should never have occurred, that resulted in something on my record that never should have occurred.

You rode a scooter without a helmet in violation of the CVC, apparently ... how is that something that should not have occurred???

The fact of the matter is, this garbage is keeping me FROM GETTING A JOB, and the sheer obscenity of the whole situation should be glaringly obvious to anyone with a functioning neural mass in their head.

You're right ... and when yours is up and functioning, you can kick yourself in your neural mass for "shuffling away" that citation so many years ago.

And it is not keeping you from getting A job, it is keeping you from getting THAT job ... a pizza delivery driver job. I seriously doubt that is the only job out there.

It's like being locked up for sneezing in a movie theatre, without bail.

The only difference is that sneezing is not a crime.

A totally ridiculous and purely excusable thing you did, resulting in unending misery for you, years after you "learned your lesson". What kind of justice is that?

Don't like it, change the law. In the meantime, you need to find out a couple of things ... what was the code section you violated? What was the authority code for the suspension? (Those two could be key)

Were you cited into Juvenile Court and told you'd be notified? Did you miss the court date on the citation? Did the court allege good service of the court date? Did the DMV allege good service of the suspension (there is a letter code after the suspension authority - if "M", then the notice was mailed).

[M'sta Mikey]

And I'm hoping yours will just happen to be "one of those people who really don't know what they're talking about". Next, please.

Sorry to dash your hopes - guess I proved you wrong

[cyjeff]

No one likes to find out that the person that put them in such a terrible place is the same one in the mirror.

Doesn't change anything, but it makes us all feel better if we can blame "the man".

[M'sta Mikey]

How true! And many think that by "shoving it between the couch cushions", it goes away - never to return again.

[FalconFour]

What about the court date that was ON the ticket. You are required to show up for that.

There was never a date on the ticket... no "where to go", no "what do do", no information - AT ALL. Just some scribble about not wearing a helmet.

If you were ticketed into juvenile court and were never notified, then you might have an argument against the suspension.

Well, at this point, I can't remember the exact date, nor even how old I was, but given the sequence of events I must have been over 18 to have been where I was. So, unfortunately, that rules that out.

Was it a motorized scooter or a push scooter? Either way, the law is clear - and WAS clear even 6 or 7 years ago. Who is (or was) disputing it? Whether you agreed with it is not a legal defense.

It was an electric scooter, like a Vespa, but only bigger. The cop had to look that one up, and found that, as I read, I didn't need a license or registration (considered a moped) as long as it was either "push assisted" and gas, or "all electric". As for the people disputing it, just google for "helmet law".

And it is not keeping you from getting A job, it is keeping you from getting THAT job ... a pizza delivery driver job. I seriously doubt that is the only job out there.

I just had to reply to this one... NO. I'm not looking to get another pizza job... although I could probably get a pizza delivery job with no problems since I left that last job on good terms. No, it was a PC repair job that required me to drive a company car. Both things, I'm incredibly good with (well, repairing PCs being in the majority), but couldn't get that job because of this bullcrap on my DMV record. So that effectively rules out an entire mess of job opportunities that I'm perfectly qualified for, but can't get - like Geek Squad (who drive to customer locations), and a whole list of companies that do at-location services. Thanks to this crap at the DMV. Not thanks to me. Only an idiot would place the blame on ME for this (and that seems to be the norm here... )

The only difference is that sneezing is not a crime.

So that just perfectly describes your state of mind... if SNEEZING IN A MOVIE THEATER were a crime, you would be perfectly fine with locking someone up in jail. Even though it's a ridiculous law (and despite your best efforts at polishing governmental rears with your lips, there ARE ridiculously stupid laws), and it didn't hurt anyone, you'd be for throwing someone in jail without any ability to get out, for an untold amount of time... for sneezing. That's real justice.

Don't like it, change the law. In the meantime, you need to find out a couple of things ... what was the code section you violated? What was the authority code for the suspension? (Those two could be key)

Okay, now at least we're speaking somewhat reasonably. Where would I find those things? Don't say "on the ticket", because I lost that years ago...

Were you cited into Juvenile Court and told you'd be notified? Did you miss the court date on the citation? Did the court allege good service of the court date? Did the DMV allege good service of the suspension (there is a letter code after the suspension authority - if "M", then the notice was mailed).

Juvenile Court, probably not... like I wrote earlier here, I had to have been just 18. There wasn't a date on the ticket at all (I remember that much, otherwise I would have gone - I've had to take care of two other minor tickets since then). Assuming the last two statements are related, then where would I find that information?