Stephen Trapani wrote:
Brian Whatcott wrote:
.......

Reminds me of my recent (and only) arrest record.

Ticketed for a seat belt violation while I was CORRECTLY wearing a
seat belt. Like many other folks, I have signed a ticket for a minor
traffic violation or two in the past, but this caught me on the wrong
foot.

I was not happy when the fresh green patrolman told me he had seen me
some minutes earlier NOT wearing a seat belt while he was driving on a
5-lane highway, in the opposite direction (where the closing speeds
would have been about a hundred, I suppose.)
I didn't buy it, and I wouldn't sign.

So you caused your own arrest, right? Signing the ticket is no admission
of guilt and there is no rational reason not to sign it. If you would
have signed it you would have proceeded home, not been arrested and not
needed the tow. And there's no chance of suing for false arrest. Slam
dunk case since you obviously wouldn't sign the ticket.

Stephen

I did indeed cause my own arrest. I have so little experience of signing
tickets when believing I'm innocent (none, in fact) that the idea that
signing a ticket is simply a promise to show up on some date and/or pay
a fine or plead nolo contendere did not surface in my mind. If you
don't sign, you WILL be arrested, as I now see.
Moreover, when I appeared in court next day for a hearing, the judge
offered a no jury trial date, or as he said, "plead guilty and get it
over with." And so I did under protest, to spare my wife who was
waiting with me, further distress.

Still, within a week, she suffered the first mini-stroke of her life.
A TIA Probably no connection.....

Brian Whatcott Altus OK