A $250 Headlight Ticket Due to Rudeness

Many times when you get pulled over for having a headlight out the officer will give you a warning. After all, it’s one of those items you normally won’t know about until someone points it out to you.

Today in Spotsylvania General District Court I saw an example of a headlight ticket gone wrong.

One of our Virginia State Troopers stopped a driver for having a headlight out. The driver went off the handle on him. If he had been respectful and polite, he probably would have just gotten a warning. But the driver decided to be rude and got a headlight ticket.

Ok. He could’e prepaid that for $30 (plus court costs). Not a big deal. Get the headlight fixed and move on.

Nope. He came to court. That’s any defendant’s right. But instead of coming to court and politely cross-examining the trooper, he just about got himself held in contempt of court by the judge.

At the end of the day, a warning turned into a $250 conviction.

Why? Because the driver was rude to everyone.

I always counsel people that you shouldn’t consent to searches and you shouldn’t do roadside DUI tests. But you MUST be respectful to law enforcement personnel and especially judges.

You don’t have to agree with the officer, and you can be downright mad at him. But bite your tongue until the traffic stop is over. And definitely conduct yourself with professional decorum in the courtroom.

Photo by coltera

Andrew Flusche

My name is Andrew Flusche. I am a traffic and misdemeanor defense lawyer in Virginia. I limit my practice to traffic tickets and misdemeanor defense, so I know the ins and outs of these offenses. I literally wrote the book on reckless driving in Virginia which you can get on Amazon here or download for free here. I opened my practice in 2008 after earning my Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. Since then, I have earned over 600 5-star reviews from happy clients on Google, Yelp, and Facebook. If you’ve been charged with a misdemeanor offense in Virginia, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Your initial consultation is always free, and you'll talk directly with me about the details of your case.

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