Name misspelled on traffic ticket

[Dane S]

Does this mean I'm in the clear? First name is spelled wrong on ticket and on letter sent to me. Also it's an out-of-state ticket (Florida and I live in NY). Also it's a bogus ticket to begin with...it's for cutting through a gas station to avoid traffic, but I actually went inside to use the bathroom, not that it matters now--I just really would like to avoid paying on principle. Thanks.

[Yoplait, BIMO]

If the officer is dumb enough to misspell Dane, you should get a free pass.

[Dane S]

Yeah... Dune. The cop was an idiot and didn't even speak coherent english.

[PartyGirlUK]

In the UK this would get you a free pass.

[dfwben]

least you didn't get pulled over for no turn signal into a gas station which led to a dwi =)

[Vuron00]

It's very possible that this will be good for you. I've seen people get off because the wrong time was written on the ticket, the cop didn't sign the ticket, the date was wrong, etc.

[Hopey]

In Canada (or Ontario, anyway), if you went to court and presented this as your defence, the crown (prosecutor) would immediately make a motion to amend the ticket to the proper name. At which point you're SOL.

[jester710]

I think you're ok. This Dune guy is screwed, though.

[bdiddy12]

In Nova Scotia, my mother got off a ticket a couple years ago because the cop wrote down the wrong color of the car(???).

[Hopey]

[ QUOTE ]
In Nova Scotia, my mother got off a ticket a couple years ago because the cop wrote down the wrong color of the car(???).

[/ QUOTE ]

Each province has its own Highway Traffic Act. It's quite possible that the rules are different in Nova Scotia. Also, it usually depends on the judge/JP who is presiding in traffic court that day. If they're in a good mood and they like you, they might let you walk even if they think you're guilty.

In Ontario, a cop can completely bungle writing the ticket and they'll usually just correct it in court.

For example, I went to court a few years ago because a cop had claimed that he caught me going 72 in a 40 zone. However, I was still in a 60 zone when he had pulled me over. I went to court to argue that I was really 12 over in a 60 zone, not 32 over in a 40.

As soon as I made that argument, the crown requested to the judge that my ticket be changed to 72 in a 60 zone. I was then found guilty of this infraction. They basically admitted that the ticket was wrong, but were still able to convict me.