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Please if possible give me some feedback if I was justly "punished", am justified to be pretty angry, and if I have any change to beat this thing:
Here is what happened on I-85, 8 am, in Lexington. I was in the truck with my 83 year old mother, the truck still looks similar, except there are a few more stickers: Stop War / Got sons?/ the Iraq -Iran one simulating an odometer/maybe more stickers I can't remember right now, definitely the current number 3706. The ITMFA plate is gone, because it was recalled by the DOMVehicles.
I was driving along at the speed limit, and as I passed a cop car hiding in the median the lid of a medium size plastic tote which was bungeed securely in my truck bed flew off, a few pieces of paper came out of the tote and followed the lid. The cops pulled out and stopped me.
I had my registration, my license, all was legal and good, I have not had but one ticket ever and that was for speeding in 1977. I figured they would apprise me of what happened, and at most warn me, since they saw the lid fly off, which they said they did, and which they said was now at the side of the highway a mile back.
Instead they gave me a ticket with the descriptive wording: "Did intentionally and recklessly blow litter upon public property not owned by her".
It is for 250 dollars, plus 120 court cost = total due 370.00.
They had very carefully read everything on my bumper. After taking my license and registration they sat behind my Mom and me for about 20 - 25 Min. before coming back with the citation. I asked them if this was a joke. And then one cop said it was dangerous, because some other people could come along and dump trash, and then it would build up causing hazards, and then.... I interrupted him and said I did not have to listen to that, and that I would contest the ticket.
At that point I did not even know how MUCH it was for.
I can't prove it, but I think I was punished for my bumper. I need opinions on my belief that the punishment does not fit the occurrence as it stands. I don't know how to do research on that, and I don't know what to expect in court one month from now. Ultimately, I wonder, if the judge upholds this, and I refuse to pay, for how long would they lock me up?
Have any of you ever lost a hat in the wind? It was kind of like that.
Of course there were two of them to corroborate each other, and my Mom who is visiting will be back in Europe and she did not even see the lid fly.
Any thoughts?
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