What if an officer puts the wrong name on your ticket?

Answer 1

Traffic citations are usually issued as a result of a violation. When the officer issues a citation, they are using the information provided from your drivers license. Along with the name of the licensee, there is also a description of the person and a drivers license number. That number identifies the licensee as the holder of the license. The officer is using the information from your drivers license that will identify you as the one who is suspected of committing the violation. By signing the citation, you are agreeing to appear before a legal official of the court to answer the violation to which you were suspect. Depending on what the violation is, some jurisdictions require that you appear before the court to answer the certain charges, while other violations will allow you to plead guilty by sending in the citation along with a fine. When you sign the citation, you are agreeing to one of the above, i.e.... signing your own bond. So, no matter what name is on the citation, the one who was stopped for the violation, will be the one to answer the charges. If you knowingly give false or misleading information to the officer issuing the citation, depending on the laws of the state that you are in, you could also be charged with giving false information or obstructing governmental operations, a more serious charge. So the best way to handle it is to identify the error and show up or pay up or file for a Trial by Declaration!

Answer 2

You can try to argue it. He/she may have already caught the error and changed it on the court copies. Depending on the exact nature of the offense ticketed, the police officer has a certain period of time within which to amend the ticket to put in the correct date. Although this type of mistake is not an automatic reason to dismiss the ticket, it might impeach the officer's credibility if it goes to trial. Most likely it would not damage the officer's credibility to the extent where the court will disbelieve everything he/she says about the violation.

Answer 3

It will not get you out of the ticket. Officers are not required to be perfect and the judge will allow them to correct typographical errors. Your address has nothing to do with whether you are guilty of the violation or not.

Answer 4

Depends on whether it is in your favor or not. If it is in your favor, pay it and don't say anything. It could very well be that the officer was trying to do you a favor and lower the fine. Usually they write a lower speed on your part. If it was truly an error, he wrote 25mph zone instead of 35mph zone, I'd contest it, there is more money and possibly more points in a larger difference. And document the issue carefully. The speed zones are well known and to show the error should be pretty obvious.

Answer 5

If you broke the law, pay the ticket. The only appeal is if there is no date recorded on which the crime was commiited.

Answer 6

For that to happen, it would have to be a major error - an officer misspelling your name, for example, isn't going to get you out of a traffic conviction.