Hi, I'm 16 years old and I got my license in June. Recently, I was pulled over in Falls Church City, and given a ticket for having 4 passengers in my car, which is 3 people over the legal limit of 1. I now have a mandatory court appearance, but the dmv website states that this is only a 3 point offense. What do you think the consequences will be, and should I plea guilty, or how should I handle this?

I was never pulled over for this offense when I was your age, but I wouldn't recommend pleading guilty. Under the advise of lawyer friends, I would recommend that you probably plead "no contest." Judges are more lenient when you plead "no contest" and if you have a clean driving record. Even though you haven't been driving for long, just tell the judge that you've never received any other tickets and that you have a clean record (that's assuming you do, in fact, have a clean record). Otherwise, you might be screwed. Ultimately, just go in sympathetic and ignorant. Best of luck!

assuming this is your first offense - you will be told to take a driver improvement class, if you do it they will nullify the offense

Dress professionally, bring your parents, and plead guilty. Typically judges in juvenile court will offer a driver improvement course and will dismiss the ticket if you're violation free for 6 months.

you MUST bring your parents. Also the officer should have mailed a copy of the summons to your home address.

most virginia jurisdictions will not even hear the case if the minors parents are not present, they will just continue the case.

Clobbersaurus Wrote:
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> Dress professionally, bring your parents, and
> plead guilty. Typically judges in juvenile court
> will offer a driver improvement course and will
> dismiss the ticket if you're violation free for 6
> months.


For a kid, dress in khakis and a button down shirt. Maybe a tie, but that might be pushing it a bit.

Definitely dress up, don't go into court wearing the clothes you wear in school to impress all the chicks.

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The function of conservatives is not to meet every liberal program or scheme with a denunciation or a destructive counterscheme, but rather to weigh its advantages and defects, supporting the first and challenging the second. A declaration of ideological warfare against liberalism is by its nature profoundly unconservative. It meets perceived radicalism with a counterradicalism of its own.

OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ask if you can roll a joint in the courtroom. The judge might become more amenable.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2009 08:53AM by ITRADE.

fallschurch sucks Wrote:
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> Hi, I'm 16 years old and I got my license in June.
> Recently, I was pulled over in Falls Church City,
> and given a ticket for having 4 passengers in my
> car, which is 3 people over the legal limit of 1.
> I now have a mandatory court appearance, but the
> dmv website states that this is only a 3 point
> offense. What do you think the consequences will
> be, and should I plea guilty, or how should I
> handle this?

Were you aware of this law before you piled everyone in the car?

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13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

Get a good lawyer. It won't be cheap but you should be able to plea down to zero points, 36 mos revoked and a month or less at Beaumont.

Seriously, save tha lawyer $, plead no contest and say you didn't know,dress nice. Unless the judge is a real hard on, he'll probably be willing to defer or suspend judgement.

Book 'em Danno!!!

your parents will have to attend the 8 hour driver improvement class with you - mandatory

He was definitely aware of the law, or is just a total moron that shouldn't be on the road due to lack of attention. They pound it into the kids in the driver ed classes now. He will get driver ed and will lose his license the next time he does that or anything else before he is 19.

Did they have PC to pull you over to begin with? I don't think the cops can just suspect you of being young and pull you over to check, can they?

they pulled me over because my friend in the backseat opened the door, while legally stopped at a red light, because his seatbelt was stuck in the door. i thought about fighting it in court, but i don't know if there is a law that says you can't open your door.

Play the race card.

Didnt realize stupidity was a race.

ITRADE Wrote:
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> Didnt realize stupidity was a race.

Didn't you see that whole Harvard professor thing on the news?

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13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

What kind of car was it?

it's a red 2004 pontiac grand am.

Is there a restriction on the number of passengers a 16 yr old driver can have? I grew up in Maryland, and there was no such thing in place. If I remember correctly, a grand am can fit four people. So since everybody had a seatbelt, where is the problem here?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/2009 08:52AM by Merritt.

In PA, twelve years ago, I was not allowed to drive with more than one person in my car until I was 18.

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13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

MrMephisto Wrote:
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> In PA, twelve years ago, I was not allowed to
> drive with more than one person in my car until I
> was 18.


Do we fucking care about PA? This forum is about Fairfax Virginia. No one gives a shit what happened to you when you were a teenager in PA.

velo Wrote:
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> Do we fucking care about PA? This forum is about
> Fairfax Virginia. No one gives a shit what
> happened to you when you were a teenager in PA.

1. If you can't see the correlation between my statement and the discussion going on, you're an idiot, and beyond redemption. I am sorry for your future.

2. The OP is complaining about getting busted over a law that I knew about more than a decade ago. This is not a new thing. If he chose to ignore the law or wasn't paying attention in class, fuck him.

3. The poster before me, Merritt, mentioned that no such law existed in Maryland, to their recollection. Where's your outrage about this being Fairfax, Virginia, and not Maryland?

4. Just to make it abundantly clear, you are a moron.

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13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

Hey, I've learned something new today.

I took a look at the driver's manual on the DMV website. Straight from the book...

"Passenger Restrictions

If you are under age 18, you may carry only one passenger under age 18 during the first year that you hold your driver’s license. After you have held your license for one year or until you reach age 18, you may carry only three passengers under age 18. Learner’s permit holders may not carry more than one passenger under age 18. Passenger restrictions do not apply to family members. Violation of either the passenger or curfew restrictions can result in the suspension of your driver’s license."

EDIT again: Just checked MD's website. As of Oct. 1, 2005, they implemented passenger restrictions on drivers under 18.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/2009 11:18AM by Merritt.

Drinking, voting and driving should all be an accross the board "18." Its insanity that men and women old enough to die for this country can't legally go into a bar or the convenience store and get some beer. And at the same time, 16 year olds really have no business being behind the wheel of a car. Especially in this area. I actually like this law, but it should be even tougher. They should make it even closer to a learner's permit. But by 18, then the babying ends.

I'm sure when you turned 16 years old and got your license you thought you were too young to drive?? Stupid fuckup.