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I received a "laying drag" ticket and the officer would not believe it was done accidentally!
Anonymous5 views3 answers
After a long 12 hour long shift at work, as soon as I pulled out, I made a quick U-turn at a light and accelerated fast which made my car slide the rear end out. A nearby officer saw that and gave me a 'laying drag' ticket! I do drive a heavily modified sports car but I had NO intention of laying any drag or sliding my rear! It was a purely accidental! There was no tire mark, no tire smoke, the vehicle was moving less than 5mph, on dry road! Officer claims that if I can't control such car, I should not drive one and claims that I just slammed my gas! He does not buy a single word I tell him about the incident being accidental! I just worked 12 hours straight at a restaurant serving on Mother's Day! MY FEET ARE NUMB! Should/Can I fight this ticket? Should I find an attorney before court??
Whether you can fight the ticket or not; you also have to have a back up plan; as in negotiate to something that is non reporting. Laying drags is a fairly serious charge.
Traffic offense are strict liability crimes meaning the prosecution doesn't have to prove intent. Unfortunately, the fact this was an accident does not provide you with a sufficient legal defense. I recommend either hiring an attorney, or negotiating with the prosecutor to get your case reduced to Too Fast for Conditions so the charge won't go on your driving history, and affect your insurance premiums (assuming you have a GA License).
You can always try negotiating with the Prosecutor to try and get a reduced charge or possibly a municipal ordinance violation. Laying Drag is a serious driving offense and based on the information ion your question it may be possible that a charge of Too Fast For Conditions may be the appropriate charge in this case. In my opinion you would have a much better chance of getting a better result if you hired an experienced attorney to represent you. It would be a good idea to hire an attorney that regularly practices in the specific court where your ticket will be heard. I hope this information is helpful to you. Good Luck!!!
George McCranie - Offices in Valdosta & Douglas, GA -
