Like Tree4Likes

Warrant of arrest for not paying traffic ticket

Closed Thread
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast
  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    34

    Warrant of arrest for not paying traffic ticket

    Hi there,

    my wife got caught speeding multiple times in a row some time ago, and due to various aspects (carelessness on our side, letters getting lost etc.), we missed paying for one of the tickets which eventually led to a warrant for arrest being issued to her.

    That's obviously a serious matter, so we have immediately did as told by going to the police station, presenting the warrant, ID and paying the bail money.

    Now a court date has been set for next week. Having never been in this situation, it would be really much appreciated if anyone could tell us what the likely outcome would be and how we could prepare best for it.

    This also includes the question of whether we would need to have an attorney or not.

    thx a lot in advance,

    Nick


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Clear Water Bay (In Da Jungle)
    Posts
    9,968

    you will get fined, no jail time, dont bother wasting money on a lawyer, plead and grovel with the judge, explain to him/her that it was a careless mistake for not paying the fine in the 1st place and you wont do it again blah blah.


  3. #3

    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    DB
    Posts
    3,699

    What happened with the 'friend' who was caught driving your car at speed? How that played out might influence a decision.


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    HK
    Posts
    14,624

    As an aside - does this kinda stuff shows up in your criminal records? (and no I didnt get speeding tickets).


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Posts
    34

    the "friend" thing was settled, done and dusted, and there is no relationship..so that shouldn't have anything to do with that.


  6. #6

    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Posts
    1,880
    Quote Originally Posted by Mat:
    As an aside - does this kinda stuff shows up in your criminal records? (and no I didnt get speeding tickets).
    I am not certain but I believe that a driving conviction itself is not a criminal conviction. Failure to pay the fine will be though.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    2,454

    I don't think you need a private lawyer, but you will be offered a court appointed barrister (for free) on the day, so you can explain to him/her and they can speak for your wife if you prefer. She will still need to stand up to plead guilty though.

    I agree a fine and a telling off is the most likely outcome.

    Would be worth being prepared to justify why she needs to drive though.


  8. #8

    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    -
    Posts
    1,781

    Since you mentioned that she got caught multiple times I wonder how many driving offence points she has. Speeding up to 15 km will be 3 points. When you have 10 points they require you to attend a driving course at your own expense. 15 points means disqualification of driving license.

    http://www.td.gov.hk/en/road_safety/...m/index_t.html


  9. #9

    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Hong Kong
    Posts
    15,557
    Quote Originally Posted by iliketurtles:
    I am not certain but I believe that a driving conviction itself is not a criminal conviction. Failure to pay the fine will be though.
    Not totally sure on HK system, but I think in the UK a motoring conviction shows up on your criminal record for, but it goes away after x amount of years.

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Posts
    823

    This has happened to me.

    I didn't need a lawyer and I didn't even have to go to court except to pay the fine. The fine was nothing exceptional three hundred or something. I don't have a criminal record.

    I was on a European drivers license at the time this might make a difference.

    It was one of those extremely stupid traffic camera traps where if you went anything over 50 you got bust. I was doing this route a lot out of the blue so I wasn't aware of the trap so racked up a bundle of fines in succession that more or less all came at once. I had to leave the city for a month came back and within a few days the warrant had arrived.


Closed Thread
Page 1 of 3 1 2 3 LastLast