Travis - sflraver

Get out the baseball bat

besides that, Tom's reply seems like sound advice.

Geo

Tom posted this while I was still writing. I think he is 100% correct. ASAP, go see the prosecutor and see what you can work out on your own (but get a copy of your insurance policy first). If you can't work it out, go see a lawyer. I don't think your license is in serious jeopardy.

Tom R.

you are getting advice from a judge in a podunk town. pm me if you want to go over details of your situation.

and join rennlist. if not for JohnD you would have spent more than a lifetime membership by now.

also thank JohnD for this forum which put you in contact with all of us.

AndyK

Tom...excellent advice. I would do exactly that.

Another thing Mike--why do you give a CRAP if that car never sees the light of day again? It's not YOURS, and the idiot who owns it doesn't deserve to after what he did!

Forget about HIS car, go to court, and explain the situation. No way are you guilty. You were trying to save your friend, and anyone he may have hit and killed in his state. Period.

Good luck!

triscadek

I agree totally with Tom R.

Also it was the fact that your "friends" lack of stickering, licensing, insuring and failing to stay sober that started the whole chain of events.

Had he been driving and not you trying to help him, he would have gotten all that you did and a DUI and a trip to jail out of the deal, he should pay to get the car out NOT you. Ask him what if you had ridden home with someone else and left him to drive.

Had the car been legal none of this would have happened

Brian McCoy

Tom, make me proud to be a Rennlist Memeber.. Sounds like Awesome advice to me ~ wish I would of had the same advice once when I was younger... would have saved me better than $1000 and 4 years with a 'wonky' license.

erinaldi

Follow Tom's advice. The city attorney/prosecutor is the one who has the authority to dismiss the charges. The judge imposes the fine and sends the information regarding the points to MVD. They suspend licenses.

Bring your license.
Bring your registration (because you are basically law abiding!)
Bring your insurance (see above)
Bring your friend who will/should explain the plate swap (this won't necessarily get the charge dismissed but the prosecutor may dismiss) especially when...
You tell him/her why you were driving - to prevent a drunk from being on the road.
Don't pay for the tow unless your name is somewhere on the receipt or custody form. If your name is on it, pay for it so that they don't screw with your credit history (even before you have one, I'm guessing) You can settle up with your buddy later.
Be as concerned about your future with the prosecutor as you have expressed with us - your sincerity will help. If you have a sympathetic parent to accompany you, do so. This helps (and is required if you under 18).
Fresh clothes, haircut and shave. This all helps.

v944god

Best thing to do is spend some money on a lawyer who's familiar with the town. If he has push in the town, than he's going to help you out BIG TIME. Do some research, some consultations, and find a experienced guy. If you tell him your paying for the retainment fee, he might help you out.

If you go by yourself the prosecutor is going to jerk you around. If it's as serious as this, don't waste your time going by yourself. I have a friend who just got hit with a open bottle of alcohol in the car. First thing I told him to do was hire a lawyer that I knew. You need a lawyer that he's pretty close with so you can get the best out of the situation. Once I was hit with a no insurance, no license ticket for driving my friends car. Even though it was my friends car, I was still ticketed, no matter whos car it is.

Eyal 951

Tom is right, he is a judge, i think if you do as he says, you should be fine, and please dont tell me your actually considering paying for the tow.

Tom R.

V944,
you may be right, i may be crazy...

but, if mike goes down alone (or with a parent which is sound advice) and has a decent conversation with the prosecutor and all is resolved then $$$ is saved.

if the prosecutor is one of the rare jerks, and it is the exception, not the rule that he would get someone that wont agree to dismiss the charges based on what mike said in this post, he has time to hire a lawyer.

before i was appointed part time judge i helped a neighbor that got a ticket for no insurance. he moved from florida after his older brother blew his brains out. the bills went to his brothers house and his sister in law didnt forward them. i showed the prosecutor the obits, the receipt for new insurance obtained within 48 hours of the ticket, and the ticket, fine, potential suspension etc. was dismissed. he did not, and i stress not have insurance on his car, and he was driving his car. definitely more guilty than poor mikey over here!

for every heartwarming story like the one above there are 10 nightmares. but mike has to try logic first.

im not an expert. i am not a litigator, and cant appear in front of a judge for anyone other than a family member (im not sure im allowed to do that even) in my town, and my county. i dont think the ban goes beyond the county, but that lets me appear in the city - no thanks, or the next county which is at least a 45 minute drive. so i just dont get involved.

SidViscous

Whatever you do, do not BS the Judge. Best and only thing you can do. Only chance you have of getting off Scott free.

Tom R.

also i like andy's point.

you saved the idiot that would have driven drunk, and more importantly anyone he would have hit. a good point to stress.

see why i said read what i wrote, think about it read it again. jot down notes, study your notes, and go in calmly and confidently. not cocky, but confident of the facts.

back to my search at cars.com here is what i am leaning towards today.

http://www.cars.com/search/used/cc/s...onal&src=&cid=

http://www.cars.com/search/used/cc/s...onal&src=&cid=

or an old miata way out in the hamptons that nobody will drive to.

v944god

Exactly.. tell him the truth.

Tom's right, do your best to present yourself as a good kid. Dress up as best as you can, and present yourself to the prosecutor. I think it would be smart to get a lawyer. Ya I know what your thinking, "I can't afford a lawyer", but you have to find a way to come up with some cash. I know some lawyers will work with you for the price. Almost like 1/2 down, than you pay the other 1/2 later. A lawyer is pretty crucial in this sort of case. BUT AS LONG AS YOU DIDNT GET HIT WITH A DUI, I believe your fine. If that was a real friend, he would have told the cop that it was his fault. Like my lawyer told me, lose the friend, and stay away from him, if he brought you down once, he'll bring you down again.

Tom, you could get a pretty nice corvette for that price tag. I prefer the corvette over the camaro and firebird. A nice WS6 transam would be nice though maybee you should buy it.

944S2NUT

To bad that happened, I hope you were not drunk. Drunk driving is 2nd degree murder in my books. Lost 2 good friends from drunks on the road.

Tom R.

v944
mw S2 is the third car of mine that was stolen, the second from the same train station. i thought about a vette for a milisecond and decided a 944 is less likely to get stolen then a vette.

i e mailed my cousin that is an auto engineer in michigan (cant confirm if for gm after what i write next). he said something about he would never touch an f car. now i am busting his chops about the reliability of the 3,8L V6. firebird v6s are selling for less than saturn sc1s, eclipses, etc.

i just want a station car that i can take to home depot occasionally and to a pca autocross occasionally.