Well, I talked with Mr. Crow, the Town Marshall of Westlake, today. If I wish to plead anything other than "guilty" or "no contest," I will need to drive to Fort Worth for a pre-trial hearing. At this hearing, I can request a trial, at which point I would have to drive to Fort Worth yet again. The "just pay the dang fine" option is sounding better all the time, but I'm not ready to give up just yet. I did, however, get a final price on the cost of this sucker--$293. Yep, that's right. I don't recommend getting a "Move Over Law" violation.
The good news is that I was told that the $93 court fee (which goes on top of the $200 citation) will not go up if I decide to go all the way and fight this deal. I'm not altogether confident of this fact, however. When I asked Mr. Crow if I would be charged any other fees if I decide to go to court, he said: "Wait just a minute. Hey Maude, will the court fee go up if this guy takes this one to court?". After about a minute, Mr. Crow came back on the line and said "The court administrator says that the $93 fee won't change if you go to court." Needless to say, this little conversation didn't leave me with all that much confidence in the trial process at the courthouse in good ol' Westlake, Texas.
Considering that two trips to Dallas will cost me about $80 to $90 in gas alone, the wise choice is probably to give up now, swallow my pride, and write the check. The only real reason to fight at this point would be to get the ticket cleared from my record. But I can't even remember when I got my last ticket. I think it was about 7 years ago. Mr. Crow did have some good information about how to get my driving record. Did you folks know that you can order your driving record on-line? It's pretty cool. I did it. Just click here. A complete history only costs about $12.
My driving record should come in the mail in about 5 days. I have until October 24th to make a decision on this deal. After I've had a chance to look at my record, I'll make a decision about whether or not to press on.
In the mean time, keep your eye out for cops pulled over on the side of the road! If you see one, the best thing to do is to put on your brakes. I think it's crazy that we have to slow down 20 mph. I think that part of the law makes things more dangerous rather than less. I'm the last guy who wants to put cops in danger, but I'm not sure that we're accomplishing that goal with this here law. The other option is to move over one lane, but traffic is usually so dang busy that moving over is impossible. I suggest slowing down gradually, if you can.
But beware of being the last car in a line of people who are passing a cop that has someone pulled over on the side of the road. Being the last car in line is not a good idea. And, oh yeah, beware of cops hiding behind one another in order to hand out some of these pricey little tickets.
Cheers,
Wes
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