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Dress fairly nice. No shorts, no wacky t-shirts
Also works for the other kind of courting.
If it was just a traffic ticket you can hire a traffic lawyer for fairly cheap if you don't want to go to court or would like the comfort of someone there for you who does this often. In CA, I've seen this typically cost around $50 for handling a traffic ticket. They can get most tickets dismissed or at the very least the fine reduced. If a cop no shows it gets dismissed.
Best to get it renewed asap though as previous commenters suggested, then it becomes a non-issue, so a trip to the DMV might be a good idea. I'd head your DMV website since the address varies depending on the state you're in. Renewing a REAL ID may require you take a short refresher course and provide two documents that prove residency, one that proves identity (US Passport, previous license, SSA card, etc) they'll tell you what you need on there though.
Why could an expired license possibly require court? It's an administrative issue at best, should require a 50 dollar fine for the mistake and we all move on
The US legal system is a giant abusive mess
Oh you are in for a treat. I spent time in the local jail when I was much younger, and was surprised that some of my fellow inmates were in there for some absurd things. The two that stick out are:
Driving without a license - apparently if you do this more than once, good chance they will just take you jail and impound your car, and if you can't afford bail you wait until court, which is weeks or months.
Unpaid child support - I actually have no idea the logic here. You have unpaid child support, so we will put you in jail, charge you 30$ per day to be paid upon release for "housing", and guarantee you have no way to earn money.
The bail and housing fees are not actually specific to those crimes, it applies to all crimes but really compounds things in some situations.
Agreed. Unfortunately this is what happens when you attach dollar amounts to key performance indicators for effectiveness with policing. Fines = revenue for government so they try where they can. It's why carpool lanes are so heavily policed here. The base fine rate is higher.
How'd it go?
I've been to court a few times, once for a traffic incident where I hit a pole and totaled my car. Got an improper lane usage ticket. I just showed up in regular clothes, went to the front desk thing and asked where my courtroom was. They made us wait outside of it until it was time. Then I just plead guilty or whatever and had to do one of those driving classes. I wouldn't worry too much. Yours isn't that serious either.
Honestly kinda shit of the cop to make you go to begin with.
Honestly kinda shit of the cop to make you go to begin with.
I thought you really only had to get to court if you denied settling the matter with the cop there and then. So you are not forced to go to court but if you want to dispute the ticket you have to go to court.
It depends, in some areas that part where you either accept by default or choose another option is part of court. In my area they clear out everyone who is taking the default judgment at the beginning and then go through the rest one at a time.
Go to the dmv asap to get the license, ideally before court. If you get it done, show your new license to the court and they will dismiss your case, (hopefully)
I'm a bit late, but I used to testify in DUI cases and have sat through many court sessions.
First, you didn't commit a crime, you made an oopsie. Don't stress out too much, a lot of people just don't show up, you're a light in the dark for just showing up.
Wear nice clothes, put together the best you can with what you have, don't go buy a suit for traffic court. Slacks and a collared shirt (no visible holes or worn spots) is typically enough, especially if you're living paycheck to paycheck. Save your money for fixing the situation, not looking nice. Looking nice does help and shows respect to the court (judge) but trying to fix things on your own without them intervening makes you look even better.
Explain that you made a mistake and accidentally let it lapse. Talk to the public defender if you can. They are overloaded with cases but will help, court proceedings and the language they can use is confusing.
Try to make amends now, renew your license, sign up for whatever you need to sign up for, if you can't afford to renew let the judge know that you're walking/biking/bussing to work until you can afford to renew/sign up/etc. Ask the court for mercy since you have a clean record to the best of your knowledge and are already taking steps to remedy the situation.
Be very nice, the judge is the law in their courtroom, the only person with more power is the court stenographer because they get to correct the judge.
Bring receipts or any proof that you have of what you're doing.
As many have said DO NOT DRIVE YOURSELF TO COURT.
Tell the judge you're a sovereign citizen and he has no authority over you. If they try to touch you, just call "help! I'm being kidnapped!"
To be super clear: this is a joke answer, NEVER do this.
But if you do anyway, please record it.
For posterity.
And Lols. And worthless Internet points.
Don't wear a hat. Judges HATE hats.
Idk what hats ever did but they're automatically guilty in a court room.
This actually stems from long forgotten common courtesy to remove a hat when entering someone's home or place of business.
https://bestlifeonline.com/rude-to-wear-a-hat-indoors/
It's an ancient custom dating back to the days of knights, and generally courteous when visiting some one new or entering any professional establishment.
How'd it go?
Don't argue with the court or the judge, keep your personal comments to yourself. If you disagree with the ruling, keep your mouth shut about it, thank the judge regardless of the outcome.
A lot of "turn the other cheek" applies here. Anything less and you will be held in contempt of court and it will make things worse.
Listen carefully, speak when it's your turn to speak, don't talk over anyone, especially the judge.
Beyond that, be honest, and don't conceal the truth. Do everything you can to be a good participant in the system. Arrive early and if you can, watch what others do and learn from their actions. What they do, what they say, and especially what not to say or do.
You'll be fine at the end of the day.
Also renew your damn license ASAP. Don't drive the vehicle that got the infraction (duh), and if possible, get a ride to the courthouse and back again, whether that's a friend, a taxi, an Uber/Lyft, it doesn't matter. If the judge decides to put you in jail (unlikely, but possible) you don't have to worry about your vehicle being towed or something, and you won't get additional fines as you travel there.
All the best OP. You got this.
Renew your license today. Going in with your license renewed will help.
Two final things: If you do accidentally speak over the judge apologize and admit your mistake.
On that same vein, be honest, especially with simple responses. We hear mostly about the bad judges in the system. Reality is most are fine and will treat you fairly, if you treat them and the court with respect.
A cop giving a ticket for a simple expired license is a dickhead. Don't say that in court.
Lol what the fuck? Why on earth would anyone get a license if there were no punishment for not having one? Also I assure you that they didn't get pulled over for having no license; they were breaking another driving law.
Court? For an experience license? Where do you live?
I was pulled over for speeding and my license was expired. I got a ticket for my license being expired )which wasn’t that expensive) and the cop told me I couldn’t drive home. I asked her if she’d drive me home because it was one of the worst days of my life (long story) and she told me she’d be happy to. She did not give me a speeding ticket. My mate drove me to renew my license, and I mailed in the 85-ish USD for the ticket. No court.
Be humble, apologetic and polite. Explain the facts, don't offer opinions.
Dress as well as you can, be on time or a little early, don’t piss off the judge.
Be honest.
if you’re wanting to talk to somebody before hand… they should have a public defender you can speak to. Bring relevant paperwork.
Be prepared for the public defender to ask you two questions then shun you the rest of the day while they tend to their other 30 clients that day
If you haven't already renewed your license, do not drive yourself to court. I know that probably sounds obvious, but people still manage to get in trouble doing that. I'd actually recommend taking an Uber or something if your license is still expired; you can get a ride from a friend, but an Uber will at least give you a receipt that you can present to the court in case it gets brought up (and they will ask "How did you get here today?" if you're still expired).
If it was me, I would go in, dressed smart casual, be on time, polite, own up to the issue, say sorry I forgot to get it renewed and I hadn't realized it needed doing, inform the judge of any mitigating circumstances that might have distracted you and ask that because it's your first offence if they could be lenient as there were no other aggravating factors (speeding, drunk, crashed car with injuries rtc).
Was the car or truck in pretty good condition ?. It's what I'd try if all indications are you are an otherwise legal and safe driver. I'm not asking for you to answer to me, but they seem relevant to a judge. I hope things work out ok for you.
The only other thing I could think of is if someone could be a character witness but the court might not want to hear them.
Maybe you have a good reason to ask for the fine to be waived if you have sick kids etc, or have been saving for a worthwhile cause and this would be a major setback or a penalty like losing your license would make you unable to work or look after kids.
If you are pleasant and don't make things harder then they might have discretion to adjust the penalty and decide to do so. But the law might also be written so the judge has no say in the penalty or a minimum penalty is required.
I know of some drivers over here if they have an established safe driving record they can write and ask for a speeding fine to be reviewed and possibly waived (if it was just a few kms over, cant see it work gor 30km/h+ over).
I think there's also been a few cases where people who would otherwise have their license suspended over here get an exemption for work etc.
You might not even go to open court for this. A lot of times for minor traffic offenses there's just a standard deal they give you.
Plead "Nolo Contendere." You're guilty of the charge, the law and judge don't care that you forgot. They're not your parents, and it's your responsibility. You'll probably just get a fine.
Just say "No contest" though, spouting off latin makes you look like a dork.
We have no clue where you are so we can't give any good advice. For all we know you live in Elbonia and driving without a license gets you the guillotine.
But
Show up ~30 minutes early, there will likely be metal detectors and a line at them. If you are in line be ready when you get up front, if you need to empty your pockets do that before you are at the detector. This makes it faster for everyone.
Showing up early will also give you time to find your courtroom in the building. It also will let you watch the court for a few minutes before your time to shine.
Turn your phone off. Court house rules might require you leave it outside.
Dress appropriately, a polo should be fine. Any collared shirt tucked in with pants and closed toed shoes will show you put some effort into dressing yourself. No hats unless you've got to for your religion.
It's the judge's courtroom don't interrupt them. Don't lie. And being on your best behavior starts the moment you step onto the lot not when you enter the room, be polite to court staff as well.
Read the ticket front and back for specific instructions. Check the court website to see if there's any announcements that you should be aware of (like local rules).
Don't listen to other people's advice on how you should plead. We don't know the facts of your case. Most people here aren't lawyers. Nothing here is legal advice.
Leave your weed in the car. Get a ride to court if you're not doing zoom court.
Also, if it's zoom court don't drive while your zoom court session is going on... seems like it would be obvious, but someone literally did that a few months ago.
It's a bit late now, but you should have immediately renewed your license after receiving the ticket. Your best defense would have been "I forgot, but I have already renewed it". Since you didn't do that, and you don't have an attorney, and court is tomorrow, I'd just be honest, and let them know that you will go from the courthouse immediately to the DMV, or DoL, or whatever it's called where you live, and renew it. Hopefully they don't suspend your license for driving without a license. Other than that, get there on time, dress nice, comb your hair, don't be intoxicated, or on any drugs, and refer to the judge as Your Honor. Good luck.