speeding ticket
Apr 11th 2002, 6:40 pm
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
speeding ticket
I have a friend who is engaged. He's a UK citizen, living in the UK with his
american girlfriend right now and plans to go to the US with her and get married
when he arrives.
He has been to the states a year earlier and he got a speeding ticket whilst he was
here. The policeman took his passport number and he went back home to the UK without
paying it. The US police tried to get in touch with him in the UK to collect payment
but he did not respond to them.
Does anyone have any advice for him as to what he should do as he is planning to
travel to the US and get married. Will he have problem getting a visa, or will he
have a problem at the POE?
What is the penalty for an unpaid speeding ticket? Could he go to prison if he
comes here?
Thanks,
Roger
--
TAILORED SITES 449 Arthur Kirk Road Beebe, AR 72012 Tel. 1-800-519-7667
american girlfriend right now and plans to go to the US with her and get married
when he arrives.
He has been to the states a year earlier and he got a speeding ticket whilst he was
here. The policeman took his passport number and he went back home to the UK without
paying it. The US police tried to get in touch with him in the UK to collect payment
but he did not respond to them.
Does anyone have any advice for him as to what he should do as he is planning to
travel to the US and get married. Will he have problem getting a visa, or will he
have a problem at the POE?
What is the penalty for an unpaid speeding ticket? Could he go to prison if he
comes here?
Thanks,
Roger
--
TAILORED SITES 449 Arthur Kirk Road Beebe, AR 72012 Tel. 1-800-519-7667
Apr 11th 2002, 7:07 pm
#2
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 46,388
Re: speeding ticket
There might be a bench warrant out for his arrest. Being that his passport number is known to the local authorities, it is not unreasonable to assume this information has been placed on the INS information highway and therefore will show up at the POE when he attempts to enter.
He can circumvent the problem by writing the authorities and asking for information on paying for this ticket (fine plus penalty) in an effort to clear his name.
As for his plan of coming to the US with his girlfriend and marrying her here, he has a lot of reading to do on the subject to INS do's and don'ts in this area. Not quite as simple as he believes.
He can circumvent the problem by writing the authorities and asking for information on paying for this ticket (fine plus penalty) in an effort to clear his name.
As for his plan of coming to the US with his girlfriend and marrying her here, he has a lot of reading to do on the subject to INS do's and don'ts in this area. Not quite as simple as he believes.
Apr 11th 2002, 11:40 pm
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: speeding ticket
Roger Howard wrote:
>
> I have a friend who is engaged. He's a UK citizen, living in the UK with his
> american girlfriend right now and plans to go to the US with her and get married
> when he arrives.
>
> He has been to the states a year earlier and he got a speeding ticket whilst he was
> here. The policeman took his passport number and he went back home to the UK
> without paying it. The US police tried to get in touch with him in the UK to
> collect payment but he did not respond to them.
>
> Does anyone have any advice for him as to what he should do as he is planning to
> travel to the US and get married. Will he have problem getting a visa, or will he
> have a problem at the POE?
He may have a problem. If he doesn't pay the ticket before the court date, he might
get hit with "failure to appear". In California this is a misdemeanor. He should
contact the court to make arrangements to handle
it. If needed, a lawyer can go to court for him.
>
> What is the penalty for an unpaid speeding ticket? Could he go to prison if he
> comes here?
Not prison, but possibly jail. It would have been much cheaper to pay the ticket.
>
> I have a friend who is engaged. He's a UK citizen, living in the UK with his
> american girlfriend right now and plans to go to the US with her and get married
> when he arrives.
>
> He has been to the states a year earlier and he got a speeding ticket whilst he was
> here. The policeman took his passport number and he went back home to the UK
> without paying it. The US police tried to get in touch with him in the UK to
> collect payment but he did not respond to them.
>
> Does anyone have any advice for him as to what he should do as he is planning to
> travel to the US and get married. Will he have problem getting a visa, or will he
> have a problem at the POE?
He may have a problem. If he doesn't pay the ticket before the court date, he might
get hit with "failure to appear". In California this is a misdemeanor. He should
contact the court to make arrangements to handle
it. If needed, a lawyer can go to court for him.
>
> What is the penalty for an unpaid speeding ticket? Could he go to prison if he
> comes here?
Not prison, but possibly jail. It would have been much cheaper to pay the ticket.
Apr 12th 2002, 9:10 pm
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: speeding ticket
I'm not a lawyer, but aren't most bench warrants only good for the state where they
were issued? So he could POE in another state and get picked up by his fiancée. Take
care of the ticket at the courts after he arrives. Again, this is another gamble
because INS is national and could frown on his disrespect of local law. Who knows if
they even know? Does the INS coordinate with local traffic law enforcement? I would
have the USC do a little research as to where to mail payment, or talk to a ticket
atty about clearing it up. Just do things right and there's no guessing. Hate to be
turned away at the POE and have to go home to the UK. Clint
"Rete" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> There might be a bench warrant out for his arrest. Being that his passport number
> is known to the local authorities, it is not unreasonable to assume this
> information has been placed on the INS information highway and therefore will show
> up at the POE when he attempts to enter.
>
> He can circumvent the problem by writing the authorities and asking for information
> on paying for this ticket (fine plus penalty) in an effort to clear his name.
>
> As for his plan of coming to the US with his girlfriend and marrying her here, he
> has a lot of reading to do on the subject to INS do's and don'ts in this area. Not
> quite as simple as he believes.
>
>
>
> --
>
>
>
> Posted via http://britishexpats.com
were issued? So he could POE in another state and get picked up by his fiancée. Take
care of the ticket at the courts after he arrives. Again, this is another gamble
because INS is national and could frown on his disrespect of local law. Who knows if
they even know? Does the INS coordinate with local traffic law enforcement? I would
have the USC do a little research as to where to mail payment, or talk to a ticket
atty about clearing it up. Just do things right and there's no guessing. Hate to be
turned away at the POE and have to go home to the UK. Clint
"Rete" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> There might be a bench warrant out for his arrest. Being that his passport number
> is known to the local authorities, it is not unreasonable to assume this
> information has been placed on the INS information highway and therefore will show
> up at the POE when he attempts to enter.
>
> He can circumvent the problem by writing the authorities and asking for information
> on paying for this ticket (fine plus penalty) in an effort to clear his name.
>
> As for his plan of coming to the US with his girlfriend and marrying her here, he
> has a lot of reading to do on the subject to INS do's and don'ts in this area. Not
> quite as simple as he believes.
>
>
>
> --
>
>
>
> Posted via http://britishexpats.com
Apr 13th 2002, 12:10 am
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: speeding ticket
"Clint (US-Brazil)" wrote:
>
> I'm not a lawyer, but aren't most bench warrants only good for the state where they
> were issued?
No. But the other state isn't going to have someone returned to them for failing to
appear for a speeding ticket. After all, they would have to pay the extradition
costs. This doesn't prevent this from showing up in an FBI check. This may NOT just
be INS and local traffic law enforcment. This is no longer just a speeding ticket in
some states. In California, it is misdemeanor failure to appear. I don't know where
the OP is from, but I if it happened in CA, I wouldn't take the chance of trying to
come in on the VWP and AOS.
If his American girlfriend is a resident of UK, then they should marry there and file
DCF. Either way, part of the INS process is going to be admitting that he committed a
crime, if failure to appear is a crime in the state the offense was committed in.
Traffic violations do not have to be reported. A failure to appear is not a traffic
violation.
>
> I'm not a lawyer, but aren't most bench warrants only good for the state where they
> were issued?
No. But the other state isn't going to have someone returned to them for failing to
appear for a speeding ticket. After all, they would have to pay the extradition
costs. This doesn't prevent this from showing up in an FBI check. This may NOT just
be INS and local traffic law enforcment. This is no longer just a speeding ticket in
some states. In California, it is misdemeanor failure to appear. I don't know where
the OP is from, but I if it happened in CA, I wouldn't take the chance of trying to
come in on the VWP and AOS.
If his American girlfriend is a resident of UK, then they should marry there and file
DCF. Either way, part of the INS process is going to be admitting that he committed a
crime, if failure to appear is a crime in the state the offense was committed in.
Traffic violations do not have to be reported. A failure to appear is not a traffic
violation.
Apr 13th 2002, 1:40 am
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: speeding ticket
In article <[email protected]>, mrtravel
<[email protected]> wrote:
> This may NOT just be INS and local traffic law enforcment. This is no longer just a
> speeding ticket in some states. In California, it is misdemeanor failure to appear.
It's very likely that while the guy is still outside the US he could clear it up by
sending them a letter, asking what the fine is now, and paying it.
-Donna
<[email protected]> wrote:
> This may NOT just be INS and local traffic law enforcment. This is no longer just a
> speeding ticket in some states. In California, it is misdemeanor failure to appear.
It's very likely that while the guy is still outside the US he could clear it up by
sending them a letter, asking what the fine is now, and paying it.
-Donna
