O.K. I need to vent a little, so I'm going to post this as a cautionary tale about legal mishaps. The moral is: even if you haven't done anything wrong, and you think you are doing everything right, life sucks and the state of Florida doesn't care about you (too specific?).
Back when I filled out my paperwork for the EPSQ, I put that I didn't have a police record, which I didn't. I filled all of this paperwork out in early January. Later that same month, my parents got a letter in the mail stating that my license was going to be suspended because I failed to pay a traffic ticket.
My initial thoughts: WTF, did they get me speeding on camera or something and never send me a ticket?
So, the next day I get the letter from them, see that the citation is from Pasco county (Tampa), a place I haven't been to since middle school. Ok that's weird. So I call them up and they inform me that "I" was involved in a traffic accident on November 2nd, and there was something like $5000 worth of damages. "I" also live at an address in a town in Pasco county.
I tell my recruiter about this, who says it probably won't be a big deal since it's traffic-related, just keep her informed. I check my credit record for identity theft...looks normal
Next I try calling the trooper who wrote the citation...leave two voice messages...no response. Fine. I go to student legal services, they refer me to a traffic lawyer who basically says, yeah you should plead not guilty and try to get the Judge to say the citation was issued in error. At this point I have found my bank records that show purchases in Tallahassee on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and am pretty confident this should be resolved quickly.
Months go by, I get a pro-rec, I keep calling the court, I know they have my address because they sent me a clearance form for my license. Still no court date. I am physically qualified for SNA...still no court date. Hmm I've been selected and finals are coming up and I haven't called the court in a while (MISTAKE).
So, this weekend my parents get a letter saying my license is going to be suspended because I failed to show up at court...WTF???
This morning I called the court and this was about our conversation:
me: Hello, apparently you're suspending my license, I'd like to stop this since I never received notice of a court date.
them: You live at ("my" address in pasco county) right?
me: NO!!! I LIVE IN TALLAHASSEE I AM NOT INVOLVED IN THIS MESS!!!
them: Oh, well you can't do anything about your license until you DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE WARRANT OUT FOR YOUR ARREST
That's right, there's been a warrant out for my arrest since late DECEMBER because "I" fled the scene of the accident and no one bothered to tell me this. How they even knew to give "me" or me a ticket if "I" fled the scene is something that is still not clear to me. Hopefully, in addition to the bank records that show I made purchases in Tallahassee on the Nov 2nd, I should also have a time sheet from my work that shows I worked there that day.
I have an appointment to see a Lawyer on Wednesday, I notified my recruiter today and am anticipating NOT making the June 9 OCS date I'd been slated for...I may even have to find a lease since mine runs out in August and this could take a while to sort out.
Florida hates me.
The end (I know it's long).
Act I
Back when I filled out my paperwork for the EPSQ, I put that I didn't have a police record, which I didn't. I filled all of this paperwork out in early January. Later that same month, my parents got a letter in the mail stating that my license was going to be suspended because I failed to pay a traffic ticket.
My initial thoughts: WTF, did they get me speeding on camera or something and never send me a ticket?
So, the next day I get the letter from them, see that the citation is from Pasco county (Tampa), a place I haven't been to since middle school. Ok that's weird. So I call them up and they inform me that "I" was involved in a traffic accident on November 2nd, and there was something like $5000 worth of damages. "I" also live at an address in a town in Pasco county.
me: What should I do?
them: I don't know sounds like you're a victim of identity fraud
me: ok, so what should I do?
them: well, I can give you the number of the trooper who wrote the citation
me: ok...what about my license getting suspended?
them: Well, you should probably plead not guilty and wait for a court date
me: ok (do that, pay about $60 in fees to keep license from being suspended)
them: I don't know sounds like you're a victim of identity fraud
me: ok, so what should I do?
them: well, I can give you the number of the trooper who wrote the citation
me: ok...what about my license getting suspended?
them: Well, you should probably plead not guilty and wait for a court date
me: ok (do that, pay about $60 in fees to keep license from being suspended)
I tell my recruiter about this, who says it probably won't be a big deal since it's traffic-related, just keep her informed. I check my credit record for identity theft...looks normal
Next I try calling the trooper who wrote the citation...leave two voice messages...no response. Fine. I go to student legal services, they refer me to a traffic lawyer who basically says, yeah you should plead not guilty and try to get the Judge to say the citation was issued in error. At this point I have found my bank records that show purchases in Tallahassee on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd and am pretty confident this should be resolved quickly.
Act II
Months go by, I get a pro-rec, I keep calling the court, I know they have my address because they sent me a clearance form for my license. Still no court date. I am physically qualified for SNA...still no court date. Hmm I've been selected and finals are coming up and I haven't called the court in a while (MISTAKE).
So, this weekend my parents get a letter saying my license is going to be suspended because I failed to show up at court...WTF???
This morning I called the court and this was about our conversation:
me: Hello, apparently you're suspending my license, I'd like to stop this since I never received notice of a court date.
them: You live at ("my" address in pasco county) right?
me: NO!!! I LIVE IN TALLAHASSEE I AM NOT INVOLVED IN THIS MESS!!!
them: Oh, well you can't do anything about your license until you DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE WARRANT OUT FOR YOUR ARREST
That's right, there's been a warrant out for my arrest since late DECEMBER because "I" fled the scene of the accident and no one bothered to tell me this. How they even knew to give "me" or me a ticket if "I" fled the scene is something that is still not clear to me. Hopefully, in addition to the bank records that show I made purchases in Tallahassee on the Nov 2nd, I should also have a time sheet from my work that shows I worked there that day.
I have an appointment to see a Lawyer on Wednesday, I notified my recruiter today and am anticipating NOT making the June 9 OCS date I'd been slated for...I may even have to find a lease since mine runs out in August and this could take a while to sort out.
Florida hates me.
The end (I know it's long).