Back in July, I was pulled over for a stop sign violation. According to the police officer on the day I received the ticket he felt that i did a California Rolling Stop instead of a complete stop. I remember the day well; Greg and I had just left the movie theatre after seeing The Dark Knight. We were in separate cars and he went straight down Mt. Vernon so i went right on Womack to see which was quicker. I pulled up to the Vermack / Womack intersection, stopped and continued through. As I hit the gas I see a police car sitting in the high school parking lot. He immediately pulls behind me so I immediately pull into the high school parking lot. (if you are wondering why I am giving you so much detail, keep reading.) We literally talk for 20 minutes about The Dark Knight and Heath Ledger's performance, he tells me that he doesn't feel like i stopped completely, we talk some more (I sense that he is fishing for a DUI instead of a stop sign violation), and then after a lull in the conversation he walks back to his car and writes me a ticket. Quit frankly i was shocked that he actually gave me a ticket in the first place.
Long story short, I end up in court yesterday to plead not guilty to my violation, hope it's reduced to a warning and continue on with my life. NOT SO FAST STEPHENIE.
We arrive at the courthouse and Officer Choi was no where to be seen. Good start. The judge starts the trials with all of the officers that are present. It's now 6:30pm and down to 5 of us. Guess who walks in the door, my boy Choi! The judge says, you are late he claims he's been in the court room next door. Now I'm at the podium with my right hand in the air. Officer Choi begins his statement and how the story has changed. I was FLOORED. I went from a California rolling stop to endangering the lives of Dunwoody citizens everywhere. I couldn't believe it. I was physically shaken. According to Choi boy, not only did I not stop for the stop sign, there was no way i could have made an emergency stop if another car was coming; plus he had to follow me down to another neighborhood to pull me over AND there was a High School football game letting out so there were people everywhere, plus a ton of foot traffic from people in the neighborhood walking their dogs. UM, HELLO, DUNWOODY HIGH SCHOOL DOESN'T HAVE A FOOTBALL STADIUM AND IT WAS 10:26PM ON A WEDNESDAY! Now i am really shaking and about to have a coronary.
I open my mouth to begin disputing all of this, but can't get any words out. My voice is cracking like a 12 year old boy and the adrenal is pumping so hard through my body that I can feel my heart beating out of my chest. All I mutter is, "no, you said i didn't stop long enough. I pulled right into the high school and we talked about Batman for 20 minutes." That is all I can muster up; NOTHING about the fact that Dunwoody doesn't have a Football stadium, that it had been raining all day so no one was out of the streets, I say, "we talked about Batman?" ugh, disaster. Next thing I know the judge is giving me a lecture about how I obviously don't know what it means to stop at a stop sign and followed by a physical demonstration about how my body should rock back in my seat to signify a complete stop. Got it, I know what a stop is; I took drivers ed in North Carolina (unlike the rest of you Georgia drivers), but of course very appreciative for the lesson. Then through the ringing in my ears I hear "this is what I am going to do for you, I am finding you Not Guilty but you are on probation". I whisper to myself, Not Guilty, OK, that is good, right, but what else did she say? My head is spinning, I'm staring a hole through Choi and trying to process what is going on. Probation? What? (By the way, the guy sitting next to me has 4 tickets and a warrant out and I am on probation.) So finally I snap to and try to comprehend my sentence. She says something about writing a letter to her and 2 hours, and stop signs, I'm nodding and yes ma'aming but still awe struck. What is going on? Finally I get it, I'm on probation until I complete my assignment. I have homework from court!!! Thank God I was a straight A student (in high school), I can handle homework. The judge gave me homework!
So folks, the bottom line is, my ass will be sitting at the corner of Womack and Vermack on Saturday for two hours counting the number of cars that come to a complete stop versus roll through the stop sign. Once all of my research is complete, I have to compile a letter to the judge with my findings and bring it to my probation officer on Monday. Wow. I am on probation. I can't believe it, I really can't. I was even arrested in college and was never on probation (nor convicted for that matter) and here I am in my 30's and on probation. I know one day I will laugh about this, but trust me that time is not here yet. Though, if you want to laugh, I totally understand. Heck, if you have time on Saturday drive through Dunwoody and heckle me! I'll be in my chair with my clipboard doing my time.
Thank you judge, I can do homework and I will give you 100%. Officer Choi, karma's a bitch.
Long story short, I end up in court yesterday to plead not guilty to my violation, hope it's reduced to a warning and continue on with my life. NOT SO FAST STEPHENIE.
We arrive at the courthouse and Officer Choi was no where to be seen. Good start. The judge starts the trials with all of the officers that are present. It's now 6:30pm and down to 5 of us. Guess who walks in the door, my boy Choi! The judge says, you are late he claims he's been in the court room next door. Now I'm at the podium with my right hand in the air. Officer Choi begins his statement and how the story has changed. I was FLOORED. I went from a California rolling stop to endangering the lives of Dunwoody citizens everywhere. I couldn't believe it. I was physically shaken. According to Choi boy, not only did I not stop for the stop sign, there was no way i could have made an emergency stop if another car was coming; plus he had to follow me down to another neighborhood to pull me over AND there was a High School football game letting out so there were people everywhere, plus a ton of foot traffic from people in the neighborhood walking their dogs. UM, HELLO, DUNWOODY HIGH SCHOOL DOESN'T HAVE A FOOTBALL STADIUM AND IT WAS 10:26PM ON A WEDNESDAY! Now i am really shaking and about to have a coronary.
I open my mouth to begin disputing all of this, but can't get any words out. My voice is cracking like a 12 year old boy and the adrenal is pumping so hard through my body that I can feel my heart beating out of my chest. All I mutter is, "no, you said i didn't stop long enough. I pulled right into the high school and we talked about Batman for 20 minutes." That is all I can muster up; NOTHING about the fact that Dunwoody doesn't have a Football stadium, that it had been raining all day so no one was out of the streets, I say, "we talked about Batman?" ugh, disaster. Next thing I know the judge is giving me a lecture about how I obviously don't know what it means to stop at a stop sign and followed by a physical demonstration about how my body should rock back in my seat to signify a complete stop. Got it, I know what a stop is; I took drivers ed in North Carolina (unlike the rest of you Georgia drivers), but of course very appreciative for the lesson. Then through the ringing in my ears I hear "this is what I am going to do for you, I am finding you Not Guilty but you are on probation". I whisper to myself, Not Guilty, OK, that is good, right, but what else did she say? My head is spinning, I'm staring a hole through Choi and trying to process what is going on. Probation? What? (By the way, the guy sitting next to me has 4 tickets and a warrant out and I am on probation.) So finally I snap to and try to comprehend my sentence. She says something about writing a letter to her and 2 hours, and stop signs, I'm nodding and yes ma'aming but still awe struck. What is going on? Finally I get it, I'm on probation until I complete my assignment. I have homework from court!!! Thank God I was a straight A student (in high school), I can handle homework. The judge gave me homework!
So folks, the bottom line is, my ass will be sitting at the corner of Womack and Vermack on Saturday for two hours counting the number of cars that come to a complete stop versus roll through the stop sign. Once all of my research is complete, I have to compile a letter to the judge with my findings and bring it to my probation officer on Monday. Wow. I am on probation. I can't believe it, I really can't. I was even arrested in college and was never on probation (nor convicted for that matter) and here I am in my 30's and on probation. I know one day I will laugh about this, but trust me that time is not here yet. Though, if you want to laugh, I totally understand. Heck, if you have time on Saturday drive through Dunwoody and heckle me! I'll be in my chair with my clipboard doing my time.
Thank you judge, I can do homework and I will give you 100%. Officer Choi, karma's a bitch.
1 comment:
The saga continues. I was wrong, my verdict was GUILTY, though I am still unclear if the letter just satisfies my fine or if it reverses my verdict. I just had my second meeting with my probation officer where both of us thought everything would be over, but alas Judge W hasn't even read my letter yet so I remain on probation until further notice. Did you know that you technically can't leave the state of Georgia when you are on probation...
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