# Criminal Traffic Court ----- What can I expect? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 12, 2016, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556 "2016-12-12T21:42:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ostracism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@Ostracism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostracism)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556/21 "2016-12-13T12:13:26Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > No. They are forfeitures. By > [statute](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/939/I/12) (939.12) forfeitures are not crimes. > > Hell, first offense DUI isn’t a crime here. It’s a traffic citation. You should be in your knees thanking God or whatever that it’s not a DUI ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556/22 "2016-12-13T12:34:28Z")
> [@Ostracism](#): > > You should be in your knees thanking God or whatever that it’s not a DUI Forgive me, it’s early morn, but I don’t get what you’re saying here. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556/23 "2016-12-13T12:43:19Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Given you’re a long time LEO who presumably knows a bit about criminal law, are summary offenses not considered criminal in WI? In Michigan, other than egregious examples like willful reckless driving or OWI, traffic/parking offenses are civil infractions. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556/24 "2016-12-13T19:55:12Z")
> [@Mrdeals](#): > > I am in Wisconsin, but the crime happened in Minnesota > [@bobot](#): > > “The crime”? Hey, take it easy on yourself Mister Busted Taillight! So, does that make **Mrdeals** ‘The Perp’? ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556/25 "2016-12-14T01:57:30Z")
I’m wondering if the mandatory appearance in court is because it was a commercial vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556/26 "2016-12-14T04:34:16Z")
A “tail light” ticket would normally be dismissed with proof that it was fixed. Drive the vehicle to the DMV or round up a Trooper and have them sign off on it. > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > In some states, the officer writing the ticket needs to also attend court to act as the prosecution. If they don’t show the case is dismissed. Yes! Always plead “Not Guilty” and the prosecutor will almost always knock it way down or find an excuse to dismiss all together. They don’t want to waste time and money for a speeding ticket. I haven’t been **convicted** of a moving violation in a _real long_ time. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556/27 "2016-12-14T05:22:25Z")
> [@Ostracism](#): > > You should be in your knees thanking God or whatever that it’s not a DUI I still don’t understand this post. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556/28 "2016-12-14T13:39:28Z")
I suspect he means that a DUI, particularly for a commercial driver, is a very expensive and perhaps career-ending event. Of course it’s a total \*non sequitur \*in the context of a thread about tail lights. Some folks need to trot out their hobby horse, whether that’s the evils of impaired driving or of overzealous enforcement, every chance they get. On a happier note I suppose another interpretation is that if this poor guy is going to \*criminal \*court over a tail light, just imagine what sort of Spanish Inquisition might await a person charged with DUI. One-liners are always hard to parse. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556/29 "2016-12-14T14:53:05Z")
Q: Did they find some kind of independent switch in your car so you could turn one light off and not the other? Or make one headlight normal beam with the other high beam? ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556/30 "2016-12-14T17:23:35Z")
Have you rehabilitated yourself, son? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556/31 "2016-12-14T20:55:32Z")
That was a whoosh, Casey. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556/32 "2016-12-14T20:58:24Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > That was a whoosh, Casey. I think you were whooshed. **Casey** was quoting from “Alice’s Restaurant.” ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556/33 "2016-12-15T00:40:29Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I suspect he means that a DUI, particularly for a commercial driver, is a very expensive and perhaps career-ending event. Oh. :smack: Yes, it is different for a CDL holder. But for the average citizen a first offense DUI in Wisconsin is not a criminal act (unless there are injuries). It’s handled as a traffic ticket. We’re the only state I believe that does this. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2016, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556/34 "2016-12-15T02:46:57Z")
**Mrdeals** doesn’t mention a previous citation. The court summons sounds like it was issued because there was a fix-it ticket that was ignored. The ticket itself is not criminal, but ignoring it could be. Fun fact. If you’re driving someone else’s car and you get a fix-it ticket, you’re the one responsible for making the repair and getting the repair inspected. It’s nice if the owner pays for the repair to their own car, but it’s not their ticket. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/criminal-traffic-court-what-can-i-expect/774556.md?page=1)