# Have I been Have you ever been "convicted for any violation(s) of law"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 5, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-i-been-have-you-ever-been-convicted-for-any-violation-s-of-law/531369 "2010-03-05T02:21:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-i-been-have-you-ever-been-convicted-for-any-violation-s-of-law/531369/21 "2010-03-14T15:35:45Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > A parking ticket goes to the car owner who may not be the person who parked the car there. But I guess under the law it doesn’t matter, the owner has to pay the ticket. AFAIK, when you pay a parking ticket you are not pleading guilty to or being convicted of an offense. The same holds true for tickets based on red light cameras. ---
**Author:** ![BorgHunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@BorgHunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BorgHunter)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-i-been-have-you-ever-been-convicted-for-any-violation-s-of-law/531369/22 "2010-03-14T15:45:39Z")
> [@Shmendrik](#): > > AFAIK, when you pay a parking ticket you are not pleading guilty to or being convicted of an offense. The same holds true for tickets based on red light cameras. Yes, you are. You can either plead guilty and pay the fine, or plead not guilty and take it to court. This is covered by the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process clause. On the other hand, parking tickets aren’t _moving violations_, and neither are tickets from red light cameras in some jurisdictions. What this means is a conviction in either one won’t increase your insurance or put points on your license, which is probably what you’re thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-i-been-have-you-ever-been-convicted-for-any-violation-s-of-law/531369/23 "2010-03-14T17:17:30Z")
> [@BorgHunter](#): > > Yes, you are. You can either plead guilty and pay the fine, or plead not guilty and take it to court. This is covered by the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process clause. > > On the other hand, parking tickets aren’t _moving violations_, and neither are tickets from red light cameras in some jurisdictions. What this means is a conviction in either one won’t increase your insurance or put points on your license, which is probably what you’re thinking of. Say you lent your car to a friend who parked it illegally. Even if you were to go to court and prove this, you would still be liable for the ticket, right? ---
**Author:** ![BorgHunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@BorgHunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BorgHunter)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-i-been-have-you-ever-been-convicted-for-any-violation-s-of-law/531369/24 "2010-03-14T17:50:23Z")
> [@Shmendrik](#): > > Say you lent your car to a friend who parked it illegally. Even if you were to go to court and prove this, you would still be liable for the ticket, right? Depends on how the law’s worded. I’m willing to assume, for the sake of argument, that yes, the owner is liable even if he did not place the car in the illegal position, a la The Simpsons when Barney parks Homer’s car in the World Trade Center’s plaza. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-i-been-have-you-ever-been-convicted-for-any-violation-s-of-law/531369/25 "2010-03-14T18:20:40Z")
> [@BorgHunter](#): > > Depends on how the law’s worded. I’m willing to assume, for the sake of argument, that yes, the owner is liable even if he did not place the car in the illegal position, a la The Simpsons when Barney parks Homer’s car in the World Trade Center’s plaza. Ok, so I know that strict liability laws don’t require mens rea for conviction, but don’t all crimes need a component of actus reus? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-i-been-have-you-ever-been-convicted-for-any-violation-s-of-law/531369.md?page=1)