Zound
///Member
In a bit of a dilemma and would appreciate any advice.
On the 10th of December I was pulled over by a traffic cop for speeding. The radar recorded a speed of 103km/h in an 80km/h zone (Range 214.8m), thereafter I received a court summons notice to appear in court on the 2nd of February 2016 or pay an "Admission of Guilt fine" amounting to R1000 to be paid by the 20th of January 2016. This took place entering into the town of Piet Retief, Mpumalanga at 10:35 am.
My reason for speeding:
My friends and I were on our way to Mozambique (Ponta Du Ouro) and my GPS had mistakenly routed us through the top of Mozambique as opposed to taking us below and around Swaziland to the Kosi Bay border post. I noticed the error in navigation about an hour off track. We had organised a border post transfer service for a specific time, for a group of 20 of us and I was not prepared to inconvenience the entire group by attempting to reschedule the transfer service because of my blunder.
My problem:
1) If I pay the admission of guilt fine, I am supposedly going to receive a criminal record.
2) I do not have the luxury of affording a lawyer to defend/represent me in court, nor the time or associated resources of travelling and expending time in the town of Piet Retief, approximately 4 hours drive from my residence.
I'd happily pay the fine but the aspect of receiving a criminal record simply isn't something I'm willing to accept. The concept of wholesale/mass criminalizing of minor traffic offenses is an absolute injustice and a draconian system.
The AARTO system should have been incorporated nationally decades ago, and now I am facing the injustice of a geologically discriminating prosecutory system.
I understand that I have the right to "write"/"Make representation" to the Prosecutor in order to reduce/withdraw my fine, however I have spent the last week trying to find an appropriate email address for the public prosecutor or relevant traffic department and have found nothing.
I appreciate any and all advice.
Thanks in advance.
On the 10th of December I was pulled over by a traffic cop for speeding. The radar recorded a speed of 103km/h in an 80km/h zone (Range 214.8m), thereafter I received a court summons notice to appear in court on the 2nd of February 2016 or pay an "Admission of Guilt fine" amounting to R1000 to be paid by the 20th of January 2016. This took place entering into the town of Piet Retief, Mpumalanga at 10:35 am.
My reason for speeding:
My friends and I were on our way to Mozambique (Ponta Du Ouro) and my GPS had mistakenly routed us through the top of Mozambique as opposed to taking us below and around Swaziland to the Kosi Bay border post. I noticed the error in navigation about an hour off track. We had organised a border post transfer service for a specific time, for a group of 20 of us and I was not prepared to inconvenience the entire group by attempting to reschedule the transfer service because of my blunder.
My problem:
1) If I pay the admission of guilt fine, I am supposedly going to receive a criminal record.
2) I do not have the luxury of affording a lawyer to defend/represent me in court, nor the time or associated resources of travelling and expending time in the town of Piet Retief, approximately 4 hours drive from my residence.
I'd happily pay the fine but the aspect of receiving a criminal record simply isn't something I'm willing to accept. The concept of wholesale/mass criminalizing of minor traffic offenses is an absolute injustice and a draconian system.
The AARTO system should have been incorporated nationally decades ago, and now I am facing the injustice of a geologically discriminating prosecutory system.
I understand that I have the right to "write"/"Make representation" to the Prosecutor in order to reduce/withdraw my fine, however I have spent the last week trying to find an appropriate email address for the public prosecutor or relevant traffic department and have found nothing.
I appreciate any and all advice.
Thanks in advance.
