Hello Dear Friends,
Today, I’ll share my experience with contesting a traffic ticket and going to court.
Back in 2020, during the COVID-19 period, I received two tickets while driving for Uber. The police stopped me, claiming I didn’t come to a complete stop at a stop sign. (The officer said, “You stopped, but it wasn’t a full stop.”)
1. First Ticket: Failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign. ($110)
2. Second Ticket: Not having an Uber/Lyft sign displayed in the vehicle. ($240)
I decided to contest these tickets. (I went to the office mentioned on the ticket and filled out a dispute form. You can also contest tickets online through the address indicated on the ticket. Additionally, you can request a translator.)
The First Court Date (December 2022)
Two years later, in December 2022, I received a court date. I was provided with a link to attend the hearing online. The issuing officer and translator also joined online.
The prosecutor asked, “This ticket is over two years old. Why didn’t you request a statute of limitations dismissal?” I replied, “I didn’t know I had that right.” Then I requested evidence for the ticket. The judge asked, “Why didn’t you request the evidence earlier?” I again explained, “I didn’t know I had the right to do so.”
As a result, the judge postponed the case to March 2023 to allow time for evidence to be presented.
I submitted a video request by filling out an investigation request form and emailing it to the local court office where the ticket was issued (toprosecutors@toronto.ca). They replied, stating they didn’t have a video recording.
Honestly, I thought, “Who keeps a video for three years?”
The Second Court Date (March 2023)
The day before the second court date, I hadn’t received a video link for the hearing. Early in the morning, I went to the Toronto court office.
There, the prosecutor told me, “We have two tickets for you, and we also have video evidence. Yesterday, we sent you an email, and you opened it.”
I was shocked because I hadn’t received such an email. When I explained this, the prosecutor went to their office, returned with printed emails, and handed them to me, saying, “Here you go.” It turned out the email was sent to an unrelated address, just one day before the court date. I showed them that the email address was not mine.
The prosecutor then stated, “We have a video showing you didn’t come to a complete stop. The stop sign ticket will be reduced from $110 to $60, the demerit points will be removed, and the $240 Uber sign fine will be canceled.” (For cases that are over two years old and haven’t been resolved, demerit points are automatically erased.)
I explained that I had fully stopped, that this was my first ticket, and that I hadn’t received any tickets in the past three years. I requested the stop sign ticket to be dismissed.
The prosecutor went back to their office and returned with a DVD, showing the video evidence on their computer.
I pointed out in the video, “Look, I stopped.” (For them, it wasn’t a complete stop.) I explained that I’m a law-abiding individual and suggested dismissing the stop sign ticket and instead reducing the Uber sign fine.
Eventually, I convinced the prosecutor. They turned to the judge and recommended dismissing the stop sign ticket and reducing the Uber sign fine. The judge agreed, and I left court feeling happy.
Post-Court Issue
A week later, I received a payment notice for the fine. To my shock, the notice stated that I owed $240 for the stop sign ticket. I immediately called the office to explain the situation. They reviewed the court records and told me, “A mistake was made. You can visit the office or send an email to request a correction.”
I sent the correction request via email. Let’s see what happens next.
Final Thoughts
I’m sharing this story to highlight the importance of being informed in Canada. My intention is not to criticize any individual or organization.
If you ever find yourself in a similar situation and believe you’re in the right, remember that you have the right to contest the ticket, request a translator, and ask for evidence such as videos. You can even negotiate with the prosecutor for a “good behavior” settlement to reduce or dismiss the fine.
Wishing you safe and ticket-free travels.
You can access my previous articles and G1 test preparation questions at www.ehliyet.ca.
Best regards,
Orhan Hoca
Licensed Driving Instructor
647 984 4682