OHTA.ca

Hi all,

I was driving last night and ran an amber, unfortunately causing a collision in the process. The officer who arrived on the scene said he cut me a break with this ticket. He said it could have been much worse. He did not indicate on the ticket that a motor vehicle or a collision was involved. I got a $180 fine and 3 demerit points. I'm in no way disputing that I'm not at fault here because I am. What I'd like to know is if I should bother making a plea of not guilty and dealing with the prosecutor to try to lessen the consequences. This is my first and hopefully last time in this situation and I'm a little overwhelmed. I appreciate any help.

What the officer means is that you probably could have been charged with careless, but that's not what he charged you with so you can deal with the prosecutor on the charge you are specifically charged with and not what it "could have been". The points are non-negotiable, but if you can show financial hardship then the fine may be reduced. You're other option is to plead guilty with an explanation before a JP and make the same arguments with regards to the fine. That's a more streamlined process than meeting with the prosecutor.