Court summon for paid speeding ticket

greep

I got a speeding ticket several months ago (€80).
I paid it a few days later, i.e. within the allowed time frame & still have the receipt.

Today, Gardai brought a court summon for me, in relation to that incident.
Gardai said I either didn't pay or didn't pay on time, however the summon did not mention that I had not paid... & I could not find any no obvious reason why I have to appear in court...
They suggested I sorted it at the nearest Garda station or with the Gardai who caught me (applicant name on the summon).

Just thinking if I should better go to court, as if I try to explain in on a Garda station, it might not reach the court & I will be fined even more...

Did anything similar happen to anyone?
It looks like a mistake on their side.

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

greep

To court of Garda station?

Also interested in similar cases, i.e. how did they end up.

What I would like to highlight here is that there might be others, who also paid their tickets & might be receiving similar summons.
What if they did not retain their receipts.... It looks like they would be fined ~€200 + €80 for the ticket they had actually paid...
This shows how Gardai, who should protect people, can use the law against you... It is unfair & should not be happening... Somebody should be looking into how was it possible that a summon was sent out despite fine had been paid...

If I go to court & ask the same to the judge, will they fine the Guard?

Zambia

greep wrote: »

To court of Garda station?

Also interested in similar cases, i.e. how did they end up.

What I would like to highlight here is that there might be others, who also paid their tickets & might be receiving similar summons.
What if they did not retain their receipts.... It looks like would be fined ~€200 + €80 for the ticket they had actually paid...
This shows how Gardai, who should protect people, can use the law against you... It is unfair & should not be happening... Somebody should be looking into how was it possible that a summon was sent out despite fine had been paid...

If I go to court & ask the same to the judge, will they fine the Guard?

I'm with you mate it's all a big plot!

Zambia

Op please check the following.

What was the due date of the ticket?
What was the date you paid?
Has the money left your account?
Has any money been refunded to you?
Have points for this offence been deducted from your licence?

No need to respond

greep

Zambia wrote: »

Op please check the following.

What was the due date of the ticket?
What was the date you paid?
Has the money left your account?
Has any money been refunded to you?
Have points for this offence been deducted from your licence?

No need to respond

I paid on time, Have a receipt from post office & got a letter confirming +2 penalty points to my licence...

Kristopherus

greep wrote: »

I paid on time, Have a receipt from post office & got a letter confirming +2 penalty points to my licence...

Bring all that evidence to the Garda Station. Unless you meet a plonker, common sense should prevail, and they will cancel/arrange to cancel the summons.

Valetta

What exactly is the summons for?

Is it possible that it is for a different offence, albeit related to the same incident?

greep

Valetta wrote: »

What exactly is the summons for?

Is it possible that it is for a different offense, albeit related to the same incident?

The summon is for an incident that happened .... where I exceeded speed limit.
That was my only speeding ticket

greep

Kristopherus wrote: »

Bring all that evidence to the Garda Station. Unless you meet a plonker, common sense should prevail, and they will cancel/arrange to cancel the summons.

Thanks, will try & see what happens

GerardKeating

greep wrote: »

The summon is for an incident that happened .... where I exceeded speed limit.
That was my only speeding ticket

There might be a remote change that you go caught twice for speeding, but one notice got "lost in the post". I assume you checked the date/time/location on the summons with the one you paid ?

coylemj

The Garda cannot cancel the summons, if he/she could it would open the system to all sorts of abuse. The OP needs to go to the court, meet the Garda in advance if possible, show the receipt and all going well the Garda will ask the judge to strike it out, otherwise if you cannot intercept the Garda before the case is called, OP will need to stand up in front of the judge and explain the situation in which case the judge will ask you to show the receipt to the Garda and there shouldn't be any issue.

greep

coylemj wrote: »

The Garda cannot cancel the summons, if he/she could it would open the system to all sorts of abuse. The OP needs to go to the court, meet the Garda in advance if possible, show the receipt and all going well the Garda will ask the judge to strike it out, otherwise if you cannot intercept the Garda before the case is called, OP will need to stand up in front of the judge and explain the situation in which case the judge will ask you to show the receipt to the Garda and there shouldn't be any issue.

Thanks, OP=? (me?)
I guess I might go as I have never been to court

BTW: I heard/read many cases when Garda did not turn up in court...

greep

GerardKeating wrote: »

There might be a remote change that you go caught twice for speeding, but one notice got "lost in the post". I assume you checked the date/time/location on the summons with the one you paid ?

It's not the case this time, but agree that it might have been a possibility

coylemj

greep wrote: »

Thanks, OP=? (me?)
I guess I might go as I have never been to court

BTW: I heard/read many cases when Garda did not turn up in court...

Yes, OP = Original Poster = you.

If the Garda doesn't turn up then just keep your mouth shut and the case will be struck out. There is a remote possibility that the summons could be reinstated in which case it might be in your interests to step forward when the case is called but in reality the judge won't want to hear what you have to say and will simply strike out the charge so if the Garda is a 'no-show', just do and say nothing.

greep

Went to a Garda station tonight & was told to turn up in court & talk to Garda beforehand, if possible to sort it.

Just curious what happens in cases when Garda does not show up, i.e. will I need to show the receipts to the judge, or he won't be bothered?

moonshadow

See previous post...

gozunda

greep wrote: »

Went to a Garda station tonight & was told to turn up in court & talk to Garda beforehand, if possible to sort it.

Just curious what happens in cases when Garda does not show up, i.e. will I need to show the receipts to the judge, or he won't be bothered?

^^^^

Isn't this a huge waste of tax payers money and legal resources?

Surely to godge there should be some system to halt / amend an erroneous summons so that the OP /Garda don't have to give up a day to attend court to rectify what appears to be an administrative matter. Sadly it reminds me very much of the scene from the film Brazil, where the wrong individual is indited and incarcerated in a tempest of misfilling and typing errors within the states bureaucracy ...

Ed. found clip - hope ok to add ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzPfGryJuKk

Del2005

gozunda wrote: »

^^^^

Isn't this a huge waste of tax payers money and legal resources?

Surely to godge there should be some system to halt / amend an erroneous summons so that the OP /Garda don't have to give up a day to attend court to rectify what appears to be an administrative matter. Sadly it reminds me very much of the scene from the film Brazil, where the wrong individual is indited and incarcerated in a tempest of misfilling and typing errors within the states bureaucracy ...

There was a system but the Gardaí abused it so much it had to be taken off them.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

carzony

gozunda wrote: »

^^^^

Isn't this a huge waste of tax payers money and legal resources?

..

I was in court for a non producer a few years back. I was stopped but never asked to produce anything because I had all the relevant documents in the car wth me. At the side of the road he looked at them and let me go.

I recieved a summons a few months later though:mad::mad: and went to see the Guard in the local station. He said I had to go to court even though I proved I had the insurance cert to him there and then.. Laughable really..

I couldnt believe what I seen in the courtroom that afternoon. The guard had 40 other people up in court and 36 of them had their cases struck out before they even sat down.. I couldnt believe the time and money wasted.

if i ever seen a system that needs improving it's that.


Is there figures ever released to see how many cases are struck out every year? i'd love to see the true amount

ScouseMouse

It happened to me too. Got 3 summons for no tax, licence, insurance. AND 4 more for not producing.

I explained I did produce to Tallaght station and yer wan must not have entered it into the system, so my guard knew no different.

Case was called, guard asked to withdraw charges, case closed. Still wasted half a day sitting in Richmond Court surrounded by skangers.

carzony

ScouseMouse wrote: »

Case was called, guard asked to withdraw charges, case closed. Still wasted half a day sitting in Richmond Court surrounded by skangers.

You really do see some heads in the courts don't ya?:D and not a suit in sight most have their nike tracksuit and runners on though :p

coylemj

greep wrote: »

Went to a Garda station tonight & was told to turn up in court & talk to Garda beforehand, if possible to sort it.

Just curious what happens in cases when Garda does not show up, i.e. will I need to show the receipts to the judge, or he won't be bothered?

OP, I answered that question before you asked it, see the last post on page 1.

flutered

carzony wrote: »

I was in court for a non producer a few years back. I was stopped but never asked to produce anything because I had all the relevant documents in the car wth me. At the side of the road he looked at them and let me go.

I recieved a summons a few months later though:mad::mad: and went to see the Guard in the local station. He said I had to go to court even though I proved I had the insurance cert to him there and then.. Laughable really..

I couldnt believe what I seen in the courtroom that afternoon. The guard had 40 other people up in court and 36 of them had their cases struck out before they even sat down.. I couldnt believe the time and money wasted.

if i ever seen a system that needs improving it's that.
Is there figures ever released to see how many cases are struck out every year? i'd love to see the true amount

,
a former goverment led by garrett fitzgerald brought in a rule which ensured that all gardai had to have at least two hundread summonses each year, i dunno what the number is nowdays, the thinking behind it was to ensure that the gaurds brought in their wages via fines, ie earned their wages

carzony

flutered wrote: »

,
a former goverment led by garrett fitzgerald brought in a rule which ensured that all gardai had to have at least two hundread summonses each year, i dunno what the number is nowdays, the thinking behind it was to ensure that the gaurds brought in their wages via fines, ie earned their wages

if true, That explains why so many people recieve a summons even though they have all the correct paperwork.. I'd say a massive number of people have their time wasted like that every year. Disgraceful....

The Guards should have to concentrate on actually convicting/fining people instead of just having a certain number in court every year.

greep

Went to court today & my name was not on the list...
Asked the judge, who was standing next to me (on the corridor), what to do.
He said if my name was not there I was free to go...

*The fact I wasn't on the list indicated that somebody must have looked up that the fine had actually been paid on time.

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Little CuChulainn

It's an automated system. Either someone in the post office didn't enter your info correctly or their was an error with your info being communicated to the Garda fixed charge processing system. Bring your receipt to court.

flutered wrote: »

,
a former goverment led by garrett fitzgerald brought in a rule which ensured that all gardai had to have at least two hundread summonses each year, i dunno what the number is nowdays, the thinking behind it was to ensure that the gaurds brought in their wages via fines, ie earned their wages

There is no number a Garda must achieve.

gozunda

greep wrote: »

Went to court today & my name was not on the list...
Asked the judge, who was standing next to me (on the corridor), what to do.
He said if my name was not there I was free to go...

*The fact I wasn't on the list indicated that somebody must have looked up that the fine had actually been paid on time.

What a great system :rolleyes:
Send in an invoice for your time and loss of income (plus vat) ....

Kristopherus

Good result.