I will never be Denny Crane. Today, I had my first court trial. And today, I lost my first court trial. (Court trial means there is no jury; it is a mini-trial before a judge or referee). In an ironic twist of fate, my first court trial was prosecuting a defendant for not wearing her seatbelt.
The defendant was in court today, arguing over a $25 fine. My kind of girl: it's not about the money, it's about the principle (think Lia Sophia). She was adamant that she was wearing her seatbelt, and that she did not simply put it on once she was pulled over.
I, too, have received a seatbelt ticket. When Husband and I were dating, we were both cited for not wearing our seatbelts. I remember being pulled over, and then quickly pulling my seatbelt on, and then having the deputy ask me if I had just pulled the seatbelt on, and being an honest child I said Yes. I find police officers often do not reward honesty with leniency; quite the opposite in fact. Honesty is an admission and makes it more likely you'll get charged!
I digress. The referee's decision ultimately became a question of who are you going to believe? The referee said she had two credible witnesses (the trooper on one hand, the defendant on the other), but in the end she found the defendant not guilty. The sting of defeat was considerably lessened by the fact that I theoretically only owed Justice $25 (plus court costs) for my rookie performance. It was humbling, I learned a lot, and developed (yes, you guessed it!) Character.
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