Scofflaw

So, life just gets more interesting.  I’m sitting in the lobby of the magistrate’s court, waiting to get my BENCH WARRANT removed.  I may be here all day, and it’s my own damn fault.  I forgot that yesterday morning was my hearing for the speeding ticket, and I was lollygagging around in Santa Fe, having breakfast with J.

By the time I got back to Ghost Ranch and remembered that this was the week of my hearing, it was too late to do anything about it.  I called and said that I thought my hearing was 9/27, but that I couldn’t find my paperwork;  they verified that it was 9/25, I had missed it, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to prevent the judge from issuing the $100 warrant.  I sighed and said, okay, so what do I owe for the ticket to which I’d pled Not Guilty back in August.  They said, it hasn’t been assessed yet.  So, I couldn’t just pay over the phone, I had to see a judge, and I couldn’t come by that afternoon because the judges had all left.  I could do a walk-in on Thurs.

I decided to come in today anyway, because I don’t like having a warrant out for my arrest and I’m hoping to get fines reduced.

All this to avoid a $250 speeding ticket.

An hour later....

I was just typing that when I was called to the window.  The clerk had checked with the judge, who fortuitously was available to fit me in before she began her day of meetings.  I gather that this was unexpected, as I’d been told the judge had a full docket.  I think my judge was there because she cancelled a morning appearance in Chama, since she had a 1 pm meeting here in Espanola.  

Don’t ask me, it’s a hellava complicated world.  ANYWAY, she said she couldn’t toss out the Bench Warrant, because it was already recorded and my excuses (no memory, lost paperwork, road construction on the route from ABQ) were not sufficient.  Only accident or illness would work.  She had to have a legitimate excuse, because she gets audited.  However, she could reduce it to 14 hours community service, and my volunteer work at Ghost Ranch will qualify.  I come back again on October 10 to bring the paperwork.  

The ticket was thrown out, because the officer was also a no show.  Woo hoo!  I was totally guilty.  (Just not 65 mph in a 45 zone guilty.)

She was a lovely Hispanic woman who used to bring her Kindergarten class to Ghost Ranch.  We had a nice chat about the drought, the legal system, and northern New Mexico.  Then she put on her robe and left the court to begin her day.  I waited for Mario to finish printing up my paperwork.

Then, I walked across the parking lot to the conveniently located MVD office,  My number was called 30 seconds after I got it.  I got my license reinstated, updated my voter registration, and took care of the address problem (I’d updated my address, but the cops told me I also needed to get a new license.). Total cost:  $27 to reinstate the license, $18 to get the new license.  And a day spent in Espanola judicial district.

The license picture is nicer, at least.

I’d talked a fellow volunteer into bringing me in, since I didn’t want to drive with a bench warrant out.  Good call, as the Bench Warrant meant the license was suspended and driving on a suspended license is a REAL problem.  (What a Catch-22!). Sharon is currently in Santa Fe, running some errands, and I’m settled with my knitting, portable keyboard, book, and iPad.  I had totally not expected to finish this process in under an hour! Life is fine.  The only frustrating thing is that NOW I have to say that my license has been suspended (for less than 24 hours) every time I renew it.  

I’m such a scofflaw.  And I used to be such a squeaky clean citizen.  New Mexico has been bad for my character, clearly.

Sent from my iPhone