Wrongly Accused

Last Monday I had my day in court. Well, more accurately I showed up to court and was dismissed because my accuser didn't show. A couple months ago I was pulled over for not wearing my seatbelt...which I was wearing. I should have argued a little more with the officer but I didn't really think he was going to give me a citation once he saw that I was actually wearing it. He claimed that because I was wearing a bright white shirt, he didn't see the seatbelt against it. I should have said right then and there that he was wrong and that my mother didn't raise me to not wear a seatbelt. Oh, well, you always think of the things to say after the fact. And I tend to freeze up in the face of authority, which probably only makes me look guilty.

I should have just paid the ticket and been on my way but it was about principle. The whole process is a mess, though. I had to go to court one morning at 7:30am and wait in line forever just to get a morning or afternoon time to say guilty, not guilty, no contest, or traffic school. I got my morning session and had to wait while everyone else made their plea, or told their sob story, or whatever. I was unfortunate enough to be one of the last called. I said "not guilty", they gave me a trial date, and there went a wasted morning.

The trial date was last Monday and Veronica came with me as my witness. There were a number of others waiting outside the courtroom for the time to arrive and then we all filed in. We waited while they got things in order and then they dismissed all those whose officers didn't show up, including me. It was anti-climactic and not the end I was hoping for. I wanted my day in court and the chance to face my accuser and say all the things I didn't say at the time but it didn't come.