My Experience In Court (out of class activity)

        A few months back I got pulled over for the first time ever. I had never been pulled over or have got a ticket for anything so I was really scared and upset. I was following my friend back to my house after we ate dinner and we were on route 10. There was a cop pulled over on the side of the road on the right and he had his lights on still, but didn't have anyone pulled over anymore. He was inside his car and he was pretty far off the road. Since I was following my friend and her and the car in front of her did not get over in the other lane I didn't think about getting over either, but usually I do every time. They say if you do not feel as if it is safe to get in the other lane then you are suppose to slow down well under the speed limit. I did slow down well under the speed limit because the speed limit is 55 so people usually go 60 and I was only going 45 miles per hour when I passed the police officer. When he pulled out when I passed him I didn't even think he was coming after me until he cut his spot light on and came on his speaker and told me to pull over. I was freaking out because I had no idea what I had done because I knew I wasn't speeding. I was going well under the speed limit.

     When he came up to my car he asked for my license and registration and he told me that I failed to get over. It's called the move over law. I was very upset and I called my parents and they were telling me it's going to be okay he's going to go back to his car and look up your record and see that you have never been pulled over and you have a clean record and he will give you a warning. Well no they were wrong he was a total jerk and he wrote me a ticket anyways. I was very upset and angry after that. I knew the worst that would happen in court would be that they would give me driving school so my charge would get dropped, but I was still very nervous and did not want to go at all. I prayed that everything would just get dropped or my police officer would not show up to court.

    The day I had court I was in the court room and I saw all these other police officers, but I did not see mine. More officers kept walking in, but I still did not see mine. So I knew that my ticket would more than likely get dropped because my police officer was not there. I had to sit through all the traffic cases with lawyers and all that. It took so long I was in the court room for like three hours. I was almost the last person to go. The guy before me had the same police officer and he had a ticket for the move over law also and his got dropped, so I knew mine would too. I was still very nervous going up to the judge even though I knew everything was going to be perfectly fine. He asked me if I knew how the move over law worked and I said yes your honor. Then he asked me if I slowed down and I said yes your honor I slowed down to 45 miles per hour in a 55 mile per hour zone. I told him I did not feel as if it would be safe to get over and have to get back over to make a right hand turn onto Lewis Road so I did slow down well under the speed limit and he said he believed me and to just make sure I get over or I slow down every time. He also told me that I had been punished enough having to sit through all these other cases for 3 hours. The judge was very nice and was a great guy. I was so happy that my ticket was dropped and that meant I did not have to pay for my court fee or driving school. Being at court for the first time made me never want to go back. So I make sure for now on that I am obeying the law and that I get over for police officers and if I can not then I slow down. Going to court really makes you never want to go back and never get a ticket again. Luckily I had a very nice judge.