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Rex - I see a common thread with us and tickets and high school...it was a 5.0 Mustang GT that was my poison. I knew the office staff of David Stigler quite well! I sent my share of tickets to Mallory as well. Once I got out of drag-racing my speed-demon days were a thing of the past!

Funny (and true) story. I get called for jury duty a few years back here in Grapevine. I show up and all of the potential jurors are led into the courtroom for voir dire (jury selection) by the opposing attorneys, etc. The premise of the case is laid out (speeding), the witness (a GV PD motorjock) is introduced and the judge asks if anyone knows the witness, no one does. The prosecutor is introduced, judges asks the same, no one. The defendant (Mrs. _______) and her attorney (Mr. James Mallory) are introduced, question is asked. I raise my hand. The judge says "Sir, you know Mr. Mallory?" I answer with "Yes, but not in the first-person sense, I know him because in years past I've sent many a dollar to him and the results were as advertised, I've been very pleased with the service he offers, I'm glad that I now get to meet him face to face" (Mallory was BEAMING from ear to ear!). The judge asked if I could remain impartial and I told him that I believed that I could not. The prosecutor, obviously, had no issue striking me. I don't know how that case turned out but I'd guess that it went in favor of the defendant. I was really glad to meet Mr. Mallory, seriously!

Rex, I meant hire a lawyer if you plan to go to court to fight the ticket. I've called up and requested deferred adjudication with no issues. You are obviously a *much better* "lawyer" than me!

Before cities became "courts of record" (in the "good ole days") you could send your traffic ticket and $45 or so to Stigler or Mallory (for Tarrant county) or Corn (for Dallas county) and they'd immediately appeal it to the county level. It would usually "sit" in the case hopper for awhile and most of the time it would expire and that was the end of that (don't ask me how I know! LOL). Sometimes you'd get "lucky" and your case would get pulled. You'd get a letter from the lawyer to show up at either the Dallas or Tarrant County Courthouse at such and such time, this room, etc. There would be someone from the law firm that you'd check in with, they'd take care of roll call.

Out of the 30+ tickets that I did this for, only 3 or 4 of them turned out that I had to show up in court. Usually the officer didn't show so the ticket/case would be dropped. Out of those 3 or 4 only ONE case did the cop show up. The lawyer asked what I wanted to do, I told him do whatever it takes to keep it off of my record and as cheap as possible. He tells me to grab lunch and meet him back at 1 pm. He confers with the persecutor (yes, intentional LOL) and comes back and says "Mr. ____ you are free to go."

I ask him how/why/what transpired? He answered "Super technical Bull Poo" - the cop wrote down 1600 WEST NW Hwy (or some such number) and there is NO "WEST" NW Hwy, only NW Hwy, so in other words, he reported that you committed this offense at a location that does not exist, the state has 2 years to re-file but it is highly doubtful that they will do this. They didn't. It was gone, just like that.

In my younger years I had *many* tickets, and they were all justified (meaning I was speeding, etc.), with the exception of ONE. For this one I went to court, had a witness, etc. The cop lied on the stand, the prosecutor was extremely manipulative (and made my witness look like a bumbling idiot, she was really good, but not for me, oh well), it was a jury trial, I even had video evidence, the judge said she believed my side but the jury had spoken and I could appeal by paying a $200 fee, etc. if I wanted to. I learned to *never* go in a courtroom as your own lawyer. Either hire a lawyer or do deferred adjudication.