Court Experience + Invisible Stop Sign

Two weeks ago a couple Rusty and I are friends with had their first baby. When I got off class and Rusty got off work we went to the hospital at about 10pm to see the baby. Afterward I went a different way home than I normal would and I got a ticket for running a stop sign that I didnt see. I didnt think the cop was even pulling me over because I hadnt done anything. When I told him I didnt see a stop sign but I'd stopped at all of them I had seen, He rudely replied asking If I were looking behind me or something. psh, talk about making me mad. He was probably the rudest cop I've ever talked to and I gave him no reason to act that way. I was respectful towards him even though he definitely didnt deserve respect. It bothered me so bad that he acted that way.

The next day I went to take pictures of the stop sign because I figured there was a bush or something hidding it because I honestly didnt see a stop sign but I wasnt extremely familiar with that street either. I circled the block 3 times to drive up and down that street but couldnt find the stop sign he stopped me for running. So I went back home and got the ticket he wrote me. He wrote that I ran a stop sign on 20th Ave and 11th Street so I went back and there is seriously no stop sign there. If I were on the road perpendicular to it I would have had a stop sign but I wasnt on that road.

Do you see a stop sign?

The fee for running a stop sign is $146. Why would I pay that much for something that doesnt even exsist? Yesterday was the courtdate. I was so nervous because the only ticket I've ever had before was a speeding ticket and I was definitely in the wrong so I paid it online so I've never had to go to the courthouse for anything like this. I may slept 2 hours Tuesday night and I woke up at 5:30am to get ready for court at 8:30am. I left my house at 7:45am, the 8am traffic towards downtown is ridiculous. What would normally take me 5 minutes took 15. After arriving at the courthouse and waiting in the lobby until they were allowed to let everyone walk through the metal detectors, I got on the elevator and realized I had no idea where I was going. I got off on floor 2 with my pictures and ticket in hand and asked a lady where I needed to go and she said floor 6.

Once I got to the 6th floor there were benches all down the hallway so I sat down and waited. I was way early but I always make sure I'm somewhere 30-15 mins early. Is anyone else like that? After sitting what felt like forever, more and more people started getting off the elevator and standing around. I had the weirdest feeling that I was in the wrong place. Some of the people getting off the elevator had files and envelops. Some were dressed in jeans and a tshirt and a few people were in suits. I over-heard some people to the left of me saying they were being charged with poss. of marajuana. Someone to the right of me was saying his dog kept going over to his neighbors house and they called the cops and were pressing charges. By this time I was thinking "Oh Lord, GET ME OUT OF HERE!" I was sure I was in the wrong place, maybe I was supposed to be on floor 5 and the lady told me wrong. I looked down the hallway to the right of me and saw a sign that said "Pay Tickets Here". I walked into that office and showed someone my ticket and asked if I was in the right place and she said yes. I went back down the hallway and sat down again. Then I looked to the left and noticed on the doors into the courtroom the sign said "District Court Room #1". I looked at my ticket and it said Municipal Court. I knew I was in the wrong place!

I jumped up and got on the elevator thinking I'd get off at floor 5. Two ladies on the elevator started talking to me and I told them I wasnt sure were I was going so one lady looked at my ticket and said "Oh hunny, youre in the wrong building! You're supposed to go to the other courthouse". Well I didnt even know there was another courthouse! An officior at the lobby told me to go down a block to 6th street and turn left.... seems easy. HA! Turns out theres a municipal courthouse somewhere within all the construction thats been going on for MONTHS downtown. One entire street was blocked off and after riding around for a while I saw nothing saying Municipal Courthouse. I called the number on my ticket the situation - she apparently wasnt having a good day because after I explained the situation to her all she did was tell me the address to the courthouse. I knew that much but the entire street was blocked off and I had no idea to get there. I told her that but she was no help. Sometimes I really wonder how people get their jobs and I really wished I had a GPS at that time! I just drove down the street that was blocked off because I really didnt care at that point and I was 15 mins late for court. FINALLY I found the building that said Municipal Court... BRAND NEW BUILDING! Now there was nowhere to park, If I parked even a block down by the time I walked to the courthouse I'd be drenched in sweat. Yeah, It was already that HOT at 8:45am! So I parked on the side of the road where some others were parked... there wasnt a sign saying I couldnt.

There was black guy with long black dreads wearing a black tshirt and black jeans walking on the sidewalk the opposite way than I was. [you know he HAD to be burnin up!] He had his hater blockers on but he was starring me down... It was very obvious when he tripped on the sidewalk. He tried to be smooth and play it off and I tried not to laugh.

I walked in the building and the man at the metal detector was very friendly! I asked him where I needed to go and he looked at my pictures and told me I definitely had at case then told me to go to the lady at the window. So I stood in that line until a lady with a sour look on her face said "I can help you" in a voice that really said I-dont-want-to-help-you. I gave her my ticket and told her I wasnt paying it and I needed to talk to the judge. She gave me this weird look and started entering my information into the computer. After standing there for a little while in silence I said "Its so hard to get here with all the construction going on". That lady just looked at me like I wasnt supposed to even talk to her and she said "HUH" so I repeated what I said and she said "Yeah, Its not always like that". lol ok really...? She handed me my ticket back and said I could go in the courtroom and I asked her where the courtroom was and she pointed and I looked then asked her again where and she rolled her eyes, pointed and said "that door"... well there were 4 doors with no labels so I asked which one and while walking off she said "which ever".

I walked in and of course since I was late so everyone turned around and looked at me. The black guy with the dreads was in there and he winked at me. wow, I didnt wanna be there. I found a seat and waited. Finally a lady sitting off from the judge called my name. I walked over to her and she asked for my ticket and told me that the cop wasnt able to make it today so they were going to reschedule my court appearance. I was confused because from everything I've heard if the cop doesnt show up then it gets thrown out. Who is he to just not show up if I have to show up? So I told the lady the situation... theres no stop sign there. She said I couldnt even talk to the judge until the cop was present. Makes no sense to me. She said she was going to set a trial date around his schedule because he worked midnights. Then she tells me the trial will be August 26 at 8:30am. OK, the court time that day was at 8:30am and he didnt show up. I asked what day that was and she said a Thursday and I told her I had to work that day and she said she had to schedule it around his schedule not mine. Well, wasnt she rude. I asked her what I would need to do for the trial and she looked at me like I was crazy so I asked if I would have any court fees or anything?      I've never done anything like this but what from what i've heard if you win you dont pay anything but if you lose you have fees, she told me that i would have small fees no matter what. She handed me a slip of paper and called another name.... no "any other questions" "have a nice day" or anything.

I called my dad and told him everything. He called our lawyer friend who said that I needed to go to the trial and if they say I'm guilty I should ask that they drop it or for defensive driving classes that are $30 in addition to the court fees. Meaning I'd have to take off work too. Which overall could lead to me having to pay more money than the actual running a stop sign fine is.

THAT is my crazy experience at the courthouse...s. I dont see how I could lose If there was no stop sign there, but I've been informed that people up there will twist things and say that I was on the road perpendicular or that there was a stop sign there and it got pulled up or something. I dont know anything about this stuff. I do know that I shouldnt have to pay for something I didnt do and I dont want to go back up there ever again. I might end up just paying the $146 for running the invisible stop sign. I'm not taking off work for this. Its just crazy that they're making everything more complicated than it should be.

Does anyone have any legal experience or any suggestions?