RAS43 wrote:
So, what were the results of all those stops? Were there many violations found? Double tow people need to know!
Here it's a minimum $125 fine just for the illegal combination. If the combination is over length then another minimum $125 fine. If 2 or more citations are written then it's a mandatory court appearance. The court appearance has to be in the county where the citations are written. No sending an attorney to court, the violator is the person who has to appear. No handling it by mail for multiple citations. And it's not a case of "let's go to court now." Court is no sooner than 14 days after the citation is written. So it's plan another trip. Think because you're from out of state you'll just blow off the citations and don't show? The next step is a warrant, your privilege to drive in IL is suspended and your home state is notified which according to the interstate compact agreement most states have signed your home state will suspend your DL. And it stays suspended until you return to the county where the citation is written and the matter is adjudicated. But it doesn't end there. You don't automatically get your DL back. You have to wait for the state to notify your home state the citations were handled, then you pay the reinstatement fees to get your DL returned.
As far as what happens to the illegal combination of vehicles - They have to get legal before proceeding. Remember that a citation is not a permit to continue violating the law. They unhook and hopefully for them they have another driver if it's a motor vehicle. Others pulling non-motor vehicles unhooked and a tow truck was called for the trailer. Owner's expense at paying the tow truck and any storage fees. No hooking back up after paying the tow truck. The owner still has to figure a way to legally move his vehicles.
So a $125 fine + a minimum $75 tow bill + whatever storage per day fee. And if the money isn't a concern to a person then consider the biggest hassle is you're tied up messing with all this.
So that's what happens. People think "I'll play stupid and plead ignorance." Sorry, they're not playing stupid, they are, and the court doesn't take ignorance as a plea.
There, that's free legal information. Not free legal advice. People think they know better anyway so legal advice isn't free. There's a fee for that.
