[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Ducati888

You don't need a solicitor or witnesses (what witnesses?). The onus is on the cops to prove guilt, not on you to prove innocence.

That said, you can't get off them. Even if they are not telling the truth, the magistrate will give a sworn officer of the law the benefit of the doubt every time against a member of the public.

If the police prosecutor finds that you actually may have a point in law, and could get off, they will negotiate with you outside of court, get you to plead guilty and not record a penalty against you. They do that often, so that they don't set precedents in court before a magistrate that others could use. People take the offer, because it's easier, cheaper and gets them off (the fine).

If you feel like a day off work, take it to court, represent yourself, cop the fine anyway and learn something about the system. It is your right to be able to do this. When found guilty (inevitably) they cannot charge you any more than the fine itself at court, and may award costs against you (highly unlikely), but Vic Magistrate Court costs are about $50.00, which goes to charity anyway.

You get a day off work, you get to waste their time, you get to observe others in the court room and how they operate, you get something for your money.

I take it that you say all this from your own experience?