Many people use hope for many things.
They hope that problems go away or hope that they will be wealthy someday.
For those that get cited with a traffic ticket in Nevada, some drivers will hope that the police officer will not show up to the court appearance or that the ticket will simply go away.
Relying on hope is not a wise tactic to earn millions of dollars. Just like the most effective way to attain wealth, it’s essential to have a well-defined plan. A true strategy that maps out every step from start to finish. It is no different with a traffic ticket.
For most people, navigating the waters of the Nevada court system with its various rules and statutes can seem quite daunting. And that is precisely the reason you would want to hire legal help. Ticket Busters has proven strategies and once you contact our office, we will set up a strategy meeting where the legal professional assigned to your case will map out a step-by-step plan for you to go through the process.
In many cases, you may not even need to be physically present as your attorney can often times represent on your behalf. Our office is well-versed on fighting traffic tickets in Nevada and can provide you with different options. Contact us as soon as possible after receiving a traffic citation and do not use “hope” as a strategy.
When a Police Officer Attends Court, What Happens?
A law enforcement officer may show up to the court to provide details of what happened at the time of your traffic citation. If your ticket involves a DUI (Driving Under the Influence) or if there was a car crash involving other parties, then the police officer might be in attendance to provide his/her knowledge to the prosecutors.
Another reason for them attending court is to determine what is going on with your case.
If an arrest was made during your traffic stop or if there was some type of incident then the officer may want to be present to support the prosecution. This can be especially true when drugs or alcohol were involved or in ‘hit and run’ cases.
How Often Do Police Officers Actually Show Up to Court?
This is a difficult question to answer because there are so many variables. The numbers could differ for a variety of reasons with the main one being geography.
Nevada is a diverse state and is one of the biggest in the United States. When most people think of the Silver State, they think of the three largest cities of Las Vegas, Reno, and Henderson. But spread out in the vast desert between those city centers are countless little towns that also have law enforcement.
The Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) usually patrols them, but some have their own police or sheriff departments depending on the county. In rural areas, it could be challenging for them to attend court hearings.
Sometimes a courthouse may be a long distance away from where they are stationed and other times there may not be enough officers on the streets to allow for one to travel and sit in a courthouse for a few hours. Small towns often have small police forces.
Getting back to southern Nevada where most of the population resides, it can be expected that most often a police officer will be in attendance at court.
Police Departments will incentivize officers to attend court when they are asked to do so. The incentives may not necessarily be positive reinforcement but may come in the form of employee evaluations (negative marks for not showing up to court).
When it comes down to it, attending court is an aspect of their job duties so if you get a ticket you should assume that the officer will be in attendance. Not to mention that an officer will most likely prefer to take some time off of the streets and spend a couple of hours in a courthouse that is air-conditioned.
The summer heat can be quite brutal for motor officers in Nevada so we are sure that getting out of that environment and sitting under a blasting air-conditioned courtroom is more desirable. The same could be said during the cold winter months as well. And even when the weather is perfect, getting a break from the dangers of patrolling the streets would be a welcome escape.
In any case, do not be intimidated if you see a cop in the courtroom. It does not mean that you are automatically guilty or that the officer will even be testifying against you. Many also believe that by the officer’s presence that the case is more significant than it really is.
You will face only the charges that were brought against you and nothing else. In some cases, the officer present may not even have anything to do with your case and could simply be there for observation or a different case on the docket.
The judge is the third party that is present to ensure all the rules are followed and a fair trial is given. If you have questions as to why an officer is in the courtroom you can ask them. Again, having legal representation from someone at Ticket Busters will prevent that drama and will reduce your stress levels.
What Causes Officers to Miss Court Appearances?
As we wrote about earlier, there are many reasons with a big one being logistics, especially in the more rural areas. Other reasons that pertain more to the big law enforcement agencies in the Las Vegas area could include:
Sickness
If an officer is sick or has been exposed to something, they may not be attending work and will therefore not be able to make a court appearance.
Some agencies have required their employees to work from home for up to 14 days if they have been exposed to certain viruses, such as COVID-19, even without a confirmed diagnosis.
Injury
The same is true for an injured police officer. If their injury prevents them from making it to the courthouse such as being laid up in the hospital then that is a viable reason.
Even with certain mobility issues or lower body injuries, the thought of an injured cop having to drive downtown, park, walk into the courthouse and sit in an uncomfortable chair may seem like a major inconvenience which could also prevent them from attending.
Emergency Situations
It is quite possible that a cop has cleared their schedule and has full intentions of making a court appearance only to have a last-minute emergency come up that changes their schedule entirely. The emergency could be for a work or personal issue.
Other Job Commitments
Oftentimes, officers have other commitments as part of their job duties than just patrolling areas and streets. These can be attending mandatory training courses or even getting their annual physical. If there is a scheduling conflict then the cop will most likely not have a choice but to attend their work commitment versus a court appearance.
If the police officer does not appear at your court hearing, you may never know the reason for their absence and it will remain a mystery to you.
Why Does it Matter What Cop is Attending Court?
Any good legal attorney will look for any angle to give their defense a boost. Knowing what police officer will be in court ahead of time can help with that.
If your lawyer knows that the same officer who gave you the traffic ticket will be in court, they can anticipate what questions and testimony to expect. They may even practice different scenarios with you beforehand.
If there is a different officer present or no officer at all, your defense team can still create a strategy. However, both parties will have access to the same information since there won’t be an officer there to provide additional details.
Your legal counsel can also anticipate what questions the prosecutor will ask.
One other item that often occurs when the police officer is not present is that the prosecution will request a continuance. If granted, your court case will be extended and another court date will be posted.
Hiring a lawyer from Ticket Busters can be helpful in situations like this. It can be frustrating to receive a ticket and have to pay for it, but it’s even worse when you take time off work and go to court only to find out that it doesn’t count and you have to come back another day.
If you, or someone you know, is facing traffic ticket charges in Nevada, contact Ticket Busters. Our experienced legal team can help you navigate the system and give you the best chance of getting your charges dismissed or reduced. Call us today and let us help you fight your ticket!
