Yet another life lesson to be learned...dang it!

A little over a month ago, Nick got a ticket.  No, he wasn't speeding or anything like that, his registration was expired.  He's got the ticket, he's got the court date which is finally here.

On Monday, the boy has to go in to the big city (insert sarcastic tone here) of Raleigh and go to the county courthouse to take care of this matter.  He is literally freaking out.  Big time.  You know, when you get a ticket, people come out of the woodwork to share their court horror stories or victory stories and you know what?  There is NO consistency!  We have no idea what to expect on Monday because it is different for everyone.

It used to be if you got a ticket for something like an expired registration or inspection sticker and you had it taken care of by your court date, then the case was dismissed and no fine to be paid.  We're hoping for THAT scenario.  But at other times, there have been fees to pay that seem to vary.  So now not only is my boy freaking out, but now he's confused too!

Frank can't go with him to court because it's at 11:00 and he'll be at work (God willing) and I can't go because...well, I technically CAN go but really, I don't want to go.  I hate the court house.  The Wake County court system has done some pretty horrible things to us such as mis-typing a code on a ticket that Frank got that ended up having his license suspended and when we fought it and had to get a lawyer involved the court was like "OOPS, the clerk typed in the wrong code.  Sorry."  Now, Frank lost a LOT of work due to his inability to DRIVE anywhere and we had to pay $1200 for a lawyer!  In my mind, the state owed us more than an apology.  Then there was the time that Frank got a ticket because he was target shooting on the gamelands and even though it does not state ANYWHERE that you cannot do it, he got the ticket - and then FORGOT about the ticket.  Cops came to the house, took him away in cuffs, I had to bail him out, blah, blah, blah and when he finally went to court, NO ONE - not even the JUDGE knew why he got the ticket!  But they made him pay the $90 court cost!!  Bottom line, I am NOT a fan of the court system.

So Lea, Alison...friends that have North Carolina policemen in their family, if you have any advice, I would love to hear it so I can put his mind at ease and feel better about NOT going with him!