license re-instatement

[libby]

A friend of mine has gotten caught in a cluster of a mess with her license. Originally pulled over for not having her seat belt on (which she normally wears, so I really don't know what happened that particular day) and was fined. She was two days late paying the fine and discovered after being rear ended that her license had been suspended because of the late payment. (the accident happened two days after the initiation of the suspension). So now she's been charged with driving without a license.
She's desperate to know if there is some way to expedite getting her license back because (obviously) now that she knows her license is suspended she won't drive, but she's got all the responsibilities that we ALL have.
She has no record, driving or otherwise. She's got a family and a good job, etc. Totally upstanding person.
So, is there any recourse, or any way place to go to just pay fees, or whatever, and get her license back instead of waiting for court dates and the slow wheels of the court?
TIA

 

[Midnightrider]

Tell your "friend" to pay her fines and work through the system. They actually put people in jail for driving without a license. She should probably get a lawyer

 

[Ken King]

Have her check her record on the judiciary case search site and she can see if she is still suspended or not. I suspect that she is not. When her court date comes up for the driving without a license she should be able to show that she in fact had paid the previous fine and it was an administrative delay in clearing the suspension and the charge should be dismissed. I say should, but because of the timing she might still have to pay that fine also.

 

[libby]

Tell your "friend" to pay her fines and work through the system. They actually put people in jail for driving without a license. She should probably get a lawyer

Well, now that she knows it's suspended, she's not driving. But it's a major hardship, which is why I'm asking if there is any other route to go.

 

[nobody really]

I thought not wearing your seatbelt was a secondary offense. Why was she pulled over? Anyways good luck....

Was she charged with driving on suspended or driving without a license. There is a difference.

 

[DipStick]

A friend of mine has gotten caught in a cluster of a mess with her license. Originally pulled over for not having her seat belt on (which she normally wears, so I really don't know what happened that particular day) and was fined. She was two days late paying the fine and discovered after being rear ended that her license had been suspended because of the late payment. (the accident happened two days after the initiation of the suspension). So now she's been charged with driving without a license.
She's desperate to know if there is some way to expedite getting her license back because (obviously) now that she knows her license is suspended she won't drive, but she's got all the responsibilities that we ALL have.
She has no record, driving or otherwise. She's got a family and a good job, etc. Totally upstanding person.
So, is there any recourse, or any way place to go to just pay fees, or whatever, and get her license back instead of waiting for court dates and the slow wheels of the court?
TIA

If she's already paid the fine, her license should have been reinstated once she did.

Tell her to go to court and take the receipt that says she paid the fine. It's extremely likely that the DMV should have reinstated her license and didn't or that her license wasn't actually suspended but that it was not updated in the system.

 

[DipStick]

Have her check her record on the judiciary case search site and she can see if she is still suspended or not. I suspect that she is not. When her court date comes up for the driving without a license she should be able to show that she in fact had paid the previous fine and it was an administrative delay in clearing the suspension and the charge should be dismissed. I say should, but because of the timing she might still have to pay that fine also.

They'll probably drop the charges or reduce them if it was a DMV thing. Every judge in Maryland knows how horrible the DMV is.

 

[RPMDAD]

I thought not wearing your seatbelt was a secondary offense. Why was she pulled over? Anyways good luck....

Was she charged with driving on suspended or driving without a license. There is a difference.

Beachcat the seat belt law was changed to a primary offense.
Seat Belts

the driver and the front seat passenger must wear seat belts. This is a primary law, which means an officer can pull you over and ticket you for the sole reason of not wearing your seat belt.

If you have a disability that makes it unsafe or impossible to wear a seat belt, you must carry a statement from your physician in your vehicle at all times.

Maryland Safety Laws - Cell Phone, Seat Belt, Car Seat, Child Safety Laws in MD at DMV.org: The DMV Made Simple

 

[BernieP]

Beachcat the seat belt law was changed to a primary offense.

I was aware of the change, when did it go into effect.
Reason I ask is that from the original post it sounds like this case moved rather swiftly.

 

[sm8]

I was aware of the change, when did it go into effect.
Reason I ask is that from the original post it sounds like this case moved rather swiftly.

I believe it was Oct. 1 2013 that it became a primary offense. Found this online at Paying Your Maryland Traffic Ticket at DMV.org: The DMV Made Simple
" You must respond within 30 days of receiving your citation. Failure to respond within this time frame could lead to the suspension of your driver's license. This includes must appear tickets, which will list your court date."

 

[GURPS]

Beachcat the seat belt law was changed to a primary offense.

but when seat belt laws were passed in the 90's Citizens were Promised the law would never be a Primary Offense

 

[Ken King]

Non-use of a seat belt by the driver has been a primary offense since 1997, just ask DeeJay she knows - Fire Away! by Dee Jay Gude

 

[Tigerlily]

libby

Well, now that she knows it's suspended, she's not driving. But it's a major hardship, which is why I'm asking if there is any other route to go.

All your friend needs to do is take the ticket or they can even look it up for you to the clerks office upstairs the district courthouse in Leonardtown.

Then she needs to take her receipt to the State Police barracks so they can add it to the system. Tell her to keep the receipt in her wallet for a few months and she should be good to go.

She also can go from the clerks office to show proof of payment they may be able to work community service out for her.

 

[libby]

Thank You, Tiger Lily

All your friend needs to do is take the ticket or they can even look it up for you to the clerks office upstairs the district courthouse in Leonardtown.

Then she needs to take her receipt to the State Police barracks so they can add it to the system. Tell her to keep the receipt in her wallet for a few months and she should be good to go.

She also can go from the clerks office to show proof of payment they may be able to work community service out for her.

You sound like you really know what you're talking about, so I have a follow up. The seat belt violation has been paid, and that's all well and good. But the suspension is a separate charge, isn't it? As a result of the late payment, her license was suspended (she was unaware of the suspension) and then was rear ended. Consequently, I guess when the accident report went it that showed she was driving Car 2 involved in the accident, she was charged with the driving after suspension. So that separate charge, although it's a result of the original late payment, still stands, doesn't it? The summons said "must appear" in court. We are trying to determine if there is any more expeditious way to "appear" other than waiting for a court date. Do you think this makes a difference to your earlier assessment?

 

[GURPS]

Non-use of a seat belt by the driver has been a primary offense since 1997, just ask DeeJay she knows - Fire Away! by Dee Jay Gude

OMG

Glenndenning :faint

I have not heard that name uttered in years

 

[Ken King]

You sound like you really know what you're talking about, so I have a follow up. The seat belt violation has been paid, and that's all well and good. But the suspension is a separate charge, isn't it? As a result of the late payment, her license was suspended (she was unaware of the suspension) and then was rear ended. Consequently, I guess when the accident report went it that showed she was driving Car 2 involved in the accident, she was charged with the driving after suspension. So that separate charge, although it's a result of the original late payment, still stands, doesn't it? The summons said "must appear" in court. We are trying to determine if there is any more expeditious way to "appear" other than waiting for a court date. Do you think this makes a difference to your earlier assessment?

The issue is; was the fine for the seat belt violation paid prior to the accident? If the answer is "no" then your friend was driving while suspended. If the answer is "yes", but the suspension had not been recalled yet, the charge should/could be dropped.

As to appearing early, the only way I am familiar with is when requesting PBJ. Call the States Attourney and see what they say.

 

[vraiblonde]

I thought not wearing your seatbelt was a secondary offense. Why was she pulled over? Anyways good luck....

No ma'm, it has been a primary offense since at least 1998. I've had two seatbelt tickets and both times that was the only thing I was doing wrong and what I was pulled over for.

 

[libby]

The issue is; was the fine for the seat belt violation paid prior to the accident? If the answer is "no" then your friend was driving while suspended. If the answer is "yes", but the suspension had not been recalled yet, the charge should/could be dropped.

As to appearing early, the only way I am familiar with is when requesting PBJ. Call the States Attourney and see what they say.

Yes, that is the issue. The fine had not been paid at the time of the accident. It's all pretty bizarre how the timing worked out. My friend was told by the officer at the accident scene that her license had been suspended two days prior.

 

[Ken King]

Yes, that is the issue. The fine had not been paid at the time of the accident. It's all pretty bizarre how the timing worked out. My friend was told by the officer at the accident scene that her license had been suspended two days prior.

Okay, she will probably have to appear or she could request PBJ. In her defense she had not yet received the MVA suspension notice and she immediately rectified the non-payment issue once reminded by the officer giving her the new ticket. At court they still might drop the charge given her not receiving official notification.

 

[libby]

Okay, she will probably have to appear or she could request PBJ. In her defense she had not yet received the MVA suspension notice and she immediately rectified the non-payment issue once reminded by the officer giving her the new ticket. At court they still might drop the charge given her not receiving official notification.

Okay, I just spoke to her because this timing thing sounds so...nuts...! She paid the fine after finding out from the officer that her license was suspended. So it is definitely her bad that she let the original fine slip through the cracks until there was a compounding issue. That said, she claims to have not received notice of the suspension (I do believe her on that point, she's not a liar) anyway.
So, if you could just tell me what PBJ is!