I've noticed several threads concerning the Ca. prohibition against suction dredging. LEOs (law enforcement officers) have the option to issue tickets for infractions or misdemeanors, rather than take you before a magistrate for a probable cause hearing. However, that ticket you sign, promising to appear, is not a summons and does not confer jurisdiction upon the court over your person. Now, personally, I try to stay within the confines of the law and consequently, I seldom receive tickets of any nature. But, if you find yourself receiving a ticket, for whatever reason, there is a way to successfully fight it and win.
I wrote the following tutorial for traffic tickets because those are the most common, but a ticket written for any purpose is just as much a nullity. I have used this successfully and am now on the "DO NOT TICKET" list. The State does not want to see these issues raised in the courts.
Bill in Ariz.
TRAFFIC COURT TUTORIAL
Understand the scam that is traffic court. Never go to the merits when you already have the charges defeated for lack of in personam jurisdiction. In personam jurisdiction is jurisdiction over your person.
Q. From whence does in personam jurisdiction derive?
A. From procedural DUE PROCESS which derives from substantive due process
Q. What is substantive due process?
A. Substantive due process is found in the fourth article in amendment to the constitution “No warrant shall issue but upon probable cause supported by oath or affirmation.”
Q. What is procedural DUE PROCESS?
A. Procedural DUE PROCESS is promulgated in furtherance of substantive due process and is the steps required to place you properly before the court and confer upon the court jurisdiction over your person.
Q. What are the steps of procedural DUE PROCESS?
A. In a criminal action, the placing of a sworn complaint before a magistrate initiating a probable cause hearing and a subsequent finding of probable cause initiating the issuance of either a summons or a warrant. In lieu of the probable cause hearing, the submission of a sworn complaint to a grand jury and a subsequent indictment to properly place the defendant before the court. If a summons is used to bring the defendant before the court, the summons must be served in accordance with the procedures for service of process.
Q. In the case of a traffic ticket, has any of the above been observed?
A. No!
Q. How then does the court presume to have in personam jurisdiction?
A. The court depends upon you to waive your right to procedural DUE PROCESS by making a general appearance or traversing within the court.
Q. What constitutes a general appearance?
A. Any appearance not specifically identified as a special appearance for the purpose of challenging the jurisdiction of the court.
Q. How do you traverse within the court?
A. By asking the court to do anything. If you enter a plea you are asking the court to accept your plea and implicitly recognizing the jurisdiction of the court over your person. In personam jurisdiction can be waived if not challenged timely and once waived is forever lost to the defendant.
Q. Am I required to enter a plea?
A. No! Use of the term “may” rather than the term “shall” in traffic court procedures determines that entry of plea is discretionary rather than mandatory.
Q. Can the court enter a plea on my behalf?
A. There is no provision in traffic court procedures for the court to enter a plea on your behalf.
Q. Why would the court procedures fail to provide for the court to enter a plea if the defendant refused to do so.?
A. The court, because of insufficiency of process, does not have jurisdiction over your person and must depend on you to waive this issue and thus is powerless to enter any plea on your behalf.
Q. How does the court obtain in-personam jurisdiction in a civil action
A. The only instrument which can place you properly before the court in a civil action is a civil summons.
Q. Does a traffic ticket meet the requirements for a civil summons?
A. No, the form requirements for a civil summons states that the summons must be signed by the clerk of court.
Q. Does a traffic ticket meet the form requirements for a criminal warrant?
A. No, a warrant must be signed by the issuing magistrate
Q. Does a traffic ticket meet the form requirements for a criminal summons?
A. No, the criminal summons must also be signed by the issuing magistrate.
Q. Does a traffic ticket meet the form requirements for an indictment?
A. No, an indictment must be delivered in open court by the foreman of the grand jury.
Q. What then is a traffic ticket if not a summons?
A. A traffic ticket is nothing more than a promise to appear.
Q. How do I appear without making a general appearance or traversing?
A. You appear by filing a motion to dismiss with the court challenging in personam jurisdiction for insufficiency of process or insufficiency of service of process and prominently labeling the appearance as a special appearance.
Q. Is the challenge to in personam jurisdiction necessarily fatal to the charges against the defendant?
A. No.
Q. Can the prosecutor cure the defective process?
A. Yes, by observing the steps outlined above for procedural DUE PROCESS, the prosecutor can place the defendant properly before the court. The traffic ticket is a method of shortcutting procedural DUE PROCESS by inducing you to waive your right to same.
CONCLUSION
Traffic tickets:
1. Do not meet the requirements of substantive due process.
2. Do not meet the requirements of procedural due process.
3. Do not meet the form requirements of criminal process.
4. Do not meet the form requirements of civil process.
5. Do not require the entry of a plea.
6. Do not confer in-personam jurisdiction upon the court.
I wrote the following tutorial for traffic tickets because those are the most common, but a ticket written for any purpose is just as much a nullity. I have used this successfully and am now on the "DO NOT TICKET" list. The State does not want to see these issues raised in the courts.
Bill in Ariz.
TRAFFIC COURT TUTORIAL
Understand the scam that is traffic court. Never go to the merits when you already have the charges defeated for lack of in personam jurisdiction. In personam jurisdiction is jurisdiction over your person.
Q. From whence does in personam jurisdiction derive?
A. From procedural DUE PROCESS which derives from substantive due process
Q. What is substantive due process?
A. Substantive due process is found in the fourth article in amendment to the constitution “No warrant shall issue but upon probable cause supported by oath or affirmation.”
Q. What is procedural DUE PROCESS?
A. Procedural DUE PROCESS is promulgated in furtherance of substantive due process and is the steps required to place you properly before the court and confer upon the court jurisdiction over your person.
Q. What are the steps of procedural DUE PROCESS?
A. In a criminal action, the placing of a sworn complaint before a magistrate initiating a probable cause hearing and a subsequent finding of probable cause initiating the issuance of either a summons or a warrant. In lieu of the probable cause hearing, the submission of a sworn complaint to a grand jury and a subsequent indictment to properly place the defendant before the court. If a summons is used to bring the defendant before the court, the summons must be served in accordance with the procedures for service of process.
Q. In the case of a traffic ticket, has any of the above been observed?
A. No!
Q. How then does the court presume to have in personam jurisdiction?
A. The court depends upon you to waive your right to procedural DUE PROCESS by making a general appearance or traversing within the court.
Q. What constitutes a general appearance?
A. Any appearance not specifically identified as a special appearance for the purpose of challenging the jurisdiction of the court.
Q. How do you traverse within the court?
A. By asking the court to do anything. If you enter a plea you are asking the court to accept your plea and implicitly recognizing the jurisdiction of the court over your person. In personam jurisdiction can be waived if not challenged timely and once waived is forever lost to the defendant.
Q. Am I required to enter a plea?
A. No! Use of the term “may” rather than the term “shall” in traffic court procedures determines that entry of plea is discretionary rather than mandatory.
Q. Can the court enter a plea on my behalf?
A. There is no provision in traffic court procedures for the court to enter a plea on your behalf.
Q. Why would the court procedures fail to provide for the court to enter a plea if the defendant refused to do so.?
A. The court, because of insufficiency of process, does not have jurisdiction over your person and must depend on you to waive this issue and thus is powerless to enter any plea on your behalf.
Q. How does the court obtain in-personam jurisdiction in a civil action
A. The only instrument which can place you properly before the court in a civil action is a civil summons.
Q. Does a traffic ticket meet the requirements for a civil summons?
A. No, the form requirements for a civil summons states that the summons must be signed by the clerk of court.
Q. Does a traffic ticket meet the form requirements for a criminal warrant?
A. No, a warrant must be signed by the issuing magistrate
Q. Does a traffic ticket meet the form requirements for a criminal summons?
A. No, the criminal summons must also be signed by the issuing magistrate.
Q. Does a traffic ticket meet the form requirements for an indictment?
A. No, an indictment must be delivered in open court by the foreman of the grand jury.
Q. What then is a traffic ticket if not a summons?
A. A traffic ticket is nothing more than a promise to appear.
Q. How do I appear without making a general appearance or traversing?
A. You appear by filing a motion to dismiss with the court challenging in personam jurisdiction for insufficiency of process or insufficiency of service of process and prominently labeling the appearance as a special appearance.
Q. Is the challenge to in personam jurisdiction necessarily fatal to the charges against the defendant?
A. No.
Q. Can the prosecutor cure the defective process?
A. Yes, by observing the steps outlined above for procedural DUE PROCESS, the prosecutor can place the defendant properly before the court. The traffic ticket is a method of shortcutting procedural DUE PROCESS by inducing you to waive your right to same.
CONCLUSION
Traffic tickets:
1. Do not meet the requirements of substantive due process.
2. Do not meet the requirements of procedural due process.
3. Do not meet the form requirements of criminal process.
4. Do not meet the form requirements of civil process.
5. Do not require the entry of a plea.
6. Do not confer in-personam jurisdiction upon the court.
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