Today was one of those days that everything went right. Even the stuff that didn't seem like it was going to go right ended up working itself out. The best thing that happened today was Frank's court appearance for his ticket.
He warned me that the officer who gave him the ticket might not be the easiest guy to work with . . . and no, those weren't the words he used to communicate that fact to me. Upon seeing him standing in the hallway outside the courtroom, I felt the same pessimism. We checked in when the doors to the courtroom opened, and took our seat. A few minutes later, the officer checked in, and I made note that he had three cases. The clerk told him that only "Buchman" had checked in. He turned toward the seats, mostly full with other people waiting, and said, "Which one's Buchman?" Frank stood and we followed the officer back out to the hallway.
He didn't immediately address Frank. Instead he looked at me and said, "Why are you here today?" I began to explain the circumstances that led us to come to court over Frank's speeding ticket rather than just paying the fine. We were armed with photos, illustrations, even a google map. Before I finished my first sentence, he interrupted me, looked at Frank, and told that regardless of the circumstances, speeding was a crime. He lectured a little longer, which Frank took like a man.
Then the officer turned to me and asked if I was "mom." When I said I was, he said, "So you'll be paying his fine." "No," I answered. "This was his ticket, his fine to pay."
He looked back and Frank, and said, "You dressed nice for court today. You've been respectful, and I think you learned your lesson. How about if we dismiss this thing? No fine, no points."
Frank told him that would be the greatest thing ever, thanked him and shook his hand. We went back into the courtroom so he could tell the clerk we had a dismissal. She congratulated the officer. One down, two to go I suppose.
When we arrived at the courtroom, a very nice older gentleman offered me his seat. I asked if we were supposed to wait outside and he said yes, we were all there for traffic court. As I waited for Frank to talk to the clerk, I saw that the man was in front of him. He wasn't as lucky as my son was. He still had to pay a fine, but he looked relatively happy, so maybe it wasn't a big fine. When he heard the officer tell the clerk Frank's case was dismissed, the man looked at me and said, "Good job Mom." "No," I responded. "This is all him."
I'm proud of the way Frank handled himself today. I told him the outcome would be dependent on his attitude as much as anything else. If he was respectful, polite, AND contrite, perhaps he could get the ticket reduced to a non-moving violation. I DID NOT anticipate or suggest to him that it might be dismissed.
Earlier I told him I was sorry he had to go through this, but I thought the experience would provide him with several life lessons. I'm happy they weren't painful. They were inconvenient, and I think caused him more stress than the situation probably warranted, however, I think he'll think twice before speeding again, or doing anything else that might require another visit to the courthouse.
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