Fighting tickets?

So a couple nights ago coming home from a concert we were trying to find our way home in downtown Toronto. A lot of streets were blockaded and closed because of clubs and what not and I never drive down there. So we were trying to find our way onto yonge so we could get home and yonge is pretty much the biggest street. So the street we were on went through yonge but you can't turn onto yonge from that street so we went past it and planned on making two lefts to get back to it. All in all I ended up turning onto a one way street in the wrong direction trying to get back to yonge.

The street is about 5 lanes wide and one way... Not knowing the area I had no clue it was one way and being that wide it appeared to be two way. Just after finishing the turn there was a cop fishing and pulled me over and ticketed me.

This is my first infraction ever and its 3 demerit points.... Which pretty much means I'm screwed. I don't know if I should fight it? Or pay it and deal with my insurance going up... Not entirely sure what the best option is right now.

Any advice?

Go to court and explain to the judge just what u did here.Plead innocence ,ignorance, and everything else.He/she may let u off with a warning.What have u got to lose?BJ

Always take it to court. Plead your case to the crown and the judge takes your plea into consideration during the hearing after you plead guilty to the infraction.

The judge will probably just drop the charge entirely,or reduce it. 3 points is big too...just explain to the crown that it was night time and your lack of experience also has to do with the mistake you made,and that you didnt see any marked signs and you just made an honest mistake,due to not being familiar with where you were.

Yes,a lawyer will cost you,but the cost of a lawyer one time will en dup being significantly cheaper thank hiked insurance rates for the next few years.

Plus,if the officer who issued your ticket doesn't appear in court,your ticket automatically gets thrown out.

You cant just plead innocence or ignorance or whatever and I dont know about Canada but in the US a lawyer is provided upon request but isnt much good since he probably wont be able to help much since you did break the law. But you can plead guilty, not guilty or no contest (here anyways) and no contest will mean that you explain your story to the judge. In the US there is a pre trial diversion program that if he thinks you are a good person he will give you this option and you pay fines and do community service and thats it. Im not sure if you would still get the points on ur liscence but I doubt it since its not criminal once you do this program. If you dont get this option then you either pay court costs and the ticket cost or he drops the charges. But since you did break the law, what would be your arguement? You would have to take pics of the scenery and say the one way signs are hard to see or not there and stuff. Either build a case or pay the ticket I say.

In Canada, maybe. In US I doubt it, but cite your sources please because thats somewhat interesting.

Also, do you have to appear in court or what? Here our tickets have a court date so you have to go to court but depending on what you want to plead you could have multiple court dates.

Here if you go to court to fight the ticket and the officer that issued the ticket doesnt show up its automatically dropped.

How do you let the court know if you want to fight it? Do you get a bill when you get ticketed in NY? Both my tickets have had a price and a court date, one with a young drivers school option and one with mandatory court.

i believe in georgia when u get a ticket u can pay it before the court date which is a guilty plea or u can go to court and if the cop doesnt show the case is dismissed.