Court problems

[jacko]

Hi, Hope you can help

I pleaded guilty in court in November to my Drink Drive charge (1st offence BAC 93) and was given the opportunity to attend a rehabilitation course as stated by the judge, she said my case would be assigned to an approved course provider and that both the court and the provider would contact me, which never happened! I left it a couple of months until Feb and started to chase around trying to find who runs courses and who I have been assigned to!!?! The issue is I couldn't just book on a course, the court has to assign my file to a particular provider and in my case I have found that the course provider has no knowledge or record of me on their database. So through no fault of my own have I not booked on the course, I received no detail from either party as the judge stated in court post-judgement

My local course provider could only offer a course starting on 14th June but the end date takes me 3 weeks over the completition deadline (20th June) which the court has categorically said they cannot and will not give me the extension as they DID assign my case and DID write to me which they DIDN'T and the course provider has proven this by not having me on their database.

I then found a course which is a fair way away but still achieveable that ends on the 21st June (Sunday) one day after my Saturday completion deadline.

Now I have complied, accepted, admitted and paid my dues for the mistake I have made but the court has failed to honour and fullfil it's committment made in court, furthermore the court will not allow me the opportunity to go on the course and receive the associated rehabilitation benefits simply because they have made an administrative error and not the first in my case either! (They were chasing the fine levied 2-3 weeks after I'd made payment, assigning the payment to a different court, but persuing me for the money)

Apologies for the length of the post, I need to try and get on the course and am at breaking point with the court as no one is willing to help, I've written 2 letters explaining the issues to which I have had one flat no and am awaiting reply on the second.

Any help, guidance or thought on the matter would be appreciated even if it is just to say give up, move on and accept the courts mistakes!

Thanks

 

[bonnieL]

Hi, I too had this same problem after pleading guilty in court. I just ended up assuming that the courts took a view that they would let you do this course but you would have to find out about it yourself. When I emailed one of the companies they said the same about getting details from the court I appeared in, but they did that, I had to give them some info about the court and myself, they then contacted the court and got the relevant paperwork.

I completed the course about a month ago and i'm really glad I did it, it was really usefull and interesting, but I do think that if I had not been motivated in getting myself on it then nothing would have happened about it and I would have ended up not doing it!

In regards to where the course is, I had to travel wha I thought was a good bit ( 4 buses and taking 4 hours) Luckily I made arrangements to stay at a friends house nearer the place the night before, still over an hour journey though. But there were people on the course from much farther away than me! In fact, I probably stayed the nearest to the course! So I think you just need to take what you get really and if you can get on a course far away, go for it! At the end of the day, the way the teacher sees it is it's not their problem our difficulties in getting there!

Good luck!

 

[jacko]

It's not the distance that bugs me or that I'm taking serious issue with, it is the fact that a Judge committs to sending me details and assigning my case and it never happened, surely whilst in court every spoken word is legally binding?? it's like me not paying a fine or not giving the correct paperwork, the court stipulates an action and the court does not carry out it's own instruction? How can that not in some way be cause for concern or even litigation

The court has failed, in my opinion, to honour the verbal committment given to me, i'm really fed up with prospect of me having to forgo my option to attend the course in turn receiving a ban reduction and possible long term insurance reductions.

What has infuriated me even more is that I've now spoken with several different course providers and each say the same.....under some circumstances a magistrate court will extend the deadline......my question is; the court does extend for some and not others, surely that is discriminative behaviour? I cant see for what other reasons a court would extend other than if it is their fault?

......and relax