I would definitely go before the JP and tell him why you were short on life jackets. I've had them reduce fines and drop them completely. I had a Dallas Sheriff deputy give me a ticket for "Failure to mark special mobile equipment". Apparently, you must post the serial number on construction equipment in numbers that can be seen from 50 feet. It took me 5 days and more than a dozen calls to find what I hadn't done. I took it to the JP in Garland and he said "What is that?". When I told him what it was and what it took for me to find it, and that I had posted the serial numbers, he dismissed it. It was a $275 fine. They are people, too.

Artie

HEy B.A., MAn I have been on equipment all my life and never heard of that. The things you canlearn on the OT

If you're going to pay a fine like that, make sure the check is payable to "Joe Blow, Justice of the Peace Pct XX" or similar to show that its an 'official' check versus a 'personal' one.

Also make photocopies front & back before sending.

MOST OF THE TICKETS TP&W WRITE CAN BE BEATEN. ONE REASON IS THEY ARE VERY SELDOM LAWS. YOU CANNOT BE ASSESSED A FINE UNLESS YOU HAVE BROKEN A LAW. I LEARNED THIS IN A COURT CASE. CODES,RESTRICTIONS,RESOLUTIONS ARE NOT LAWS THEREFORE YOU CANNOT BE FINED FOR THEM. TP&W BOOK TITLE READS RULES AND REGULATIONS SAY'S IT ALL. I SUGGEST TAKING ALL BOGUS TICKETS TO COURT AND ASK FOR A DIRECT VERDICT. A HONEST JUDGE HAS TO SHOW YOU THE LAW, WHEN THEY CANNOT IT GETS THROW OUT. STAND UP !! WE STILL HAVE SOME RIGHTS IN THIS COUNTRY BUT NOT MANY. GAME MANAGMENT AND ENFORCEMENT IS IMPORTANT TO OUR OUTDOORS ! I DO NOT GO OUT AND BREAK THE RULES BUT SOME OF THE TICKETS THEY WRITE ARE CRAZY.

I believe that the Parks and Wildlife Code is STATE LAW. These are real laws enacted by your fine legistlators in Austin. So you are welcome to contest a citation at your day in court, but to say the that the laws enforced by Game Wardens are bogus is not true.

I DID NOT SAY ALL WERE BOGUS BUT MOST ARE AND CODES ARE NOT LAWS ! THIS IS WHAT I DID LEARN IN A COURT HEARING, AND THEY THREW IT OUT.THE JUDGES WORDS WERE AS I QUOTE, CODES, RESTRICTIONS, RESOLUTIONS ARE NOT LAWS THEREFORE YOU CANNOT BE FINED FOR THEM ! NEXT WORDS WERE AS FOLLOWS, DO NOT WASTE ANY MORE TIME IN MY COURT WITH THIS @@@@@ !!

I am not trying to be mean but do you have any idea what you are talking about? If what you are writing is true then the Penal Code (that's the code that has all those nasty offenses like murder and sexual assault) is not State Law. Please educate yourself before posting information that will likely cause another harm. Some people on here are not experienced with TP&W code violations and you are setting them up to get fined or arrested.

THIS SHOULD NOT OFFEND ANYONE. THIS HAPPEND TO ME ON A COURT CASE. IT WAS NOT THE TP&W BUT THE TNRCC ABOUT THE SAME DIFFERNCE. THE JUDGE SAID IT JUST LIKE I WROTE IT ABOVE. NOW YOU TAKE A CODE AND THE FINE WAS $1500-$5000 AND THE JUDGE THROWS IT OUT CAUSE IT IS A CODE. WELL !!! THAT SHOULD SAY SOMETHING. HE WAS FURIOUS ABOUT THE WASTE OF HIS TIME OVER A CODE.HE ALSO SAID WHEN BREAKING A LAW IT READS WHAT THE FINE IS TO BE SET AND OR PUNISHMENT.CODES ARE JUST A RULE TO FOLLOW. ON ANOTHER DEAL I HAVE SPOKE TO LOTS OF LAWYERS ABOUT THINGS JUST LIKE THIS AND THEY HAVE BEATEN CODES IN COURT EVERYTIME. I AM NO LAWYER BUT I HAVE TALKED TO SOME PEOPLE WHO KNOW AND I AM JUST TELLING IT LIKE IT IS OR HAPPENED.SORRY IF YOU DO NOT AGREE. I AM NOT TRYING TO START AN ARGUMENT.LETS JUST SAY WE AGREE TO DISAGREE.

Just one question Marc.....is your caps key stuck?????

If you would describe the offense in your case it would help. I think maybe you did not understand why the magistrate was angry. Just guessing, it was an administative violation such as most vehicle inspection violations, like not enough tire tread. What makes codes, which all Texas laws are codes by the way, enforceable, is a criminal penalty is described in the statute. For example, if the Transportation Code describes that a tire shall have a certain amount of tire tread but does not have the wording "A violation of this staute is a class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than fifty dollars or more that 200 dollars" then it is not a criminal offense. An officer may mistakenly issue you a citation and the magistrate will freak out as you described. Other than these type of violations, codes are the criminal laws of Texas.

You can believe what you want to. I just don't want to see a newbie to the TFF read this a think they can go shock stripers by the hundreds and not suffer any criminal penelties because the Texas Parks And Wildlife Code is a Code.

I just print it big so i can see it and anyone else who's eye site is not very good like mine. The older i get the worst it gets. Old age sure does funny things after you get in your mid 40's. Lawmann, I understand what you are saying also.I do not suggest anyone go and break any codes or laws, cause do we really know what is or is not anymore. State/federal goverment try and keep us in the dark.Laws change so fast every year, How can anyone keep up with them. I just was commiting on my case with the Tnrcc and what the judge said.

Not trying to start something,but I wanted to comment on this.When I hear someone say "you have broken the law" I think Where is this law written down in black and white?Where does it say if you do this---then your penalty is this.Its like when a car is IN an intersection and the light changes to red and an officer writes a ticket for running a red light.THERE HAS BEEN NO LAW BROKEN.IT is not against the law to leave an intersection when the light is red.It is only against the law to ENTER an intersection when the light is red.Splitting hairs yes but I know the person who got the ticket when there was nothing wrong.Show me the LAW and I will respect it.It don't make it a law just because someone in uniform says it is

Speaking as a judge I have on occasion had cases come before my court and had to question the violation. Had an officer come to court on a citation that he had issued to an individual for not using a turn signal while turning from a parking lot to the roadway, and was upset when the case was dismissed. Had to explain to him that the law only applies when turning from one PUBLIC roadway to another, not a PRIVATE parking lot onto a roadway. If an individual feels that he was wrongfully cited I would expect them to come to court to present their side of the incident.

Marc; Are you saying that my fishing license was a waste of money and that I can completley ignore my little code and regulations book? Will you help with my fine if things go wrong. While you state that you are not a lawyer you sure as H### sound like one . I tried law school once. The entrance exam had a large section on ethics. As it happened I passed the 200 question ethics section with 199 correct. I was immediately tossed out for life and was told I could not enroll in Poli-sci either.

what school was that..?
they will come highly recommended from me..