[quote=AirJordan;688780]Hello all

Anyway I have a fairly clean record with a speeding ticket in 2002 and one in 2003, but last year I was driving and I was late on my payments for my car insurence and got pulled over for no reason.

I am trying to appeal the conviction because it seems so unfair.

First things first. Get your tail light fixed and pay your insurance! Then check around your area, there is probably some sort of legal aid available at little or no cost if you are unemployed. I would seek advice from an attorney that knows traffic laws in the state where the conviction occurred. I would look into this quickly because there are likely time limits that limit your ability to appeal.

I would not think that this would significantly impact your future in aviation as long as you can explain it and be able to back it up with records, if needed. Many others are also experiencing hardships right now and everyone in aviation knows this.

Now for the soapbox part. Do not say what you stated above "and got pulled over for no reason" or "it seems so unfair". You could be talking to someone (like me) that have been in an accidents where the other parties had no insurance and has no sympathy for this attitude. I pay mine and the expectation that all other drivers have is that you are paying yours. Don't expect life to be fair. This is a harsh and unforunate reality but, if you have an expectation of fairness you can look forward to alot of disappointment.

That said I agree that the penalty seems pretty harsh for a 1st offense with no accident involved. In my state (CA) you would get a fine and have to show proof of insurance to the court and DMV for 2-3 years.

Good luck.