Asked 4/19/2016 – Dallas, TX

I was issued a “Fare Evasion” ticket on the DART light rail this morning (4/19). My previous 31 day pass expired yesterday (4/18). I forgot to activate the new 31 day pass (via the DART app on my phone) this morning prior to boarding the train. When fare enforcement came around to check tickets I pulled up my electronic ticket and realized I had not yet activated the new one. I apologized and explained that the old one expired yesterday and that I just needed to activate the new one. Fare enforcement stated she had to write me a ticket anyway (totally bogus, she could have just as easily written a warning on the same form). I’ve got my time stamp on my electronic fare which shows I activated my pass before she could even finish writing the ticket as well as the time stamp of the previous pass expiration date of yesterday 4/18. It does not benefit me in any way to ride the rail with an invalid ticket. The $80 fee is drafted directly from my paycheck pretax every month automatically, so I have actually already paid for the rail pass whether it’s activated or not. Also on my notice to appear, she wrote my appearance date for 6/30 which is 30 day AFTER the actual appearance date.

Answer

Yes, you should enter a plea of not guilty and set a hearing date on this matter. You have the option of representing yourself in the Justice of the Peace court where the citation was filed, or contacting a local attorney to help you. I suggest you call around and talk with local lawyers to discuss your options.