How will the officer ask about citations in the interview?

[Vorpal]

The original question on N-400 is :

Have you ever been arrested, cited or detained by any law enforcement officer
(including USCIS or former INS and military officers) for any reason?

It clearly says "for any reason". You can not re-phase it to be like

Have you ever been arrested, cited or detained by any law enforcement officer
(including USCIS or former INS and military officers) for any reason at least as serious as a misdemeanor?


For one thing, any applicant can claim he does not know what is mideamnor and answer No even he once murdered anyone.

There's anecdotal evidence that the reason why the question includes the "for any reason" caveat is because applicants were not disclosing DUI/DWI offenses under the guise that it's a traffic violation. With regards to murder, it falls under a felony category and would most certainly result in an arrest and a criminal trial.

Any in strict sense, traffic violations are also a crminal offense because in most states traffic laws are part of penal code rather that
civil code. Crminal offenses are divided into three classes : felony, misdemeanor, and petty offense. But petty offense are still crminal offense
even maximum penalty is just a fine never prision time

Most minor traffic violations are civil infractions. Take a look here, under United States: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_ticket

Again, the purpose of this thread is not to resurrect the age-old "to disclose or not to disclose" debate, but to merely provide clarification to the OP. We all have our opinions on how to handle this question, as evidenced by the poll results in the traffic ticket sticky. Let's agree to disagree.

 

[WBH]

Most minor traffic violations are civil infractions.

Wrong. Most of time whne you get a ticket, you plead guilty or not guilty or teh judge find you guilty or not guilty. If it is
a civial matter, then term will be liable/not liable. Guilty/not guilty is onlyu for crminal court.

Also, many rights defendants have exclusived for crminal cases are there in traffic courts. For example, rights stated in Ameendment 4,5,6
are fully protected in traffic courts and that is why if the ticketing offcier does not show up durting yoru caort date, you can get off
because of this Aemendment 6 right to confront your witness. In civil trials, there is no such right. The witness can
testtify by a letter.

It is just traffic violation are not treated as crminal in our daily life but technically in most of states even minor traffic vilations are still handled by crminal courts. Only in a few states like Massachusstees, Oregan, Florida ordinary traffic violations are offcically handled as civial matter.

 

[Vorpal]

Wrong. Most of time whne you get a ticket, you plead guilty or not guilty or teh judge find you guilty or not guilty. If it is
a civial matter, then term will be liable/not liable. Guilty/not guilty is onlyu for crminal court.

Incorrect. In NYC, for instance, the Parking Violations Bureau is a part of Department of Finance. When you contest a parking ticket, you fill out the "NOT GUILTY" plea on the back and send it to the PVB. Not only is the PVB not a criminal court, it's not a court at all. Same goes for traffic tickets received in NYC, as well as several other counties in NYS - the recepient responds to a Traffic Violations Bureau. Keep in mind that there is a difference between a civil liability (liable/not liable) and a civil infraction. I'd suggest checking your facts.

Also, many rights defendants have exclusived for crminal cases are there in traffic courts. For example, rights stated in Ameendment 4,5,6
are fully protected in traffic courts and that is why if the ticketing offcier does not show up durting yoru caort date, you can get off
because of this Aemendment 6 right to confront your witness. In civil trials, there is no such right. The witness can
testtify by a letter.

It is just traffic violation are not treated as crminal in our daily life but technically in most of states even minor traffic vilations are still handled by crminal courts. Only in a few states like Massachusstees, Oregan, Florida ordinary traffic violations are offcically handled as civial matter.

This is an immigration forum, not a legal one. As such, legal debates have no place here. Moreover, my disclaimer clearly states that I am not a lawyer, which means I am not qualified to discuss the legal definitions of liable/not liable vs. guilty/not guilty. Unless you have legal training, I don't believe you are qualified either.

 

[WBH]

Incorrect. In NYC, for instance, the Parking Violations Bureau is a part of Department of Finance. When you contest a parking ticket, you fill out the "NOT GUILTY" plea on the back and send it to the PVB. Not only is the PVB not a criminal court, it's not a court at all. Same goes for traffic tickets received in NYC, as well as several other counties in NYS - the recepient responds to a Traffic Violations Bureau. Keep in mind that there is a difference between a civil liability (liable/not liable) and a civil infraction. I'd suggest checking your facts.

A civil infraction is defined as an CRMINAL offense less serious than a misdemanor so it is still a criminal offense. The bottomline
is: traffic law are part of penal code in most states.

 

[Marusia_GC]

Marusia's ticket had nothing to do with a traffic offense, and the actual charge is indicated on the record letter issued by the police department.

This was an accidentally broken window in an apartment... That's all... I recall a children's verse by A. Barto, "I was unlucky in my past - I broke once a window glass..."

 

[allaboutgc]

Sir,

I do not know what your intention is but your comments here are way beyond the intended topic that I started here. I have NO interest to start a discussion about how traffic violations stand in terms of legality. My mere intent was to ask how this topic/question was brought up in the actual interview.

If you want to discuss some topic that you are interested in, you are welcome to start a new thread. Period.

A civil infraction is defined as an CRMINAL offense less serious than a misdemanor so it is still a criminal offense. The bottomline
is: traffic law are part of penal code in most states.