N400 - Good Moral Charecter Question

vscn400

Registered Users (C)
Friends,

I need your advise. I am in the process of filling up my N400 application. I have the following two traffic related incidents(in one I was involved and in another one I was not involved).

1. I got a ticket for a traffic violation (I stopped few feet after the stop sign) in 2004. I could not attend the class since I moved to another state. I contended the ticket at court by post, and paid the fees to the court after my contention was turned down.)

2. One fine day, I received a court summon to appear before court for leaving scene of accident (property damage - hotel). I was not at all involved in this accident. I had enough evidence to support that I was not involved, and municipal court dismissed that ticket. But almost 10 months later, the property owner's insurance company went ahead with the civil suite to claim damages for $10,000. After few rounds of interrogations by questionnaire, this one was withdrawn by the plaintiff(hotel's insurance company) without prejudice(meaning that they can re-file the case any time in next seven years).

Now, which of the following questions in Good Moral Character section of N-400 are to be answered 'YES'. I am confused with the terminologies here. Please help me.


15. Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested? YES/NO

16. Have you ever been arrested, cited or detained by any law enforcement officer (including USCIS or former INS and military officers) for any reason? YES/NO

17. Have you ever been charged with committing any crime or offense? YES/NO

Please suggest which ones are applicable to me.

Thanks in advance.
-vscn400
 
Q 15. No
Q 16. Yes (because you did get a ticket) I am sure you were stopped by a police officer
Q 17. No (is my guess) Please check with a lawyer on this.

Thx
 
The incident 2 (hotel summons) is irrelevant. You were niether issued a ticket (note a civil summons is not the same as a ticket) nor detained by a law enforcement officer. This seems to be a civil suit and summons in a civil suit which is not what is being asked in this question. The only thing you should have to declare is the "law enforcement detention" which is your 2004 ticket, since just stopping to say hi to a policeman is also technically "detention". Chances are the IO wont even care about this stuff.
 
15. Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested? YES/NO

16. Have you ever been arrested, cited or detained by any law enforcement officer (including USCIS or former INS and military officers) for any reason? YES/NO

17. Have you ever been charged with committing any crime or offense? YES/NO

To # 15. Basically No. I answered yes on accident on mine and my IO corrected it and put at yes on # 16 basically

To # 16. Yes

To # 17. No but when you go for your Interview you can always explain the situations
 
Q 15. No
Q 16. Yes (because you did get a ticket) I am sure you were stopped by a police officer
Q 17. No (is my guess) Please check with a lawyer on this.

Thx

So are you saying that you have to answer yes to #16 if ever in your life you were stopped by a police officer and he issued you a traffic citation?
 
16. Have you ever been arrested, cited or detained by any law enforcement officer (including USCIS or former INS and military officers) for any reason?

So are you saying that you have to answer yes to #16 if ever in your life you were stopped by a police officer and he issued you a traffic citation?

Yes and normally you also have to show proof that you have paid the ticket/s. A Traffic Ticket is considered a citation. I know there are some that disagree on that but when I went to my Interview the IO actually told me that I have done the right thing by checking these fields even if it was the wrong one on accident but a Traffic Ticket is according to my IO a Citation and the question clearly states .... Have you ever been arrested, CITED or detained .......
 
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