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OAG agrees to remove reckless driving citation vs Banes
The Office of the Attorney General has agreed to remove the reckless driving offense in a traffic citation issued against lawyer David George Banes and instead cited him only with an offense payable with a $35 fine, including a $10 court costs.
Assistant attorney general Jonathan Robert Glass Jr. and Banes filed last week before the Superior Court a stipulated motion to amend the citation and permit payment of a payable offense.
The amended citation charged Banes only with driving on right side exceptions.
Glass said the basis for the request to amend citation is that the Commonwealth has reviewed the facts and circumstances and has a good faith belief that the charge is appropriately amended to the case now pending before the court.
Glass and Banes stipulate that $25 shall be assessed as fine and $10 as court costs.
Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho granted the parties’ request to amend the citation and gave Banes 30 days to pay the $35.
Saipan Tribune learned that Banes immediately paid the amount and the case was closed.
Banes, 55, was cited by a police officer for reckless driving along Dandan Road. He appeared before Superior Court Presiding Judge Roberto C. Naraja last Oct. 4.
Banes waived reading of the charge and pleaded not guilty.
Reckless driving is a misdemeanor punishable by fine of $1,000, six months imprisonment, or both.
It was Police Officer L. Lizama who issued the citation last Sept. 3. Banes was allegedly recklessly driving a red Toyota vehicle with license plate ACV 373 on Dandan Road at about 4:30pm.
