$5800 overweight ticket! 18 months driver

I am a daycab company driver and I was sent with trailer to a location to pick up a different truck. It was 1:00pm in afternoon and traffic was heavy. One quarter of a mile from my destination. I turn down a short brief resident all street. Bethlehem pa Cop pulls me over and ask for license and reg. I give him reg but remember I left my license in my car.

I just know he's going to give me a ticket for the license and disregard the weight ticket since I explained that I was only here making a pick up and my trucker gps brought me down this road.

Long story short, he calls his partner to bring scales and I end up leaving with a 5800$ fine!!

Before I sign the ticket I look at him and asked, " You couldn't let me go?" He said plainly that I was 10klbs overweight. Mind you I am in a 53' "empty" trailer. I look at him but with nothing to say. I then sign.

I left knowing that this would be dismissed by the attorney Drivers legal plan hires for me.
He is a freaking immigration lawyer whose website advertises everything but Commercial traffic cases.
The attorney tells me he got the fine down from $5800 to $3000! Wtf! When asked about why his website doesn't advertise traffic issues he states, "We just don't advertise but I handle all the cdl tickets here in this area and the DA never agreed to a fine of less than He advises me not to appeal. If I do and am found guilty I will face the maximum penalty. I have 2 weeks to decide.

To top it off, I tell my employer and he's says that they can pay for it bc I'm a good worker but but not all at once bc they don't want me to leave after they pay the fine. As they are aware I have been look for a job closer to home. I drive 1 hrs to and from work daily. (I know only home daily position I could find with 18months exp. I explained that I'd do whatever it take but afterwards felt slighted because if they were going to pay it they should pay it. However I understood his stance.

I just can't get over what's going on. The road was wide enough for cars to get by. There were no low clearences. No pedestrians. I just can't sit by and let the lawyer and the courts take advantage of an honest worker trying to earn a living? I've thought of all sort of reasons why someone would look at the circumstances and then the fine and not think that that's ridiculous to issue to someone. Is the officer racist? Are the prosecutor and the "hired" attorney in cahoots. In order to screw people over to bring money into town. I would hope not but I can't think of another reason.

I have never had anything bad to say about police or the judiciary system as a whole. I know that they are humans and are just doing a job. But this? This feels so personal.


Should I appeal even if it means facing the original penalty? If they can issue fines like this I'm in the wrong profession.