Careless Driving and Failure to Yield to Pedestrian in a Crosswalk (New Jersey, USA)

[phillyfootball20]

Hi, I was driving on Oct 15th and made a left turn from a stop sign onto a somewhat busy road.
It was raining and quite foggy.
There was a hatchback stopped in the middle of the intersection (from the stop sign to the road I was turning on). I stopped next to it for about 5 seconds, wondering why it stopped.
As the hatchback "went", I too released my brake and let the car roll, was approaching a red light.
There was a pedestrian in front of me and my car tapped him; I didnt see him at all, windshield was foggy and so was outside.

Police came, pedestrian is pretty much OK.
I received citations for "Careless driving" and "failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk"

I do not have the citations in front of me but they both have "Court Appearance Required" checked w/ no fine. I have court tonight; what should I expect, how should I plead? Wise to get attorney?
I realize this is last minute :/

Thanks for the help
Alex
[email protected]

[ChuckFickens]

Are you American By chance Philly?

If so I hope somebody can answer your question but this is a mainly UK based site so there may not be anyone that can advise you on American legal matters.

[jackthehat]

This is a UK site.............from your choice of terms I think you are probably in USA.
You'll fare better asking on a site where the rules of the roads in America are better understood.

[redman41]

Might see you getting put to the sword by Judge Judy on TV phillyfootball20 !! lol

[bednobs]

take kegal advice, but i don't see how you could possibly et away with it - from your own description you couldn't see out of the window, yet you still went ahead. That sunds like careless driving t my (untrained) ears, and you didn't in fact yeild to the pedestrian