speeding ticket

[Drift Machine]

I got a speeding ticket today for doing 82 in a 60, I don't know what to do about the ticket. I have heard that if you fight it the cop won't show up and stuff like that. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on how to deal with it. I mean should i just pay, its 200 dollars, or should i contest it or what.

[TrueSlide]

Depends, usually the cops show up, if it is gonna suspend your license fight it, admit to doing it, saying you dont know what happened you were acting immature and dont know why you did it. And sound sincere. I did that on a 71/35 and my license should of been suspsended but he only restricted it for 30 days.

[Daunttless]

One of the other guys posted this on the old board:

http://www.svrider.com/tips/speeding.html

[Drift Machine]

thanks. yeah it is my first ticket so i don't have to worry about getting my license suspended or anything like that. But yeah it sounds like i should just go to the mitigation hearing and see if i can get it reduced.

[MaineExport]

Contest EVERY ticket!!! Think about this:

In every state, thousands of tickets are issued each day for a variety of offenses. If everybody that got a ticket contested it, the courts would be so backed up with cases, there would be an immediate turn around in the way cops conduct their affairs! First of all, the state could never afford to litigate all of these cases, and the police officers would never have time to be on the street, because they would always be in court. Police spend too much time worried about speeding, and not enough time protecting us from real threats. The traffic violation courts are a HUGE source of revenue for every state, and that is why cops are allowed to persue motor vehicle infractions so vigorously.

As for your particular case, give us the specifics of exactly what happened and maybe someone can help you prepare a defense. It is actually really fun to be in court and contest a ticket. The best is when you get a chance to cross-examine the officer! They are not usually prepared to answer questions from the person they ticketed, in front of a judge. Most people get nervous, or don't realize they have an opportunity to examine the officer. These cops give out dozens of tickets every shift, and chances are they don't remember your particular case very well. They have to rely on notes. If you can show that their recollection of the incident isn't clear, than this can go far in helping your case. Anyway, it's worth fighting, and please post the facts of the incident so we might be of some assistance.

[APEXi240]

If you want to contest the ticket, which maybe you should, postpone your court appearance as much as possible, tell them that you are going away to college, or out of the country. If you postpone it enough, the cop won't come to the hearing, because he won't know when it is...Twice my friends got racing tickets, all they did was postpone the hearing the cop didn't show, and the case got thown out (because you have to be able to confront your accuser).

Also I heard somewhere that you can pick up all the paperwork for the calibration of the radar gun that took your speed, and most likely it is past due for some sort of maintance, making your ticket invalid, however I don't know how effective this is anymore because they have laser detectors, and more high tech equipment. Sorry but I don't know what speficic papers you ask for.

[Drift Machine]

yeah, i was pulled over in my moms 96 ford aerostar towing a boat trailer. I was pissed off cuase i got to the boat launch and had the boat in the water and everything ready to go, before i realised i forgot the boat key. So i had to go home and get the key and come back. And i had my friends stay there with the boat, so i was trying to get back as fast as possible so they didn't have to wait long. Well on my way back to the boat launch, i entered on to the freeway and after only about a mile of driving on the freeway, a cop pulled me over and said he radared me going 82 in a 60.

I live in washington state, I am 16 and have a clean record.

He had another cop in the car with him, and i heard that if there are two cops in the car when you get pulled over they both have to show up to the hearing. I remember everything about when he pulled me over, like what i was wearing, the weather, and little stuff like that, that i doubt he remembers.

all help is very much appreciated :help

[Drift Machine]

oh yeah i heard something about if you attend a traffic school the ticket is dismissed, if this is true does anyone know how i can go about going to one.

[ninjak84]

if you go to traffic school, some of your demerits are gone, but the ticket is still there.its not as easy as everyone thinks to get out of a ticketmost likely, you'll end up going to court for it, the cop will show up, you'll get a reduced charge, and end up having to pay $150 for a $200 ticket.even if thats not what happens, expect it to... dont go thinking "the cop wont show, im free!"... expect him to show, and prepare a case that will get you a lower charge.

dont go for a voided ticket. its an insult to the court. the judge will make you pay the entire ticket. just try to get it reduced

[egofreak73]

Also, this is your first ticket, see if they have a deferal(sp?) system. My friend got pulled over doing 60ish in a 45 and as long as he doesnt get another ticket for a year, his ticket drops off his record. Also, i attended defensive driving school for my first ticket, it only cost me $30 or so and i got 3 points taken off my license(which left me with 2 because i got caught doing 65 in a 30). i have only fought one ticket and i won, but that was because the cop was a total **** and gave me a reckless driving ticket because my tires screeched as i made a turn( i was only going 20mph in a 30) i contested it, i had to go to trial once and he didnt show up, but the prosocuter asked for a continuence and i had to come back around 3 months later, he didnt show up again and it was dropped. sorry about the rambleMike

[S14 Stud]

damn your deferral program sucks! heh I got 92 in a 60 and got 6 months probation which ends in like a month, so the ticket gets dropped...but damn waiting a year...I can't imagine that

[Drift Machine]

Yeah i heard that you could defer a ticket here in washington, so that as long as you dont' get another ticket within a year it doesn't show up. would anyone know how i go about doing this, cuase right now it sounds like my best option.

thanks to all of you

[MaineExport]

When you are asked if you would like to cross-examine the officer, begin with the small questions regarding that day. I might not get as picky as what clothes you were wearing, but other general stuff is relivant. Ask about the traffic conditions. If you clearly recall other cars in the immediate area of your vehicle, you can often get off because the officer has no proof that he got you, and not someone else. Ask him how much of your car he needs to hit on his radar gun, to get a reading. I think the answer is 2 square inches. Ask him how many different objects measuring at least 2 square inches were moving on the freeway at the time, and how he knows it was your car he hit. He may have answers, but at least you establish some doubt. Ask if he was driving at the time when he got you on radar, or if he was stationary. If he was driving, was his attention focused on HIS driving, or was he concentrating on running radar instead. (that one got me off in one of my three victories!) If he says his primary concern is HIS driving, then you have an opening to create doubt that he was not paying enough attention to the radar. If he says that the radar is more important than his own driving, than the judge gets pissed.....TRUST ME!!! Either way he answers the question is bad for him.

I've won three times on three different tickets. You can win. Go in with confidence, but not arrogance. Dress nicely, refer to the judge as, "your honor". Refer to the officer as, "Sir", or "Officer". Be overly polite!!!!! But make it look sincere. You have to play ball with them. The judge is just as much on your side, as he is on the cops side.... usually. (sometimes you get a ****head judge) Whatever you do, don't make a deal with the DA unless you are sure you can't win, or they make you a VERY generous offer.

Your best bet is if there was heavy to moderate traffic in the area, or if he was driving while running radar. This creates a lot of doubt, but you've got to plan ahead. One final thing, the state has the burden of proof. They have to prove you are guilty, you don't have to prove that your innocent. You just have to create doubt!

[RWDnot RICE]

in georgia you can get your first ticket waived by taking a defensive drivers course, you don't have to wait for a court date, just call up and ask them if this is an option for you. if it is, you'll pay like $30 and 4 hours on a saturday and your ticket will be gone provided you pass the class, (the answers are on the back of the book).check the local laws reguarding speeding tickets in your area.

[ninjak84]

maineimport: good advice, i copied and pasted it into a text file for future reference:)

[Get240DiZzY]

Tickets blow.

[SWIFT_DRIFT]

Where did you get pulled over at? i live in washington too and i just got my second ticket reduced from $133 to $70 and that was up in lynwood.The way the deferring system works is this:Since its your very first ticket you are elligeable to have it deferred. This means the ticket goes on stand-bye for a year and if you don't get another ticket in a year it will be removed from your DOL record. however if you do get a new ticket they will have to report your deferred ticket to the DOL and your insurance.However the judges at the court i went to were cooler. If you are eligeable to have the ticket deferred, they just whipe it off your record clean and drop it. so you don't have to worry about the year stand-bye crap. However that only happens once. The only way you can have a ticket deferred is if it's your very first ticket (ie you) or if you have not had a ticket on your record for 10 years, so that only works for older people usually.Also the cost of a deferred ticket was $65 of court fees to get it off your record and this lynwood court i was at just dropped them anyways.But when you see the judge, just be honest with them. Tell them the boat story and how you forgot the boat key and that it was a one-time thing and that you promise to be more responsible next time and remember everything. They will defer it since its your first ticket.Best of luck to you, any more questions?

[Tino]

I got a speeding ticket today for doing 82 in a 60, I don't know what to do about the ticket. I have heard that if you fight it the cop won't show up and stuff like that. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on how to deal with it. I mean should i just pay, its 200 dollars, or should i contest it or what.

heres my 2 cents, fight it take it to court, try your best to get the charge lowered or dropped. Then take that 200 dollars and buy a radar detector. Saving yourself time and money.

-Chris

[Get240DiZzY]

:withstup The radar detector is a good idea, but be careful. I heard that if you get pulled over again and the cops see the radar detector, they double the fine.

[Tino]

then just whip it out and throw it in the console or glovebox

[SmithSR]

Another interesting idea: can't afford to have that ticket on your record? try this: if you get a ticket and are able to pay by mail, do it. But instead of paying the full amount, pay three dollars over. When the county gets your check, they have to send you a refund. When you get the refund check, dont cash it. As long as the check stays out of the bank, the county can't close the books on your ticket and points are not assigned to your driving record. At least thats what i've been told... I have no knowledge and do not advocate or condone these actions in any way, nor would i attempt to deceive the police dept. or the county office in any way. Drive safely. lol

[b240]

About an hour ago i just got pulled over on my way to work , 53 in a 35. I pulled the "i was in a hurry to work" and he let me off , saying something like "your only 20 , your going to kill somebody". This is the second time in 3 months i've got caught speeding and didnt get a ticket. Last time was like 90 in a 45 , no ticket then either.

My girlfriend got pulled over in my car a couple months ago and she asked about contesting it. She was told she has to pay the full amount of the ticket and then fight it.