# Has anyone here got a speeding ticket?



## gindrinker22 (Sep 11, 2005)

I was ticketed the other month for going 36 in a 25 mile per hour zone. I have to go to court in a few days to contest the ticket. Should I go in there with a defense or should I just admit that I was speeding and didn't know what the speed limit was. I have only one speeding ticket on my record and it was 6 years ago.


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## android (Dec 8, 2004)

Why didn't you take Defensive Driving?

There must be something you left out like this was a school or construction zone.

Ignorance won't help you. If you were in a neighborhood or business district, you're expected to know the speed limit is 25.


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## Wayfarer (Mar 19, 2006)

I am far, far, far from being an attorney, but I can tell you if you go in there and admit you were speeding, you will get a ticket. End of story. You need to go in there with proof that the maintained and calibrated radar gun was faulty or that the officer was mistaken and pulled over the wrong car. 

A lame excuse is just going to get you your ticket.


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## TheWardrobeGirl (Mar 24, 2008)

Try and plead it down, take a defensive driving course to clean up your record then buy a K40 radar detector, laser diffuser (not the kind you plaster to your front window, the kind that is professionally installed into your bumper and or license plate holder) ...GREATEST thing ever invented!  ...good luck!


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## Laxplayer (Apr 26, 2006)

Missouri has an odd system for speeding tickets. If you get a speeding ticket, you just go into one of these traffic law center offices and pay the attorney around $75. A few weeks later, the attorney appears in court for you and your speeding charge is changed to a minor offense like a noise violation (non-moving violation). You then have to pay that fine, so your total is something like $150, but it does not show up on your record and your insurance premium is not raised. You could just pay the $75 for the speeding ticket by mailing in a check, but that would appear on your record. I had never heard of such a system until I moved to St. Louis. I have had two speeding tickets taken care of this way.


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

Consider this ticket payback for all the stuff you got away with. 36 in a 25 MPH zone is killing speed. Would you consider pleading down or defending yourself if you ran over a child? If you opt later for a radar dector, consider adding an old steamtrain cowcatcher to your grill to deflect the little kids. Body tissue and fluids are so hard to get cleaned properly at carwashes these days.


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## pt4u67 (Apr 27, 2006)

Just bite the bullet and take traffic school. I'm sure Michigan is much like other states and if your record is otherwise clear you should not have a problem. Take it as a lesson learned and slow down. 

Forget the radar detector. Just slow down and go the limit. Let the other suckers get the tickets.


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## Relayer (Nov 9, 2005)

I guess I'm old fashioned.

Just tell the truth.


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## Justin (Feb 27, 2008)

Find out what the disposition of the judge is that will be hearing your argument.

The town I live in there's one judge where if you come to court even to admit your guilt and you look respectable he cuts the fine in half since you put forth the effort to come to court.

Justin


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## Asterix (Jun 7, 2005)

Get a lawyer and for a fee, the points can be knocked down to zero which would save you money with your insurance company................ based on my experience as a now reformed lead foot.


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## chatsworth osborne jr. (Feb 2, 2008)

*Speed laws are for revenue collection. FIGHT THEM.*

If they offer a plea bargain (which most places do to avoid actual trials) it's usually your best and safest bet.
I contest all tickets because it makes the process less profitable for them.

Sending in a check is paying full retail for a day's convenience and years of regret.


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## pt4u67 (Apr 27, 2006)

You could try wearing your "Ask Andy" pocket square and hope the judge is a member too.


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## TheWardrobeGirl (Mar 24, 2008)

Kav said:


> Consider this ticket payback for all the stuff you got away with. 36 in a 25 MPH zone is killing speed. Would you consider pleading down or defending yourself if you ran over a child? If you opt later for a radar dector, consider adding an old steamtrain cowcatcher to your grill to deflect the little kids. Body tissue and fluids are so hard to get cleaned properly at carwashes these days.


Personally, I am a far better driver going 11 miles over the speed limit than most morons talking on their cell phones or even better yet TEXTING...I think it is funny the way people berate others for speeding yet 90% of the time, these are the ones clueless in the left lane going 55 in a 65, sitting through a green arrow because the big light is red or simply stopping in the middle of the road because they suddenly realize they are lost...

(To agree with PART of your statement, I think going 11 miles over in a 25 is definitely worse than going 11 miles over in a 65)...


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## gnatty8 (Nov 7, 2006)

Wow. I don't know anybody in the history of the city of Atlanta has ever been pulled over for only going 36 in a 25. In fact, I pretty routinely drive 80 or 85 mph in I-75 (when it is not clogged with traffic) and state troopers will routinely pass me on their way somewhere else.

Tough luck. When I got my last speeding ticket in Houston, the State of Texas allowed me to take an online defensive driving course and pay an administration fee, and the ticket was dropped. Maybe Michigan offers a similar option?


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## StickPig (Feb 8, 2008)

Hire an attorney. They will get it reduced or thrown out all together and keep points off of your license. In turn, you keep your insurance rates from going way up. The attorney is worth it.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

Laxplayer said:


> Missouri has an odd system for speeding tickets. If you get a speeding ticket, you just go into one of these traffic law center offices and pay the attorney around $75. A few weeks later, the attorney appears in court for you and your speeding charge is changed to a minor offense like a noise violation (non-moving violation). You then have to pay that fine, so your total is something like $150, but it does not show up on your record and your insurance premium is not raised. You could just pay the $75 for the speeding ticket by mailing in a check, but that would appear on your record. I had never heard of such a system until I moved to St. Louis. I have had two speeding tickets taken care of this way.


Does that only apply to Missouri residents? Or, does it apply to any speeding ticket written in the state (resident or not)? I've only had one speeding ticket in Missouri ($75), but I was unaware of that system until after I had mailed in the check. That was 3-4 years ago. Since then, I swore to never be late for a tee time again! The other ticket I got was for an illegal left turn, so I don't think the rule applied. I think those finally roll off my record this year, so I'm looking forward to the insurance rate drop.


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## Laxplayer (Apr 26, 2006)

TMMKC said:


> Does that only apply to Missouri residents? Or, does it apply to any speeding ticket written in the state (resident or not)? I've only had one speeding ticket in Missouri ($75), but I was unaware of that system until after I had mailed in the check. That was 3-4 years ago. Since then, I swore to never be late for a tee time again! The other ticket I got was for an illegal left turn, so I don't think the rule applied. I think those finally roll off my record this year, so I'm looking forward to the insurance rate drop.


I'm not really sure. I lived most of my life in Illinois, so this system is pretty new to me. I heard about it from a co-worker. I was complaining about getting a speeding ticket on I-44 when they told me I needed to get that taken care of so I would not have points on my record. I would guess that it is only for MO residents. I'm not sure why or how it works, but it does...I still have a clean driving record.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

I've probably gotten about 7-8 speeding tickets in several different jurisdictions over my lifetime and have only had to pay one of them. I've always just gone to court, pleaded guilty, and gone to driving school so it wouldn't be on my record. I think I've been to school 6 times and it usually cost $25-$50. My insurance has never been affected in any way.

Keep in mind that these tickets have been spread out over a 44 year driving history. Once I did get two in an 18 month period in one jurisdiction. After going to school on the first one I wasn't sure what would happen on the next. I pleaded guilty and the judge just looked at my record showing the last ticket and said he was sending me for my Master's Degree in driving, and off I went back to school.

The problem with pleading not guilty is that they almost always find you guilty no matter what you say, and then in most jurisdictions you not only have to pay the fine but the court costs are higher because you pleaded not guilty. It's almost always a lose-lose situation if you do that.

Cruiser


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## Concordia (Sep 30, 2004)

I've had a total of maybe 3 or 4 tickets in 24 years of driving. 

I earned each one, so I paid them and moved on.


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## tabasco (Jul 17, 2006)

Concordia said:


> ....
> I earned each one, so I paid them and moved on.





Relayer said:


> I guess I'm old fashioned.
> 
> Just tell the truth.


Kav has an excellent point. It's not about gaming the system, people's lives are at stake.

-do as I say, etc.


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

You may have defenses. For instance, you may not have crossed the line into the 25 zone when you were caught, or possibly you were in the 25 zone but the cop wasn't, so it's hard for them to prove whether you were or were not over the line. Maybe you were slowing down from a higher to a lower speed zone, and they just caught you before you got your speed down all the way. Maybe the city had failed to trim the bushes covering the 25mph sign, so you legitimately didn't know the limit was only 25. Maybe the town has failed to properly adopt the 25 mph limit, or maybe the cop won't have the properly adopted speed limit ordinance when he shows up to testify. Or maybe you'll be at court on time, but the ticketing officer fails to show. Maybe he can't show that the radar was calibrated properly.

In other words, there may be reasons that you can avoid a conviction. I suspect that none of these things is too likely, but there may be a chance. I haven't looked, not having gotten a ticket since 1976 (one or two warnings since then), but I bet there are web pages that give you all kinds of tips for fighting speeding tickets.


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## MrRogers (Dec 10, 2005)

Kav said:


> Consider this ticket payback for all the stuff you got away with. 36 in a 25 MPH zone is killing speed. Would you consider pleading down or defending yourself if you ran over a child? If you opt later for a radar dector, consider adding an old steamtrain cowcatcher to your grill to deflect the little kids. Body tissue and fluids are so hard to get cleaned properly at carwashes these days.


Jeez, A little dramatic Kav? Get real.

mrr


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

gindrinker22 said:


> I was ticketed the other month for going 36 in a 25 mile per hour zone. I have to go to court in a few days to contest the ticket. Should I go in there with a defense or should I just admit that I was speeding and didn't know what the speed limit was. I have only one speeding ticket on my record and it was 6 years ago.


Here in Wisconsin we have pre-trial where we go talk to the DA, and both times I have had them knocked down significantly by just being honest. By contesting it, they'll likely knock it down because they don't want to waste time with a trial. Don't plead ignorance! That will only hurt.


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

Laxplayer said:


> I'm not really sure. I lived most of my life in Illinois, so this system is pretty new to me. I heard about it from a co-worker. I was complaining about getting a speeding ticket on I-44 when they told me I needed to get that taken care of so I would not have points on my record. I would guess that it is only for MO residents. I'm not sure why or how it works, but it does...I still have a clean driving record.


I had an ex-girlfriend get a ticket in Illinois, and they made her pay to contest it. Not even pay to go to trial, but merely talk to the DA. Seems outrageous to me.


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

Get real? You got it. @ 35 MPH a modern automobile will sustain considerable cosmetic damage as the kinetic energy passes the 15 MPH threshold of safety bumpers. The airbags will deploy via a propellant powder charge as a combination of shoulder/lapbelts, head restraints, collapsing steering wheels, padded dashes, further structural features to absorb the impact by controlled compression, safety glass all combine to reduce injury to the occupant(s.) Meanwhile, the cause of all this damage is also undergoing various physical changes. The body will suffer blunt trauma via hydrostatic shock on a massive scale to soft tissues. Internal organs will literally be shoved out of place and shape like a water filled balloon. Bones will break and shatter, often sending shards like so much shrapnel tearing into arteries, nerves and additional soft tissue. There can even be traumatic amputation to the head, limbs, breasts and male genitalia. Or, the cause of our vehicle body damage can be lucky with only brain trauma from the concussion, breaking of the spinal cord or just severe maxio facial injuries if they flip onto the hood and windshield. All this, because somebody who will gain at best a few seconds in elapsed travel time for the loss of reaction time to physically avoid or brake for the object of impact is more familiar with the CD changer than the mechanics of driving. I was walking home, June 1971 just a few days before High School graduation. A driver going 40 MPH in the nieghborhood 25 MPH zone swerved to avoid a dog , killed my friend Glen Andrews and missed me by inches. The Law Firm Of Johnny Cochran runs ads here in SOCAL, his portrait smiling icon like as a champion of justice. Give them a call ' If nobody splattered, it doesn't matter.'


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

Kav said:


> A driver going 40 MPH in the nieghborhood 25 MPH zone swerved to avoid a dog , killed my friend Glen Andrews and missed me by inches.




That was a shocking and jarring conclusion. I was reading along expecting a 'Kav anecdote' about a hare krishna, a moped, a speed trap and a drunken llama.

I'm sorry for the loss of your friend and near miss, Kav.


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## TheWardrobeGirl (Mar 24, 2008)

ksinc said:


> That was a shocking and jarring conclusion. I was reading along expecting a 'Kav anecdote' about a hare krishna, a moped, a speed trap and a drunken llama.
> 
> I'm sorry for the loss of your friend and near miss, Kav.


Me too


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## agnash (Jul 24, 2006)

*Small town cliche*

I was stopped for speeding in a small town. I later found out it was a notorious speed trap. With the ticket, I was given a letter explaining that if I paid the ticket without contesting, no points would be assessed to my license. The ticket was for doing 50 in a 45 zone. I paid the ticket, and there were no points added to my license, but I suspected that the whole thing was a bit shady, especially when my uncle (a former state trooper) told me that radar guns are not generally accurate enough for a 5 mph speeding ticket to hold up in court.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

Personally, I've never felt the writing of speeding tickets by law enforcement officers has as much to do with public safety as it does with helping them make their quotas and fill department coffers. I'm all for everyone obeying the rule of law and abiding by posted speed limits, but it grates me to no end that the number of speed traps in the Kansas City area seems to grow exponentially when municipalities start feeling budget pressures. It irritates me even further when I hear stories from cops and cops' wives (a few whom I've known or worked with over the years) who say they speed all the time and, when pulled over, mention their profession and get off on the spot.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

"SCREW '******' AND THE US-KKK-A's RACIST SPEED LIMITS! BLACK POWER!!!" :aportnoy:

Sorry, I just came back from a UCoC prayer breakfast. :devil:


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## LoneWolf (Apr 20, 2006)

Laxplayer said:


> Missouri has an odd system for speeding tickets. If you get a speeding ticket, you just go into one of these traffic law center offices and pay the attorney around $75. A few weeks later, the attorney appears in court for you and your speeding charge is changed to a minor offense like a noise violation (non-moving violation). You then have to pay that fine, so your total is something like $150, but it does not show up on your record and your insurance premium is not raised. You could just pay the $75 for the speeding ticket by mailing in a check, but that would appear on your record. I had never heard of such a system until I moved to St. Louis. I have had two speeding tickets taken care of this way.


Apparently NC has something similar. I was back home visiting the fam about 4 years ago and got nailed in what I later learned was a well known speed trap. By the time I returned to California I had a letter from a local (to my hometown) attorney offerring to represent me and guaranteeing that I wouldn't receive any points. IIRC he told me to write "defective speedometer" or something similar on the document that he sent me to sign and return. The cost was about the same, $75 for him and $75 for the fine. No points, however. Over the next few weeks I received at least 3 other solicitations from other local attorneys.

I wouldn't go to the time and aggravation of contesting anything under $100 unless I could prove that the citation was incorrectly issued or I knew that the officer wasn't going to show up in court as well. You have a good record; check with your agent as to how much your premium will increase if you don't take traffic school, and if it's marginal just be careful until you burn off the points. Or, (if you have the option) take online traffic school from the comfort of your home. Put on a movie, do your laundry, etc. and avoid the points.


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## gindrinker22 (Sep 11, 2005)

Court is in a few hours and I still don't know what to do. I am nervous and need help!!!!


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## Laxplayer (Apr 26, 2006)

gindrinker22 said:


> Court is in a few hours and I still don't know what to do. I am nervous and need help!!!!


Relax, it is not like they are going to put you in jail. Worst case: you pay your fine, and your insurance rates go up a bit.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

Laxplayer said:


> Relax, it is not like they are going to put you in jail. Worst case: you pay your fine, and your insurance rates go up a bit.


If you do get thrown in jail, use that free phone call for Rev. Al! :aportnoy:


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## gindrinker22 (Sep 11, 2005)

The most common advice I have been given is to plead no contest and ask for leniency due to a good driving record.


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## Laxplayer (Apr 26, 2006)

gindrinker22 said:


> The most common advice I have been given is to plead no contest and ask for leniency due to a good driving record.


Start yelling Damn the Man! :icon_smile_big:


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## p.o.t.u.s (Feb 28, 2008)

First, hiring an attorney will cost far more than the traffic ticket.

Second, hiring an attorney to contest a dinky traffic ticket is going to piss off the judge.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

p.o.t.u.s said:


> hiring an attorney to contest a dinky traffic ticket is going to piss off the judge.


When I worked for the Federal Government a fellow employee friend of mine got a parking ticket in the Federal parking garage and had to appear in Federal Court. Before going to court he was telling me how the ticket had some errors on it which he considered to be technicalities that would get it thrown out.

Well, he got in Court and the judge ask him to plead. He said "Not guilty", to which the judge told him OK, but that if he was going to present some cock and bull story about some kind of legal technicality, he was going to double his court costs after finding him guilty. To much laughter in the courtroom my friend asked if he could change his plea. :icon_smile_big:

Cruiser


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## TheWardrobeGirl (Mar 24, 2008)

Cruiser said:


> When I worked for the Federal Government a fellow employee friend of mine got a parking ticket in the Federal parking garage and had to appear in Federal Court. Before going to court he was telling me how the ticket had some errors on it which he considered to be technicalities that would get it thrown out.
> 
> Well, he got in Court and the judge ask him to plead. He said "Not guilty", to which the judge told him OK, but that if he was going to present some cock and bull story about some kind of legal technicality, he was going to double his court costs after finding him guilty. To much laughter in the courtroom my friend asked if he could change his plea. :icon_smile_big:
> 
> Cruiser


Ha! That reminds me of a story from about 15 years ago...I was in college and got pulled over for running a stop sign (I LEGITIMATELY did not run it...I would certainly admit it now!)...anyway, I was clueless when the cop pulled me over as to what I did...he told me he saw me from a block away, behind a bush, etc and that I ran the Stop sign...well - I was too scared to say anything at the time, I just took my ticket...well, I got home and was looking it over and under sex it said MALE!! (while nobody here knows what I look like, if you saw me in person you would KNOW I am female)...so I took the ticket to court and said to the judge "I don't know how this officer could see from a block away behind a bush that I ran the stop sign yet a foot in front of me he couldn't tell that I was female"...ticket was tossed out, case dismissed!


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## PedanticTurkey (Jan 26, 2008)

I got ticketed for speeding once. The cop was just completely wrong about what the actual speed limit on the road was, but it turns out that arguing in your own defense just pisses them off more.


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## StickPig (Feb 8, 2008)

p.o.t.u.s said:


> First, hiring an attorney will cost far more than the traffic ticket.
> 
> Second, hiring an attorney to contest a dinky traffic ticket is going to piss off the judge.


I completely disagree. While the fine itself may be outweighed by the cost of the attorney, the 3 years of doubled insurance rates are not.

When I retained an attorney for a bogus ticket, he walked into the judges chambers before court began. A few minutes later he came out, told me to go pay the court fee, and that the ticket never happened. I somehow doubt I could have done so well defending myself. My guess is that the judges would rather hear from someone who speaks their language vs the disjointed arguments they usually hear in traffic court.


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## chatsworth osborne jr. (Feb 2, 2008)

*protect yourself now, not later*

Unless you are demonstrably innocent, you are not going to trial.
The only reason to hire counsel is:
1. It threatens to tie the prosecutor up with a trial, essentially bluffing. Hence, he has incentive to offer a better plea bargain or 'downgrade.'
2. The prosecutor appreciates that you are giving money to his legal brethren, returns the favor.
3. Usually lawyers jump to of the front of the line, while unrepresented dregs wait hours to get their downgrade.

The longer version can be read at


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

TheWardrobeGirl said:


> Ha! That reminds me of a story from about 15 years ago...I was in college and got pulled over for running a stop sign (I LEGITIMATELY did not run it...I would certainly admit it now!)...anyway, I was clueless when the cop pulled me over as to what I did...he told me he saw me from a block away, behind a bush, etc and that I ran the Stop sign...well - I was too scared to say anything at the time, I just took my ticket...well, I got home and was looking it over and under sex it said MALE!! (while nobody here knows what I look like, if you saw me in person you would KNOW I am female)...so I took the ticket to court and said to the judge "I don't know how this officer could see from a block away behind a bush that I ran the stop sign yet a foot in front of me he couldn't tell that I was female"...ticket was tossed out, case dismissed!


Take that officer!

I got pulled over for doing 49 in a 25. I don't know if I was doing 49, but probably in the 40's. So, he pulls me over and lots of yes sir's, etc. I then plead not guilty (after admitting to the officer I was speeding). There were issues with getting the court date right, but finally I get a date to talk to the DA. I show up in my Class A's. Everything shining and aligned to within 1/32" (smallest the ruler I had went).

So I get there, and the guy in front of me had been pulled over for something like reckless driving one morning. Well, he was less than 21, and had a BAC not equal to 0 - he had been drinking the night before. He also had open alcohol containers, etc. So he's lying through his teeth and staring at the ground, changing his story, etc. So, I get up there, talk to the DA, and I was like, "Look, I was speeding. I admitted it then, and I'll admit it now. Besides the officer has no reason to lie about it. So, I am just here asking for some leniency - I don't think I was going quite that fast."

He tells me, "Sure, we'll make it 10 over 4 points instead of 6." And I said, "Sir, before I got here the DMV told me license was suspended because the points were doubled, so I am worried with 4 it will actually be 8 and I'll lose my license."

He said, "Well, just for you, 9 over 3 points."

I quickly replied, "Deal!" Before he could change his mind. Had to talk to the judge to confirm it and everything. Got a compliment on my expert badges and my meticulousness in dressing, and I got my license back.

It was also probably the cheapest ticket I have ever heard of ~$100, while I know people who have payed more than $200 for getting pulled over doing 9 over.


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## baloogafish (Oct 4, 2007)

Defensive Driving - you don't want to have to pay for the increase in insurance that will result since the ticket is on your record.

DD is a huge pain in the A! You could always show up for court and hope the other party doesn't show.


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## gnatty8 (Nov 7, 2006)

I got 2 speeding tickets from the tribal police while passing through an indian reservation in upstate NY, both in the same week, and both for going less then 5 miles over the speed limit. Sweet.

Only other one was Harris County, TX, and I mentioned that one above, a freebie as it were.


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## baloogafish (Oct 4, 2007)

gnatty8 said:


> I got 2 speeding tickets from the tribal police while passing through an indian reservation in upstate NY, both in the same week, and both for going less then 5 miles over the speed limit. Sweet.
> 
> Only other one was Harris County, TX, and I mentioned that one above, a freebie as it were.


That sounds terrible - I imagine you were having a bad week?

How did you take care of the 2 in the Indian Reservation? I know a couple of gents who might've let the tickets be and take the warrants in the reservation.


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## obiwan (Feb 2, 2007)

TMMKC said:


> Personally, I've never felt the writing of speeding tickets by law enforcement officers has as much to do with public safety as it does with helping them make their quotas and fill department coffers. I'm all for everyone obeying the rule of law and abiding by posted speed limits, but it grates me to no end that the number of speed traps in the Kansas City area seems to grow exponentially when municipalities start feeling budget pressures. It irritates me even further when I hear stories from cops and cops' wives (a few whom I've known or worked with over the years) who say they speed all the time and, when pulled over, mention their profession and get off on the spot.


Quotas are illegal and the departments (California at least) receive a portion of all citation fines collected. But those fines are distributed too many different government agencies.

Now if you are a traffic officer, who's singular job is to enforce traffic laws and you are not issuing citations, your Sgt. will be on your back side for lack of performance and chances are, you'll be transferred out of the traffic department.

Professional courtesy, it's extended for the most part to prevent inter agency issues or foster better relations. While I was working at the police department, our Chief at the time was cited by a CHP officer for rolling a stop sign.

You can only imagine the $hit storm that started.

So yes you can get a break for being in the business but then again, you can also get a lecture from the officer pulling you over or worse, he'll call your office and your supervisor gets wind of it and then your in the dog house.


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## PedanticTurkey (Jan 26, 2008)

I have heard of a small town on the route to a local university that has one stop sign that is heavily policed.

In the courtroom, behind the judge, is a sign that says, "If your wheels haven't stopped rolling, then you are not stopped."

Heh.


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## TheWardrobeGirl (Mar 24, 2008)

So what happened?? Or should we assume since we haven't heard from you that you got tossed in The Clink??!


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## StickPig (Feb 8, 2008)

PedanticTurkey said:


> I have heard of a small town on the route to a local university that has one stop sign that is heavily policed.
> 
> In the courtroom, behind the judge, is a sign that says, "If your wheels haven't stopped rolling, then you are not stopped."
> 
> Heh.


I can picture a defense like this being offered...

"No your honor, really, the spinners on my rims just made it look like I was still rolling!"


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## gindrinker22 (Sep 11, 2005)

I waited for 90 minutes and my case was not called yet. I was starting to think my cop would not show up. A few minutes later he showed up and said anybody who had a ticket from him and wanted to deal could go talk to him in the hallway. A group of about 30 of us got up. He asked me what I wanted to do and said if he could lower the MPH a few I would be happy. He said he would change it to impeding traffic which is a$135 fine and no points. I was happy. He had a lot of people there and there was no way he was missing court that day.


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

Good deal. I'm glad it worked out.


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

Just out of curiousity, Jack, what would you do (as an attorney yourself) and what would you suggest a layman do when they get a ticket.

(You may not be the best attorney to ask, though. Somehow, I just can't see you being an aggressive driver who gets many speeding tickets. You may not have much experience.)


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

You're right, I don't drive like a maniac, although I will sometimes comment to my wife that my arrival by a particular time will require me to do so. I generally set my cruise control to about 10 over and no problem. The last time I was stopped for speeding was about 15 years ago, and I got a warning.

Still, I posted some ideas in post # 21 in this thread. Even if you are aware of how fast you were going, sometimes there are defenses to the speeding charge, and I think it's worth investigating them. I also think it's worth showing up, because you never know what might prevent the charging officer from appearing, and you might be able to cut a deal.

I've also been in situations when, even though I thought we (my wife, in this case) were in the right, I just paid up to avoid the hassle.

By the way, speaking of investigating the defenses, when I lived in Michigan a friend and colleague of mine got a ticket in Lansing for "improper lane usage." We could never find the legal basis for the charge, but it seemed to relate to changing lanes while going through an intersection. Have you ever heard of such a thing? I think he just paid it.


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

I haven't, but other than one drunk driving situation (over 20 years ago and never repeated), I have only had speeding tickets. I'm not sure what the improper lane usage would be.

I know I probably don't use a lane properly in the morning, when I make a left turn to get to work and use the left turn lane to get my car part of the way into traffic so I can get onto the busy street. That may be a violation.


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## Laxplayer (Apr 26, 2006)

forsbergacct2000 said:


> I haven't, but other than one drunk driving situation (over 20 years ago and never repeated), I have only had speeding tickets. I'm not sure what the improper lane usage would be.
> 
> *I know I probably don't use a lane properly in the morning, when I make a left turn to get to work and use the left turn lane to get my car part of the way into traffic so I can get onto the busy street. That may be a violation*.


I hope not; I do that everyday.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

gindrinker22 said:


> I waited for 90 minutes and my case was not called yet. I was starting to think my cop would not show up.


In my city you are required to notify the court well in advance of your hearing of your plea. If you fail to do so you cannot plead not guilty at your hearing. I suppose that this keeps folks from pleading not guilty when they see that the officer is not in the court room. And if you enter an advance plea of not guilty you get stuck with higher court costs if you are found guilty. There is little reason to gamble with a not guilty plea if you are indeed guilty.

Knowing this I saw no reason to enter a plea of not guilty to speeding and I show up in court hoping to be sent to driving school instead of being fined and having points on my record. As it turned out the officer who wrote my ticket was a Marine Reservist who was called to active duty just a few days prior to my hearing. Everyone whom he had ticketed and who had plead not guilty was told they could leave. The rest of us were then found guilty of our offenses. Luckily for me I did get another go at school

Cruiser


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## Beachcomber (Apr 6, 2008)

I just went to court in Maryland and the cop didn't show so I walked. Almost everyone who bothered to show up got their points reduced.


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