Steve J.

Got a speeding ticket the other night near Hillsboro, TX. State trooper said I was doing 87 in a 65. I don't believe him, but it would be my word against his if I fought it. Since it was less than 25mph over the speed limit, I can get it dismissed and it won't go on my record if I take a driving course. Anyone ever take one of these courses? What was it like and how much did it cost? Hopefully not more than the $183 speeding fine. I had insurance in effect but the card in my wallet had expired. $261 for no insurance - but it will be dismissed by sending proof that my insurance was in effect. Also got a warning for no front license plate.

ErnestSw

Steve,
Ask for deferred adjudication and you won't even have to take the @@%$@^% course.

Steve J.

Good idea Ernie. Do I need an attorney for this?

Mark

In Florida - you can actually take the course from the comfort of your home. You go to Blockuster...rent a DVD or Tape for $40....watch a bit - take an online test...repeat 3 or 4 times.

You MUST watch the video...they have some trick questions about some specific things that you MUST have watched the video to be able to answer! This is how they are sure you took the whole 3-4 hours!

MBMB

Probably not. Small-town justices of the peace and their staffs are generally very friendly and easy to work with. Call the JP's office and talk to the JP's clerk. Ask what you need to do to take deferred adjudication.

Remember that this is a revenue source for the county, and you're engaging in a business transaction.

Wild Bill

Steve,
Sorry to hear about your run in with d' law. Sounds familiar... Just this morning I pulled a bone headed move and passed an unmarked Crown Vic. Had a crotch rocket riding my *** and a cell phone talker in a crew cab doing 60 mph in the fast lane. Zipped around the crew cab in the middle lane with the bike in tow and... Oh, Sh#*!!!

City cop wrote me my first Shark ticket for 20 mph over and an "unsafe" lane change (no signal after the Oh, Sh#*!). Tailgating biker doing the same speed went on his merry way. I guess it was only a matter of time as you cannot drive these cars S L O W L Y!

It's $95.00 just to apply for taking defensive driving, and the fines, if I just paid them, are close to $500 bucks total! Ouch! Was going to buy an Ott x-over, but... this deferred ajudication thing, please explain further.

Regards,
Bill

Randy V

Last time I did on-line traffic school.

Takes about an hour if you use the Ctrl+F cheat.

ErnestSw

Call the clerk at the number on the ticket and ask whether that jurisdiction allows deferred adjudication. If they do you just plead no contest, pay the fine, and if you don't get a ticket in that jurisdiction for 6 months it's done. No lawyer needed.

Ron_H

Okay Randy, I've gotta ask: what ctrl+F cheat function?? PM is fine 'cause this board has some secret eyes and ears.

Randy V

PM me - happy to share. Doubt that I was the first to discover it, but have never seen it mentioned before.

What's this 'secret eyes and ears' business?

heinrich

I think he means cops.

MBMB

Deferred adjudication is a type of probation in which the finding (adjudication) of guilt is put off (deferred). If you successfully complete the probation (say 90 days with no tickets in that JP precinct) the case is dismissed. That's how I take care of most of my tickets. It's only on the really bad ones (101/70, for example, or 85/65 in Virginia) that I take defensive driving.

User 4221

Bill,
Your scenario is identical to mine except insert a Mustang GT in place of the bike and the cop was on the road shoulder....... I got nailed for 85 in a 60. That means deferred adjudication for me.
The kicker is that the mustang was trying to pass me on the right. I think the cop got P-Car fever and never saw the aggressive Mustang. Oh well, the mustang driver probably got a good laugh.


The only upside to drivers course is that the fine is reduced to about $100 and you have to take the course.
The deferred adjudication route costs the full ticket amount and you are on driver's probation for 90 days.

Bill Ball

Most counties allow online traffic schools and provide a list of approved schools. I just did www.trafficschool.com. There is no time restriction. You are presented with a bunch of webpages, then a quiz x 6 different chapters. You can rifle through the webpages to the quiz page and take it cold, leaving the info pages open in another browser window for reference. Take the tests as many times as needed to get to 80%. After you are done they mail in the completion certificate to your court in most counties. About $25 total.

Also, I took the course and tests over at www.trafficschoolonline.com when the previous school was having some server problems. Slightly different material, and they had a "secret word", like the DVD you mentioned, in each chapter. I could never find it. The tests were multiple choice with 3 choices, so I just guessed that till I got it right and then did all the other questions. Without reading I scored passing scores and it took all of 30 minutes, and I'm not bragging.

Although I've enjoyed a few comedy traffic schools and even the former trooper Snerdly schools, the online schools have them all beat. Hurry and take one, if the ticketing county allows it, before they decide the online schools are too easy compared to listening to 6 hours of former trooper Snerdly.

Wild Bill

You know Scott, that is another problem with these cars... Not only are they hard to drive slowly, they draw lots of attention from cops, not to mention other drivers with mischievous intent. I was just doing my usual 70 mph in a posted 65 while following this road hog truck for a couple of miles pacing other traffic doing 60 or so. Then the bike comes up on me and starts doing the left, right, pull up to bumper and back off thing like he is going to make his own lane to pass. Middle lane clears and I jump on it a bit too hard because of being annoyed with both the truck and the bike and BINGO, that's a cop... TOO LATE! I'm sure the biker thought it was hilarious and the cell phone antenna head probably didn't notice a thing.

Believe it or not, this is my first ticket of any kind in a little over 7 years, but not for a lack of trying. I, however, usually exercise a little better judgment in making sure the coast is clear before romping on it. I'll probably just go ahead and do defensive driving, but that only takes care of one of the two citations. Guess I'll pay the lesser of the two, lane change fine.

Kinda suprised at how little it bothered me to get the tickets, although the lane change without a signal thing is more than a bit lame. The way I figure it, it is just part of the expense of owning and enjoying the 928... I've just been lucky in not having to make a payment on that expense in quite some time.

Regards,
Bill