Speeding ticket advice (long and in 3 separate parts)
02-25-2003, 02:26 PM
#32
Track Day
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great information Pete, thanks.
The "trial by mail" is especially an important aspect to use as it gives you another chance. In some states you can ask for probation. While you still pay the fine, and possibly court fees, it prevents the ticket from going on your record. Many states do it differently, but usually if you stay clean for 3-6 months then the ticket is excused. I have had to juggle tickets in one state (extend out the trial date) to avoid the mark on my record during the probation time. All in all, of the 12(or more) tickets I have racked up in the past 10 years, I am getting my first one on my record as I write this (NY doesn't care much for probationary tracks). Many cities like Dallas and Miami, the easiest route is to have a lawyer fight it for you. For anywhere from $50 to $100 bucks, a traffic ticket lawyer can keep it off your record and usually reduce the actual fine so that even including their fee, you come out about the same.
Guess I should wear lighter shoes or get that damn cruise control fixed though.
The "trial by mail" is especially an important aspect to use as it gives you another chance. In some states you can ask for probation. While you still pay the fine, and possibly court fees, it prevents the ticket from going on your record. Many states do it differently, but usually if you stay clean for 3-6 months then the ticket is excused. I have had to juggle tickets in one state (extend out the trial date) to avoid the mark on my record during the probation time. All in all, of the 12(or more) tickets I have racked up in the past 10 years, I am getting my first one on my record as I write this (NY doesn't care much for probationary tracks). Many cities like Dallas and Miami, the easiest route is to have a lawyer fight it for you. For anywhere from $50 to $100 bucks, a traffic ticket lawyer can keep it off your record and usually reduce the actual fine so that even including their fee, you come out about the same.
Guess I should wear lighter shoes or get that damn cruise control fixed though.
02-25-2003, 05:25 PM
#33
Pro
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Redondo Beach, CA
Posts: 587
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by GTR 993:
<strong>Peter how about being paced. I got a ticket and the officer paced me. 65 in a 45. It was at night and his lights were off until he decided to pull me over and then he turned his driving lights on and his patrol lights.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">GTR, ask your lawyer if the law allows any room for "circumstances" in this situation? Claim that, you spotted a car following you without lights, you feared you were being followed for a potential car jacking so sped up. Or, go the other route and say you sped up, trying to make so ground so you could pull over and indicate they had no lights on?
Or you could really go for it and tell them they are lucky you don't hit them with a law suit for almost causing you a heart attack with this car following you without lights. Excuse my non-technical / law backed response but I think the whole notion of the patrolman following without lights is insane! Stand up and say "I can't beleive you would endanger other people lives for the sake of revenue, what is this country coming to!!".
Cheers,
Dylan.
<strong>Peter how about being paced. I got a ticket and the officer paced me. 65 in a 45. It was at night and his lights were off until he decided to pull me over and then he turned his driving lights on and his patrol lights.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">GTR, ask your lawyer if the law allows any room for "circumstances" in this situation? Claim that, you spotted a car following you without lights, you feared you were being followed for a potential car jacking so sped up. Or, go the other route and say you sped up, trying to make so ground so you could pull over and indicate they had no lights on?
Or you could really go for it and tell them they are lucky you don't hit them with a law suit for almost causing you a heart attack with this car following you without lights. Excuse my non-technical / law backed response but I think the whole notion of the patrolman following without lights is insane! Stand up and say "I can't beleive you would endanger other people lives for the sake of revenue, what is this country coming to!!".Cheers,
Dylan.
02-26-2003, 12:42 AM
#34
Race Director
Thread Starter
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by PeanutinCA:
<strong>[QUOTE] Excuse my non-technical / law backed response but I think the whole notion of the patrolman following without lights is insane! Stand up and say "I can't beleive you would endanger other people lives for the sake of revenue, what is this country coming to!!".
Cheers,
Dylan.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Unfortunately, the cop is not on trial, you are. If anything, it can hurt your case because you implant in the judge's mind that your case is based on a cop's behavior, and when he decides it doesn't matter then he just decided against you.
Last year I was heading down to Laguna Seca on my motorcycle. The traffic came to a stop and I was behind a large truck and couldn't see ahead. A roadside fruit stand was just a few car lengths up the road so I decided to pull in for some coffee and wait it out. As I pulled out from behind the truck I saw that the problem was an accident just ahead, with a cop directing traffic around it. So I pulled back into traffic a few car lengths ahead of where I was. The cop saw me and started waving me over to the side. So I pulled back into that parking lot, and the cop ABANDONED the scene of the accident where he was the ONLY cop directing traffic, and came over and wrote me a ticket for crossing the white line! I mean, hello, priorities?!?
The good news is I won the case by written declaration as he was transferred soon afterwards and didn't file his case.
<strong>[QUOTE] Excuse my non-technical / law backed response but I think the whole notion of the patrolman following without lights is insane! Stand up and say "I can't beleive you would endanger other people lives for the sake of revenue, what is this country coming to!!".
Cheers,
Dylan.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Unfortunately, the cop is not on trial, you are. If anything, it can hurt your case because you implant in the judge's mind that your case is based on a cop's behavior, and when he decides it doesn't matter then he just decided against you.
Last year I was heading down to Laguna Seca on my motorcycle. The traffic came to a stop and I was behind a large truck and couldn't see ahead. A roadside fruit stand was just a few car lengths up the road so I decided to pull in for some coffee and wait it out. As I pulled out from behind the truck I saw that the problem was an accident just ahead, with a cop directing traffic around it. So I pulled back into traffic a few car lengths ahead of where I was. The cop saw me and started waving me over to the side. So I pulled back into that parking lot, and the cop ABANDONED the scene of the accident where he was the ONLY cop directing traffic, and came over and wrote me a ticket for crossing the white line! I mean, hello, priorities?!?
The good news is I won the case by written declaration as he was transferred soon afterwards and didn't file his case.
