Don C

My son was just cited for "speed in excess of 100 mph". He swears he was doing just over 90, and had a friend in the car who agrees (of course!). My son is 19 years old, and on the ticket it looks like it says 21. This was in Calif, CHP, and the guy said he was using radar.

Given that I've never had a speeding ticket I'm not quite sure how to handle this. If he is nailed with this, what will it mean, and how can he fight this?

I assume that this is a big deal, so ANY ideas appreciated. He has until June 29 to resolve this.

Air Kuul TT

Don,

Was it in your 993?

Don C

er, a Honda Civic. Way off post I know...

Don C

just talked to my son again. The CHP officer said he was clocking him for 5 - 6 miles. However, just before he was pulled over my son said a 996 blew by him like he was standing still.

If we will need to get an attorney for this, it was in the Sacramento area. Any suggestions welcome.

Texas993

I am not in CA, but I got a ticket for going 89 in a 65. Oops.

I got a lawyer, wrote a big check, and he negotiated with the prosecutor. I got off completely. My record was completely clean, then and now!

Definitely get a lawyer.

Scott 1996 993c2

Don -

Did they cite him for reckless driving too, or just speeding? If only for speeding, may just mean a fat fine and/or traffic school (who knows what your insurance agent / company will do? ). I recall getting many a speeding ticket in CA from age 16 to about 25, most of which were for 80+ mph (highest @ 110+ mph -- on the freeway, late at night, in a Ferrari) I mostly recall paying some LARGE fines.

Scott

97Targa

I'm pretty sure that traffic school in not a option given the speed. When I got a ticket for 85+ a few years back it wasn't.

Revvin_911S

In CA if you are doing 20mph or more over the speed limit it is automatically considered reckless driving. Besides probably 2 points on his record (insurance) there will be a BIG fine, most likely suspended or revoked license, and possibly community service. Sometimes if you offer up more community service they will wave a point. Its probably worth at least talking to a lawyer to get some professional advice.

90-100 sounds like alot, but people in Sacramento drive damn fast. Everytime I go there, or through there people blow past me on the freeway when Im doing 80. 90mph can be barely above average traffic speed somtimes. Not that that would hold up in court.

ZAMIRZ

Don, it sounds like your son is lying to you (996 blew by him like he was standing still? Wouldn't that mean he blew by the cop too? That makes sense...).

Anyway, in CA that's considered misdemeanor reckless driving, 2 points on your record. If you want to teach him a lesson, let him take the complete fall, if not then get an attorney and try to get it dropped down to a speeding infraction and send him to traffic school.

mooty

over 100, 2pt for SURE. it will stay on his record for 5 years, if not 7 (can't remember). these tix will jack up his insurance to an amount you would not believe. without a lawyer, he has no hope. with a lawyer, he may plead with prosecutor to maybe a 1 pointer and traffic school plus fine, but will not show up on driving record. for a tix like this, we are talking about $5k minimum in legal fees plus fines etc.

PK

Don,
There maybe still hope....
I don't know if things (traffic laws) have changed in the past few years? But 4 years ago I got pulled over by a CHP on I-5 near Whittier doing 100+ in the 65 zone. CHP wrote me up as doing 95MPH since it was my first offense in CA. Paid $300 in court fine and went to traffic school. No points, No records.
Lesson learned: Bought a V-1 the week after.

STLPCA

Don
1. Get a "connected" local lawyer.
2. At your son's age, the greatest penalty of a conviction will likely be the bump in his (already high) insurance premiums.
3. It's not a defense that he was only going 90ish, not 100+.
4. It's not a defense that a "996 blew by him."
5. It's not a defense if his age was erroneously listed.
6. IMO, whatever the outcome, make sure there is a meaningful consequence for your son. A 19 yr old driving w/a friend at 90+ on a public road is a heartbeat away from causing unthinkable grief for at least 2 families. As a father I'd be more worried about that than "beating" the ticket.

Don C

Dan,

I TOTALLY agree with all of your comments. Believe me, he will feel this. The danger he caused to others was the first thing I talked to him about.

Don

LeeR

I agree with Dan. This is very serious. Get a local lawyer with traffic expertise. Not something to try and work out yourself.

I know someone who got a ticket for 100 when they were in college, near Chowchilla, CA., driving from USC to Stanford to see a football game (OJ was playing for USC at the time, so that gives you some idea when it was.) The driver's dad's LA lawyer found a lawyer in the local area who was on the same bowling team with the Muni Court Judge, and the driver got off easily. Without that, the driver would have had to serve jail time in Chowchilla.

hatchback

If you want to help your son avoid the consequences of his actions, then hire a local lawyer who knows the judge. The best way to do this is to go to the traffic court before you are due to appear, see who wins their cases in front of the judge, and hire them. On the other hand, you might be concerned about the long term consequences of gaming the legal system to get out of a well-deserved speeding ticket. What would your son learn from this? As a father, I would be inclined to let my son eat the ticket, even if it meant loosing his license, so that he would understand that breaking the law has serious consequences. It's a tricky issue, with arguments to be made on both sides.