rbeggs

I don't really think that statement is all inclusive. I've been pissed but have never argued about a legitimate ticket when I've "transgressed". I take responsibility. It's the inflated speed or questionable circumstance citation that I would take issue with. Taking issue with a citation that is in error or unreasonable is not mockery, it is, in fact, responsible ciizenship.

RB

Fred's 964

Goofballdeluxe, I'm in Florida. My daughter got a ticket for speeding, went to traffic school, and her insurance company raised her rates $300 per year. I called them to send them proof that she took the school and was told the school erases the points on her license but the ticket still counts against her insurance. Could the law you mentioned differ in some states?

2ndof2

Rick: $3000 tickets for speeding???? For going 200mph or what??? Thats insanely expensive if you aren't exaggerating.

Rick Lee

$3000 is what it can cost you for going 20 mph over the limit or over 80 mph in a 65 zone. It's been a huge controversy here and is being challenged in many courts. New fines don't apply to non-VA residents. Oh, and the legislator who sponsored the bill is a traffic defense lawyer. Big surprise.

95 C4 993

Cops can search my car all they want. Im smart enough to keep my stash at home!!

"Excuse me, whats that smell?" "Sorry Officer, I just hit a skunk".

Rick Lee

BTW, yesterday while driving on the hwy. in a 55 mph zone, keeping the 993 under 60 mph and 3000 rpms to reset my readiness codes for 15 long minutes, I posed the greatest danger on the whole road, but was the ONLY car even close to obeying the speed limit. I have NO respect for speed limits anymore. Today the State Police had an HOV violator checkpoint set up and had a lot of cars pulled over. Of course, the resulting traffic backup completely defeated the purpose of even having HOV lanes. But the state has to steal their money somehow.

goofballdeluxe

Fred's 964, I don't really know the different laws, state to state. Here in California, the first time you get ticketed and go to traffic school, it goes on your record, but not your public record, which is what insurance companies can look at. If you get ticketed again within 18 months, you can ask for traffic school again, but you will do 12-hours, if they grant it. That second ticket, and any others you get in the next 18 months, would go on your public record that insurance companies can see, but it will be classified as a dismissal via traffic school, not a conviction. As I said earlier, you can go to traffic school 10 times, and have 10 dismissals on your record, if the court will allow it. The thing is, here in California, the law says insurance companies CANNOT raise your rates for dismissals, however many you may have.. They can only raise rates for convictions. Again, it may vary state to state, but I would find out. That one phone call could save you many dollars over the years. Good luck.

red95993

Goofball, my question is how can you go to traffic school in California 10 times in 18 months? The information I received from the court (my last ticket was over two years ago and just got this one last month) stated I cannot attend traffic school if I had attended traffic school in the last 18 months...they made me sign a paper that states I have not attended traffic school in the last 18 months.

I am curious how this works....thanks!

goofballdeluxe

red95993, you can go to traffic school 500 times in 18 months, if the court allows it. They tell you that you can only go once every 18 months. But there's a dirty little secret called "judge's discretion". Basically, the judge decides how often you can go, not the "system". The catch is, the first time you do traffic school, it's called "8 hour" traffic school, and you can do it online. Any subsequent traffic school the court allows after that would be "12 hours" and you must attend a 12 hour class, no online allowed. Usually, judges will allow you to go a second time. But often, especially if you get your tickets close together time-wise, or in different cities, they don't really know how exactly when you've been. Also, most people just don't bother to ask the judge for traffic school a second or subsequent time. If you have been to traffic school and get another ticket, fight it via TBWD. If you lose, appeal it and ask for a new trial (trial de novo). If the cop shows for that trial, you are probably sunk if you have no defense. But ASK THE JUDGE for 12-hour traffic school. Often if it's just a rolling stop sign, or even make a crack about auto insurance rates on your Porsche being the size of Bill Gates bank account, you may get a judge that feels generous and lenient. You have nothing to lose by asking. Finally, if you can only go to traffic school once in 18 months, why have i been twice in the last year? No BS.

goofballdeluxe

red95993, you can go to traffic school 500 times in 18 months, if the court allows it. They tell you that you can only go once every 18 months. But there's a dirty little secret called "judge's discretion". Basically, the judge decides how often you can go, not the "system". The catch is, the first time you do traffic school, it's called "8 hour" traffic school, and you can do it online. Any subsequent traffic school the court allows after that would be "12 hours" and you must attend a 12 hour class, no online allowed. Usually, judges will allow you to go a second time. But often, especially if you get your tickets close together time-wise, or in different cities, they don't really know how exactly when you've been. Also, most people just don't bother to ask the judge for traffic school a second or subsequent time. If you have been to traffic school and get another ticket, fight it via TBWD. If you lose, appeal it and ask for a new trial (trial de novo). If the cop shows for that trial, you are probably sunk if you have no defense. But ASK THE JUDGE for 12-hour traffic school. Often if it's just a rolling stop sign ticket, or if you make a crack about auto insurance rates on your Porsche being the size of Bill Gates bank account, you may get a judge that feels generous and lenient. You have nothing to lose by asking. Finally, if you can only go to traffic school once in 18 months, why have i been twice in the last year? No BS.

goofballdeluxe

Again, I'm in Los Angeles. The traffic school rules may vary state to state.

jimhsu

In WA state, someone asked about Port Townsend above....

Check the box that says you want to fight the ticket AND request that you want the officer present when you show up at a Magistrate pre-meeting. The officer does not show up 25% of the time. You walk out a free man.

By the way, has anyone been given a hard time if you were ticketed and you had a detector on the windshield?

red95993

goofball, thanks for the answer.

25 years ago I attended traffic school three times in one year. The tickets were in three different counties and I don't think they checked back then. I was going to college and couldn't afford the insurance hike...but now days I wouldn't even think of it!

A few years back I got two tickets within two months. Both said I was eligible to attend traffic school, but I chickened out and only took one ticket off with traffic school. A few questions....So how do they know when the last time you attended traffic school if the tickets are in different counties? Do the tickets written off by traffic school go to one source or just stay in the county court? What is to stop someone from just signing up for traffic school if they get a speeding ticket every three months?

Thanks!

goofballdeluxe

red95993, to answer your last question first, I think they are starting to get wise to people who figure out how to juke the system. That said, your example of how you got two tickets in two months is a perfect example of how you can perhaps get traffic school twice without any problem. In your case, I would've just requested traffic school for both tickets. Since you were eligible for traffic school, the massive city bureaucracy may just not catch it and allow both, especially if you timed it so both requests were made within a short period of time. And if they do catch one, then fight via TBWD, then court, and if all else fails, ask the judge for 12 hour traffic school for the second one. At least you have several outs before the hangman. To beat a dead horse, JUST ASK. You've nothing to lose and you could save lots.

red95993

Goofball, Thanks for the answers!