CaptainGSR

Well, I had it coming. I had a clean record for 13 years....

I guess I got off easy: 44mph in a 35mph zone on Palos Verdes Drive East + a Fix-It Ticket for the missing front license plate.

Then, I get home and my DD Integra won't start anymore:-(

Can anybody give me a rough estimate of the cost of the first ticket? I could not find any info online, it varies from county to county. It is the South Bay Superior Court.

Cheers,

Boosted330

well, you did better than me! it took me about 10 weeks after passing my road test for a 73 in a 45.

it shouldnt be bad, its only 9mph over. here in NY you would plea not guilty and they would most likely dismiss it completely. im not sure how cali works

CaptainGSR

I just don't have a clue as to how much it will cost. Depending on the price, I might just pay it and complete Traffic School.

jimhsu

why not contest it and make sure your request that the officer present himself for the hearing?

25-50% of the time they don't show. And if they don't, your ticket never happened.

And if they do, unless you behave poorly, you will most likely get your fine reduced.

I have never had a speeding ticket until 2 years ago when I was accused of driving 51 in a 35 miles zone. The officer staked out at the sign where the speed went from 35 to 40 so he could nail everyone within the 35 zone. I looked at his report which was full of impossibilities if you really break down what he had said on it:

he described at what point he spotted me, how he picked me out of a crowd, aimed his radar on me, pulled the trigger, and got a reading. ALL IN 0.5 seconds. (Yeah....RIGHT.)

I point this out to show you that if you contest the ticket you also will get to see a copy of his report. And the info can be full of holes for you to tear the report apart.

You have very little to lose by contesting it: if you can afford to spend a little time. YOu do not need an attorney to do your job for you. The day I showed up for court, no one brought an attorney. It will most likely pay off, and may pay off huge if you get the ticket dismissed.

2Many Cars

Maybe I'm old fashioned but if you were speeding just pay the fine, go to traffic school and move on. It's been a few years since I got a ticket but IIRC the fine was about $150 and I did traffic school on line for about $50. Once the traffic school is done your record is clean...as if it never happened. Just remember you can only do traffic school option once every three years.

goofballdeluxe

Actually here in Southern California, you can get traffic school every 18 months, not three years.

One could afford to be old-fashioned about tickets when the fines were set at old-fashioned rates. Now, the fines are outrageous as tickets have moved from enforcement of safety to revenue enhancement for local municipalities. Always contest the ticket. There is a small chance the officer will not show. If he doesn't you win.

The first offense can usually be satisfied by completing an 8-hour traffic school, which many jurisdictions will let you do on-line, which I highly recommend. You can do the course on your computer at home in about 2 hours.

trojanman

got radar detector?

gonzilla

44 in a 35? Pretty lame ticket. It shouldn't be much. Just pay it and do an online traffic school. Where in Redondo are you??? I'm around 190th and Inglewood.

Kika

I am in South Torrance, up the hill from South High. I can see the football field from our upstairs balcony.

2Many Cars

You're right....I stand corrected, it is 18 months. I think that's the state law.

hn

It's useless with laser. Just got one, in 23 yrs, 60/45 in Fullerton. $258 including traffic school fee.

993_Pilot

I cant say anything for sure about LA or Seattle, but most courts don't work like that any more. Most departments schedule court dates for officers. If you plead "not guilty", your court date will be set for a date that matches the officers assigned court schedule. The officer usually writes this on the narrative portion of the ticket, which the judge will see, but isn't on your copy. If the officer has to be elsewhere for some reason, the clerk will often call and re-schedule your court date. If you do decide to plead "not guilty", make sure you request a copy of the officers narrative before you go back. If I were in your shoes, I would plead "no contest" and request traffic school. You can get it done on line, and it keeps your record clean. GL

trojanman

Didn't see that he got hit with lidar... is that what it was Captain?

hn

I was just saying it in general as not to rely on radar detectors.

dcdude

Courtesy of the "Lomita Sheriff." I got popped on PV South a couple years back on the way to Pedro to feed my mother in law's dog. So much for favors.

One time I had the idea that I could get "special permission" to take traffic school twice in an 18 month window. Sure you can "take it." Doesn't mean the point goes away. So keep accurate records. I also got popped on the only plance on Lincoln where you could possibly speed at rush hour: southbound, the lefthand sweeper with LAX on the right. Chicken-s motor cop out of no where. Classic, perfect speed trap. God forbid anybody get where they're going between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m.

This was July '07, so I need to be a good boy 'till Feb. '09. Makes driving a 993 a relaxing pleasure

BTW- see Kika's thread on the MA Shaw splitters and let's get together (to commiserate?)