Rolled through a stop sign...
04-24-2007, 03:27 PM
#1
Rolled through a stop sign...
Took a stop sign in 2nd to save wear on the clutch (stupid, I know)...there was a cop standing up the road watching for it, and well...the rest is history. He approached as I was driving by him and waved me over into a parking lot to issue me a $75 ticket.
This post is not to rant about cops, but rather to seek advice on how to proceed. Should I plead guilty and pay the 75 bucks? Will that go on my record and affect insurance?
Or should I go to court (plead not guilty) in hopes they'll just make me pay a fine but avoid the insurance point.
The $75 doesn't matter, I'll pay that...but I want to do what I can to avoid higher insurance rates (aside from the obvious tactic of coming to a COMPLETE stop in the future)
This post is not to rant about cops, but rather to seek advice on how to proceed. Should I plead guilty and pay the 75 bucks? Will that go on my record and affect insurance?
Or should I go to court (plead not guilty) in hopes they'll just make me pay a fine but avoid the insurance point.
The $75 doesn't matter, I'll pay that...but I want to do what I can to avoid higher insurance rates (aside from the obvious tactic of coming to a COMPLETE stop in the future)
04-24-2007, 03:31 PM
#2
I guess it depends on where you are. Here in PA, you will almost always do better going to court. This is especially true if you didn't fight with the cop who gave you the ticket. I suspect the same is true for most jurisdictions.
Stefan
Stefan
04-24-2007, 03:52 PM
#3
Three Wheelin'
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you never no... going to court is a crapshot.... if the cop doesn't show up...... bingo... but if he does.... you're chance of winning is almost zero....
i just went to court for not having my lights on at 8 pm........ and the cop didn't show up... so it was a victory for me... but everyone there who tries to fight it, FORGET ABOUT IT.......
i just went to court for not having my lights on at 8 pm........ and the cop didn't show up... so it was a victory for me... but everyone there who tries to fight it, FORGET ABOUT IT.......
04-24-2007, 03:53 PM
#4
Burning Brakes
go to court and plead GUILTY say that you are sorry and stuff.... if you had a clean record they might forgive you and not give you any points so your insurance will not go up...you would only have to pay the ticket and court fees..
04-24-2007, 04:00 PM
#5
Originally Posted by Porsche_Smile
you never no... going to court is a crapshot....
Assuming that losing gets you the same thing in either case, you should give fighting the ticket a go.
Besides, I'm sure the court would have mercy on a poor Porsche driver
-td
04-24-2007, 04:05 PM
#7
Burning Brakes
I blew past a cop on a deep far away deserted back road a few years ago in a hot rod Carrera 3.2 at conservatively 160 mph. he was parked..snoozing. I pulled off, parked..waited, sat on the front fender and waited for him to catch up. He was very polite not pissed..but ran even my dammn library card..
we chatted about stuff. He wrote me up 7 violations all designed to help me loose my license for at least 1 year!@#$%^
I went to court to plead guilty. He did not show. The judge and his sgt was pissed, tried to find him made me wait till the end of court while they frantically searched. Nope. I got a free pass.
I did the speed limit all the way home.... Go to court.
we chatted about stuff. He wrote me up 7 violations all designed to help me loose my license for at least 1 year!@#$%^I went to court to plead guilty. He did not show. The judge and his sgt was pissed, tried to find him made me wait till the end of court while they frantically searched. Nope.
I got a free pass.I did the speed limit all the way home.... Go to court.
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04-24-2007, 04:08 PM
#8
You cannot do worse than what's on the ticket. The trick is to speak the cop right before the hearing. "Officer, blah blah blah, I'm sorry, I didn't realize blah, blah, blah. Can you drop or reduce the points and just have me pay the fine? PLEEEASE?" The response is usually some kind of compromise. If the answer is no, then you'll probably lose, but at least you'll have tried.
Stefan
Stefan
04-24-2007, 04:21 PM
#10
Rennlist Member
Go to court. Most likely case scenario is that you plead guilty but have the charge changed to a non-moving violation, which means that your insurance company will not get notified.
04-24-2007, 04:52 PM
#11
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I'm an attorney in NY. ALWAYS plead NOT GUILTY. Even if they find you with a bloody knife standing over the body wearing the guys shoes.
In NY plead, NG by mail (save the trip), on the trial date if there is no cop or prosecuting authority it MAY be dismissed. If there is someone there they will almost always reduce the ticket for you to somthing cheaper and less points. That is of course unless you ran over his puppy.
PM me if you have questions.
In NY plead, NG by mail (save the trip), on the trial date if there is no cop or prosecuting authority it MAY be dismissed. If there is someone there they will almost always reduce the ticket for you to somthing cheaper and less points. That is of course unless you ran over his puppy.
PM me if you have questions.
04-24-2007, 05:08 PM
#12
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I'm sorry guys, but I'm always amazed when I read these posts from folks who openly admit they were speeding, ran a stopsign, had an open container, had been drinking, or violated some section of the vehicle code....and come here asking the collective audience for how to beat the rap.
I realize that I'm probably going to get a bunch of hate mail...but the fact remains that you are issued a license as a priviledge to drive...and are expected to obey the various laws that go along with being a responsible driver. When you speed, blow a stop, get ****-faced... or violate whatever section of the vehicle code....it pains me to see everyone jump in and offer suggestions on how to beat the law. If you play, you pay; simple as that. That is not to say that you can't use the constitutional rights afforded to you. To me, your best legitimate opportunity for beating the rap exists when the cop walks up to your car. At that point, he/she has a certain degree of discretion to issue the citation or not, and your demeanor and interaction with him/her is your best shot. That's your chance. After that, unless you have truly been singled out for an unfair reason, or you were subjected to a technological hiccup (equipment not calibrated right or improperly used) you have only one course of action; and that is to show up in court and hope that the Traffic God smiles upon you and the officer doesn't show up.....The rest of this is really just a collection of anecdotal examples of how to beat the system....a system you knowingly violated. Over time I have read all sorts of comments about the F*****G cops, what A$$holes they are etc. Yes, there are cops who are all of that...just as there are drivers who are overly aggressive, impolite, inconsiderate, profane, flat-out dangerous on the road....or, to use the vernacular of the day...drivers who are similarly A$$holes and *********. I know that there will be a litany of "yeah but how about when....." or "I was stopped for nothing but a ...." or "You should have seen what this ******** cop did..." I'm not talking about the instances of abuse of authority, or deliberate singling out of a driver for reasons other than a legitimate violation, or a violation of a driver's constitutional rights.
The Constitution gives you certain rights that you can exercise...due process, right to remain silent, right to post bail, and right to an attorney, right to a speedy trial, right to be taken to a magistrate, and probably more that I can't think of. So...if you end up getting nailed, then those are your rights....and I guess if you want to go into court and fabricate a story or impune your integrity...that's your option...but it's not a constitutional right. You never lose your integrity, you deliberately throw it away. The defenses and constitutional guarantees are set up to protect the innocent...not accomodate the guilty. Most of what I've been reading on how to beat a rap is designed to accomodate the guilty. I think the easiest way to stay out of court, is not put yourself in a postion of having to defend yourself in the first place. Back to the age old adage....If you play, you pay.
I sat here for quite a while wondering if I had the ***** to push the transmit key...almost deleted this post several times...but what the hell. I figure if some of you folks can give your opinions on how to beat a rap, I guess I have just as much "right" to give my take on all this.
I realize that I'm probably going to get a bunch of hate mail...but the fact remains that you are issued a license as a priviledge to drive...and are expected to obey the various laws that go along with being a responsible driver. When you speed, blow a stop, get ****-faced... or violate whatever section of the vehicle code....it pains me to see everyone jump in and offer suggestions on how to beat the law. If you play, you pay; simple as that. That is not to say that you can't use the constitutional rights afforded to you. To me, your best legitimate opportunity for beating the rap exists when the cop walks up to your car. At that point, he/she has a certain degree of discretion to issue the citation or not, and your demeanor and interaction with him/her is your best shot. That's your chance. After that, unless you have truly been singled out for an unfair reason, or you were subjected to a technological hiccup (equipment not calibrated right or improperly used) you have only one course of action; and that is to show up in court and hope that the Traffic God smiles upon you and the officer doesn't show up.....The rest of this is really just a collection of anecdotal examples of how to beat the system....a system you knowingly violated. Over time I have read all sorts of comments about the F*****G cops, what A$$holes they are etc. Yes, there are cops who are all of that...just as there are drivers who are overly aggressive, impolite, inconsiderate, profane, flat-out dangerous on the road....or, to use the vernacular of the day...drivers who are similarly A$$holes and *********. I know that there will be a litany of "yeah but how about when....." or "I was stopped for nothing but a ...." or "You should have seen what this ******** cop did..." I'm not talking about the instances of abuse of authority, or deliberate singling out of a driver for reasons other than a legitimate violation, or a violation of a driver's constitutional rights.
The Constitution gives you certain rights that you can exercise...due process, right to remain silent, right to post bail, and right to an attorney, right to a speedy trial, right to be taken to a magistrate, and probably more that I can't think of. So...if you end up getting nailed, then those are your rights....and I guess if you want to go into court and fabricate a story or impune your integrity...that's your option...but it's not a constitutional right. You never lose your integrity, you deliberately throw it away. The defenses and constitutional guarantees are set up to protect the innocent...not accomodate the guilty. Most of what I've been reading on how to beat a rap is designed to accomodate the guilty. I think the easiest way to stay out of court, is not put yourself in a postion of having to defend yourself in the first place. Back to the age old adage....If you play, you pay.
I sat here for quite a while wondering if I had the ***** to push the transmit key...almost deleted this post several times...but what the hell. I figure if some of you folks can give your opinions on how to beat a rap, I guess I have just as much "right" to give my take on all this.
04-24-2007, 06:08 PM
#14
Three Wheelin'
Be careful before you go to court just to attempt to get your ticket reduced. In Oregon, if you go to court and do not have a valid explanation of why you should not be charged, there is a good chance the judge will actually INCREASE your fine. F'ing rediculous if you ask me!!!
04-24-2007, 06:18 PM
#15
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Originally Posted by Chuck Jones
I'm sorry guys, but I'm always amazed when I read these posts from folks who openly admit they were speeding, ran a stopsign, had an open container, had been drinking, or violated some section of the vehicle code....and come here asking the collective audience for how to beat the rap.
I realize that I'm probably going to get a bunch of hate mail...but the fact remains that you are issued a license as a priviledge to drive...and are expected to obey the various laws that go along with being a responsible driver. When you speed, blow a stop, get ****-faced... or violate whatever section of the vehicle code....it pains me to see everyone jump in and offer suggestions on how to beat the law. If you play, you pay; simple as that. That is not to say that you can't use the constitutional rights afforded to you. To me, your best legitimate opportunity for beating the rap exists when the cop walks up to your car. At that point, he/she has a certain degree of discretion to issue the citation or not, and your demeanor and interaction with him/her is your best shot. That's your chance. After that, unless you have truly been singled out for an unfair reason, or you were subjected to a technological hiccup (equipment not calibrated right or improperly used) you have only one course of action; and that is to show up in court and hope that the Traffic God smiles upon you and the officer doesn't show up.....The rest of this is really just a collection of anecdotal examples of how to beat the system....a system you knowingly violated. Over time I have read all sorts of comments about the F*****G cops, what A$$holes they are etc. Yes, there are cops who are all of that...just as there are drivers who are overly aggressive, impolite, inconsiderate, profane, flat-out dangerous on the road....or, to use the vernacular of the day...drivers who are similarly A$$holes and *********. I know that there will be a litany of "yeah but how about when....." or "I was stopped for nothing but a ...." or "You should have seen what this ******** cop did..." I'm not talking about the instances of abuse of authority, or deliberate singling out of a driver for reasons other than a legitimate violation, or a violation of a driver's constitutional rights.
The Constitution gives you certain rights that you can exercise...due process, right to remain silent, right to post bail, and right to an attorney, right to a speedy trial, right to be taken to a magistrate, and probably more that I can't think of. So...if you end up getting nailed, then those are your rights....and I guess if you want to go into court and fabricate a story or impune your integrity...that's your option...but it's not a constitutional right. You never lose your integrity, you deliberately throw it away. The defenses and constitutional guarantees are set up to protect the innocent...not accomodate the guilty. Most of what I've been reading on how to beat a rap is designed to accomodate the guilty. I think the easiest way to stay out of court, is not put yourself in a postion of having to defend yourself in the first place. Back to the age old adage....If you play, you pay.
I sat here for quite a while wondering if I had the ***** to push the transmit key...almost deleted this post several times...but what the hell. I figure if some of you folks can give your opinions on how to beat a rap, I guess I have just as much "right" to give my take on all this.
I realize that I'm probably going to get a bunch of hate mail...but the fact remains that you are issued a license as a priviledge to drive...and are expected to obey the various laws that go along with being a responsible driver. When you speed, blow a stop, get ****-faced... or violate whatever section of the vehicle code....it pains me to see everyone jump in and offer suggestions on how to beat the law. If you play, you pay; simple as that. That is not to say that you can't use the constitutional rights afforded to you. To me, your best legitimate opportunity for beating the rap exists when the cop walks up to your car. At that point, he/she has a certain degree of discretion to issue the citation or not, and your demeanor and interaction with him/her is your best shot. That's your chance. After that, unless you have truly been singled out for an unfair reason, or you were subjected to a technological hiccup (equipment not calibrated right or improperly used) you have only one course of action; and that is to show up in court and hope that the Traffic God smiles upon you and the officer doesn't show up.....The rest of this is really just a collection of anecdotal examples of how to beat the system....a system you knowingly violated. Over time I have read all sorts of comments about the F*****G cops, what A$$holes they are etc. Yes, there are cops who are all of that...just as there are drivers who are overly aggressive, impolite, inconsiderate, profane, flat-out dangerous on the road....or, to use the vernacular of the day...drivers who are similarly A$$holes and *********. I know that there will be a litany of "yeah but how about when....." or "I was stopped for nothing but a ...." or "You should have seen what this ******** cop did..." I'm not talking about the instances of abuse of authority, or deliberate singling out of a driver for reasons other than a legitimate violation, or a violation of a driver's constitutional rights.
The Constitution gives you certain rights that you can exercise...due process, right to remain silent, right to post bail, and right to an attorney, right to a speedy trial, right to be taken to a magistrate, and probably more that I can't think of. So...if you end up getting nailed, then those are your rights....and I guess if you want to go into court and fabricate a story or impune your integrity...that's your option...but it's not a constitutional right. You never lose your integrity, you deliberately throw it away. The defenses and constitutional guarantees are set up to protect the innocent...not accomodate the guilty. Most of what I've been reading on how to beat a rap is designed to accomodate the guilty. I think the easiest way to stay out of court, is not put yourself in a postion of having to defend yourself in the first place. Back to the age old adage....If you play, you pay.
I sat here for quite a while wondering if I had the ***** to push the transmit key...almost deleted this post several times...but what the hell. I figure if some of you folks can give your opinions on how to beat a rap, I guess I have just as much "right" to give my take on all this.
While I agree with much of what you said, especially the part about the best way to stay out of court and when the cop walks up to the car, there is nothing wrong with the guy asking his "buddies?" for a little advice. No one is advocating lying to get out of a ticket. We all know that cops are "just doing their job." They get up in the morning and go to work like the rest of us. In fact they probably aren't posting here while at work! But, the fact remains you are NOT GUILTY until they PROVE you guilty. Notice, I didn't say you were INNOCENT just not guilty.
Sometimes I find myself clockwise of the speed limit. If I get caught I ask for a warning. If I get a ticket, I ask again at court for some type of reduction. I have yet to have a "trial" on the facts. They always plea it down. Nothing wrong/immoral with that.
No "hate mail" here just wanted to say my peace. Be well guys.