If you fought a speeding ticket in court....

[DisneyBamaFan]

I did not say drive way under the limit but norm there are min/ max speeds I try to stay under the max speed and if I do not and I am caught I would pay the fine.When someone who KNOWS they are guilty fights a ticket in court the LEO has to go to court (even on their day off) and being married to a LEO I know how it feels when my dh has to go to court on his day off because someone who is guilty of the traffic violation fights it....if they are guilty the judge here still makes them pay the whole fine.
I can not tell you how many times my dh has had to miss a family outing to go to traffic court.

I have not received a ticket since the 1988 incident, but if I did, I would try to get the charges reduced.

We all have jobs to do. I don't blame others for my weekend work...

 

[N.Bailey]

I don't think any of the US states requires an officer to show the radar to the person, even if they ask nicely and say please. It's a safety issue. Besides, the officer is trained to gauge speed visually. The radar is just to verify his visual determination of your speed.

I think it's a state issue and thus don't think it can be generalized that nowhere in the US, yada, yada, yada...

In my state however (Pennsylvania), the police do not have to show you the radar equipment, but many will if you ask to see it. If you ask and they refuse, apologize and let it be known you were just asking, not demanding. Getting rude with LE is one of the worst things you can possibly do. They can truly be your best friend or your worst enemy (for the most part there are always exceptions).

I've got LOTS of experience dealing with this type of crap (all on the account of my wonderful son). When he totaled his car, he crossed a bridge and failed to stop at a stop sign (this was the first charge - failure to stop at a stop sign). In his defense, I can say that the stop sign was in a horrible location and my son did not see it. He'd just crossed an old bridge (only 1 of 2 that are still in our entire state and after his accident, the borough announced they were building a new one because too many accidents have taken place on the dinosaur - my choice of words there). I will say however that just prior to crossing the bridge, it is clearly marked that there is stop sign ahead. Another infraction was, he had more passengers in the car than seat belts and no one was buckled in. They charged him with failure to wear the seat belt, but left him slide on the rest because the officer felt those kids are somewhat responsible themselves (he cut my kid a break). They also got him for driving too fast for conditions. This is a routine violation anytime someone is involved in an accident, even if it's snowing and/or you hit a spot of ice.

He accepted that he was guilty and paid the fines for all of the above.

He then however was charged with reckless driving. I think that comes with 4 points in our state, and it truly was the worst offense he was charged with. He pleaded not guilty to this one. Now, in PA, law enforcement must charge reckless driving when one is going X amount of miles over the speed limit. That didn't apply here, so it wasn't an automatic charge. That however doesn't mean it can't be charged, it only means it's not an automatic violation. Reading the statutes of it, I didn't believe my son was guilty. He would have had to knowingly put others in harm's way. He wasn't even speeding, he just failed to stop at the stop sign, so I thought that charge could be fought. So, he fought that part of it and ended up winning. Well, he didn't even fight it really. The officer was at the hearing and he acknowledged that my son owned up to the rest of the charges and that he paid the fines (and we made him pay them himself). He told the judge that he didn't feel my son was guilty of the reckless driving charge, so it was dismissed.

So I know you can win at times, but I really think it's a waste of time and/or money to try and fight a charge that you really are guilty of. If you can do it and get away with it, hey, more power to you. You run the risk of it costing more if you don't get a sympathetic judge though.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

I fought a speeding ticket and paid more than I would have had to pay fine wise but they changed the ticket to unsafe driving which had no points. In the long run no points and a larger fine is by far better than points and a smaller one time fine.

 

[creativeamanda]

I've fought one ticket. I was going 75 in a 55. When I went to court, I actually plead to "improper motor vehicle usage". The ticket for speeding was dropped with that plea. That particular plea had no fine other than court costs.

I have not had a speeding ticket since.

 

[MM27]

I got my first ever ticket a few months ago. The officer that stopped me TOLD me to go to court and talk to the prosecutor so that I could change the charge to something without points. Why? Because then the town makes more money.

My $90 ticket and 2 points turned into almost $400 and 0 points. Why does it matter? Because New Jersey has one of the highest insurance rates in the country. I'd rather pay out of pocket once than get hit with higher insurance rates for years to come.
There was no lie involved. The judge changed my ticket to reckless driving which is a zero point violation. I admit I was speeding and I was given a fine which I paid without complaining.

 

[Nancyg56]

I paid the full amount but that was after I was offered a 1/2 price deal. I did not want a ticket on my license so I was able to pay the full amount to a charity. I was happy to do that. I paid the money to Lifestar to buy a helmet for children.

 

[luvsJack]

Younger ds has, unfortunately gotten a few tickets in different states traveling to his wrestling shows. He goes to court and almost every time they have been thrown out. On one for instance, the officer said he was speeding when he had just turned onto a road. DS explained where he was coming from and where he was going and that there were no speed limit signs in the area before he was stopped. The judge said "you are right" and threw it out with a warning.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

The two speeding tickets that I went to court for, I went into judges chambers(no courtroom), plead guilty, said I was sorry, and both times the judge said he would let me pay the fine, but he would lower my points from 2 to 0 and it would save my insurance. Damn speed traps.

 

[goofyernmost]

I fought mine because I thought that the place where I was clocked was in an unfair location, just feet from the NEW speed limit sign. I wasn't really hopeful that I would win it but I have a CDL and I didn't want the points on my license. Well, I got lucky and the issuing officer didn't show up for the court hearing and it was dismissed and I was out of it free and clear. Sometimes the gods work with you.

Oh, and just as a side point I have been actively driving, everyday, for the past 46 years without a single traffic ticket...I really didn't want that on my record for a mere 13 mph over the speed limit.

 

[N.Bailey]

I got my first ever ticket a few months ago. The officer that stopped me TOLD me to go to court and talk to the prosecutor so that I could change the charge to something without points. Why? Because then the town makes more money.

My $90 ticket and 2 points turned into almost $400 and 0 points. Why does it matter? Because New Jersey has one of the highest insurance rates in the country. I'd rather pay out of pocket once than get hit with higher insurance rates for years to come.
There was no lie involved. The judge changed my ticket to reckless driving which is a zero point violation. I admit I was speeding and I was given a fine which I paid without complaining.

Isn't it weird that we're neighbors and our laws are completely different? Like I said upthread, my son was charged with, not stopping at a stop sign, driving to fast for conditions (this was not speeding), failure to be properly restrained, and the last citation was, reckless driving. The reckless driving came with 4 points and was the highest offense charged. Of course as I also said upthread, my son pleaded not guilty to it and the charge was dismissed.

 

[bballmom56]

The judge changed my ticket to reckless driving which is a zero point violation.

How is reckless driving a zero point violation in NJ? According to the point schedule http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Violations/penalties_pointSchedule.htm reckless driving is 5 points. It's listed as 39:4-96. I'm just wondering because the cop gave me a break by instead of giving me a ticket for speeding at 15 mph over the limit which would have been 4 points, he downgraded it to careless driving which was 2 points. And reckless driving is a more severe charge than careless.

 

[minkydog]

Did they reduce it cost? I got my first ticket in 10 years a few weeks ago for going 71 in a 55. Really not that fast, being that it was a state road that hardly anyone lives on. Anyway, I'm quite sure it's going to be a pricey ticket and wondering if it's even worth going and asking for a reduction.

I would say that 16mph over the posted speed is significant. It doesn't matter that it's a road almost nobody lives on. You broke the law. Good luck.

 

[allison443]

How is reckless driving a zero point violation in NJ? According to the point schedule http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Violations/penalties_pointSchedule.htm reckless driving is 5 points. It's listed as 39:4-96. I'm just wondering because the cop gave me a break by instead of giving me a ticket for speeding at 15 mph over the limit which would have been 4 points, he downgraded it to careless driving which was 2 points. And reckless driving is a more severe charge than careless.

I think that poster was actually referring to "unsafe driving", not reckless driving. In NJ "unsafe driving" is a no-point offense but carries around a $400 fine. That is usually what a first time speeding offender is offered as a plea bargain.

Edited to add, the whole reason the unsafe driving provision was enacted by the legislature was for people who get a one-time speeding ticket and are going to be hit by insurance points. The fee is statutory and totals about $400, a lot more than the speeding fine, but carries no points. You can only use the unsafe driving plea twice, and it's not allowed for certain offenses or certain classes of drivers (those with provisional licenses I believe.)

 

[allison443]

I got a ticket on a road like you describe - open, no houses, farmland actually, beautiful, clear sunny day. Yep, I was speeding - 65 in a 50. What was I going to fight? The cop (a state trooper) reduced it to careless driving and it was $85.

I couldn't in good conscience fight anything. I was speeding and I accepted the consequences. And it probably helped since I gave up my lead foot so that I didn't get another ticket!

What's the difference between the cop reducing your speeding ticket to careless driving, and someone else going to court and getting their speeding ticket reduced by the judge/prosecutor at court?

You got a reduced offense, which is basically what a plea bargain is. How did you accept the consequences of speeding if you paid a lesser fine for careless driving?

 

[bballmom56]

What's the difference between the cop reducing your speeding ticket to careless driving, and someone else going to court and getting their speeding ticket reduced by the judge/prosecutor at court?

You got a reduced offense, which is basically what a plea bargain is. How did you accept the consequences of speeding if you paid a lesser fine for careless driving?

I did not ask the cop to reduce the charge nor did I ask for any leniency. There was very little conversation. When he came back to my car, he gave me the ticket and told me what he had done. I did not ask for him to do that, I would accept whatever he gave me.

 

[ChernabogGA]

To the OP and anyone who lives in or drives through Georgia. As of Jan 1, 2010 Georgia has a "Super Speeder Law." It states that if you are caught speeding on an interstate at speeds of 85+ MPH and on any other road at 70+ MPH when you pay the ticket and/or are found guilty the state of Georgia will send you a letter stating you were in violaion of this law. It requires an additional mandatory $200.00 fine on top of what you have already paid. It states that if it is not paid in 30 days your Drivers License will be suspended. Just a fair warning.

 

[KiminChicago]

I've only had one ticket in my 30 years of driving. My best friend was getting married and we had spent a long evening addressing all of the wedding invitations, so it was 1am when I was driving home. I was approaching a stop light that was green and I was just wanting to get home, so I sped up a little to get through the light before it changed.

The cop caught me on the other side of the intersection. I had gotten through the light on the green, but I was doing 41 in a 30 mph zone. The cop was super nice -- I admitted I was speeding, but as he was writing up the ticket, he told me that I shouldn't just mail in the fine, I should go to court. He told me that he was noting on the ticket that the driving conditions were good and there were no other cars around and that he really didn't want to give me a ticket (and wouldn't have, if I had been going 1mph less).

I did go to court and admitted my guilt. The judge took one look at the ticket, laughed a bit and told me that next time I shouldn't go so fast. He then handed me my license and I walked out. I was surprised, he didn't even make me pay court fees.

 

[disneymarie]

If we get a ticket we hire someone. We have never just paid a speeding ticket.
You don't have to do anything. The lawyer you hire negotitates the charges beforehand and that is it.

Now you have to cough up the money but for us, we prefer not to have a speeding ticket on our insurance record.

You can do the same negotioaning yourself and not pay an attorney. If you approach the officer with your previous clear speeding record from the dept of transportation, generally he will tell the judge that the ticket is reduced to a less then 5 miles over for no points as a first time courtesy.

depends on the officer. they would rather have the citation hold up, not an audit show up one that is withdrawn, or take a chance the judge will not rule in their favor. Especially if the judge is up for re-election.

Get a copy of your history, go in the largest shirt you have, and say sometime you get anxious and may not realize that you picked up speed.

Can't lose anything, and could avoid the points.

the technicalities, generally are rare. The monthly calibarations or how often the dept sets them are routine.

 

[Darsa]

Seems kinda silly, at this point, that police stop people for speeding, if it's that easy to get out of it.

IM(very)HO, if I were to get a ticket for speeding and knew I was speeding I would pay the ticket and take my "beating", because I deserve it for breaking the law.

That's just me, tho. YMMV

 

[mjkacmom]

I got my first ever ticket a few months ago. The officer that stopped me TOLD me to go to court and talk to the prosecutor so that I could change the charge to something without points. Why? Because then the town makes more money.

My $90 ticket and 2 points turned into almost $400 and 0 points. Why does it matter? Because New Jersey has one of the highest insurance rates in the country. I'd rather pay out of pocket once than get hit with higher insurance rates for years to come.
There was no lie involved. The judge changed my ticket to reckless driving which is a zero point violation. I admit I was speeding and I was given a fine which I paid without complaining.

NJ resident here, and totally agree! 4+ points, and your insurance is going up $600 a year for the next 3 years (on top of the highest car insurance rates in the country). Not to mention state surcharge fees if you have 6+ points. So for those of you who say "you are guilty - pay up," we're talking thousands of dollars here! Only an idiot wouldn't go to traffic court in NJ. And you plead guilty.