OT: Speeding Tickets

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Tue May 06, 2008 4:43 pm

OK, so it finally happened to me. I got my 1st speeding ticket in about 20 years. I call up to find out how much the fine and when I heard I almost fell out of my chair......$500!!!!!!! What the F%$@#@$%$#@!!!! Holy Crap!
As bad as that is, I am more concerned with my insurance premiums going up.

Question is....anyone ever get out of a speeding ticket and if so, how?
I will plead not guilty and go to court just for the remote chance that they will reduce the fine and/or penalties. I have heard some people say that if the arresting cop doesn't show up, you get off.

Anyway, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Tue May 06, 2008 4:45 pm

Don't know about your neck of the woods, but in AL you can choose to go to court, and the judge will give you the option of driving school. You still pay about the same in costs, but the ticket doesn't go on your record...check that avenue out...

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Tue May 06, 2008 4:55 pm

If you got caught by the cop, if he doesn't show up on trail date, then I think they let you walk.

You should be able to go to driving school and get it off your records so it won't affect your insurance. Nowadays, driving schools are online so you can pretty much do the whole session in a few hours at home. You still have to pay up the $500.

If you go to court, get a lawyer. I'm not sure where you live, but these days, you have a lot of lawyers in the courthouses pimping for their services. I got a ticket a few years ago and It was on one of those cameras instead of a human cop pulling me over. I thought being caught via camera was unconstitutional so I decided to go to court. This lawyer , probably just got out of college, came up to me and asked me what I was here for. I told him for a traffic ticket and he told me if I paid him 50 bucks, he could represent me and I'd be off the hook and it would save me time waiting around. I told him I only had 20 bucks and he took it and represented me.

When the judge started in the morning, he said everyone with a rep. would start first, and then dismissed all of us in pretty quick fashion. I spent maybe a total of an hour there.

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Tue May 06, 2008 4:59 pm

WOW $500...How fast were you going over the limit?

I got one last November and it wasnt much over $100( I dont remember exactly) and that was with the driving school upcharge...

Take that driving school option( assuming your state has one) and you wont have to worry about your premiums...

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:06 pm

You can usually make a deal with the prosecutor that can change how you were ticketed so it has less of an insurance/point impact. $500 is a heck of a fine, though. Sounds like a residential drag-race with the finish line being the flashing lights of a school bus!

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:06 pm

XXXIV wrote:WOW $500...How fast were you going over the limit?

Yeah, that's what I was wondering, too. If you were more than 10 MPH over the limit, then I'd say $500 is getting off easy.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:19 pm

You weren't issued a ticket by a mounted policman were you? That would be kind of ironic.

JK, couldn't resist.

$500 sounds a bit steep. Were you in a construction zone?

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:21 pm

JackB1 wrote:Anyway, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Take this as a warning to slow down. Plus, you're pretty liberal. Do you realize how much you're increasing your carbon footprint by speeding? Or is energy conservation just something to do when it is convenient? Besides, the way prices are increasing, you'll make up that $500 pretty quick by slowing down.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:28 pm

XXXIV wrote:WOW $500...How fast were you going over the limit?

I got one last November and it wasnt much over $100( I dont remember exactly) and that was with the driving school upcharge...

Take that driving school option( assuming your state has one) and you wont have to worry about your premiums...

I was doing 85 in a 55 (25-35 over the limit). Funny thing is that average speed on this highway is at least 80 mph.

Unfortunately, I dont think GA lets you do the traffic school thing.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:28 pm

ScoopBrady wrote:You weren't issued a ticket by a mounted policman were you? That would be kind of ironic.

JK, couldn't resist.

$500 sounds a bit steep. Were you in a construction zone?

Naw...the cop was just pissed it took him so long to call his wife to ask her permission to pull over. Another can't resist.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:29 pm

85 in a 55...you're lucky your not in jail man. 20 over in Cali...and you're in jail for the night.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:31 pm

ScoopBrady wrote:You weren't issued a ticket by a mounted policman were you? That would be kind of ironic.

JK, couldn't resist.

$500 sounds a bit steep. Were you in a construction zone?

No it wasn't a construction zone. just a normal highway (I-75) heading into downtown Atlanta. I was on my way to a Hawks game!

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:32 pm

Leebo33 wrote:
JackB1 wrote:Anyway, any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Take this as a warning to slow down. Plus, you're pretty liberal. Do you realize how much you're increasing your carbon footprint by speeding? Or is energy conservation just something to do when it is convenient? Besides, the way prices are increasing, you'll make up that $500 pretty quick by slowing down.

Yes, but I drive a motorcycle and only spend $10 per gas per week, so I dont have a large carbon footprint. Believe it or not, I was just keeping up with traffic.

bdunn13 · Post by **bdunn13** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:33 pm

Ask for a jury trial.

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:42 pm

bdunn13 wrote:Ask for a jury trial.

huh? was that a joke?

JackB1 · Post by **JackB1** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:43 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote: Naw...the cop was just pissed it took him so long to call his wife to ask her permission to pull over. Another can't resist.

stick to fixing computers.....

fatheadX · Post by **fatheadX** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:52 pm

If they caught you doing 30 over the limit, what exactly is your defense? By the way, 'just keeping up with traffic' never, ever works.

bdunn13 · Post by **bdunn13** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:57 pm

No it wasn't a joke. Its your right.

They won't give it to you but they will have a solicitor call you and reduce the fine.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Tue May 06, 2008 6:01 pm

I should ask my brother--he's very experience on traffic tickets...

I've never had one myself, but I've heard similar things to 34. You can challenge your ticket in court, and if the cop doesn't show up you automatically get off.

Another thing I've heard is that they will initially schedule you to come in that officer's designated court day, so he can come to court one morning and verify several tickets of people he has pulled over. If you can get your date changed to another day of the week, chances are the cop won't bother coming in for just one ticket.

This is all theoretical though so may not work that way.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue May 06, 2008 6:09 pm

Should of pulled a GTA and outran the cop taking out a couple of pedestrians along the way. Then, you could have pulled in to the nearest Pay N' Spray and had your car painted.

You gotta think Jack!

fletcher21 · Post by **fletcher21** » Tue May 06, 2008 6:18 pm

Eight Belles must be rolling in her grave

You were probably in a haze thinking about the injustices of horse racing... send the link to the horse racing thread to the judge, maybe you can plead insanity

Inuyasha · Post by **Inuyasha** » Tue May 06, 2008 6:23 pm

My ticket was for not stopping at a red light, I did a rolling stop, but not complete. Bastards charged me $400 for that.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Tue May 06, 2008 7:50 pm

Leebo33 wrote:
JackB1 wrote:Anyway, any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Take this as a warning to slow down. Plus, you're pretty liberal. Do you realize how much you're increasing your carbon footprint by speeding? Or is energy conservation just something to do when it is convenient? Besides, the way prices are increasing, you'll make up that $500 pretty quick by slowing down.

What a lot of states and local govts. do is increase revenues by increasing fines for violations or things like permits. Meanwhile, the governor toots his horn about cutting taxes, which is a lot more visible issue.

About cops not appearing in court, I know some who relish it because if they have to show up when they're off-duty, they get OT.

On the traffic camera thing, it must have been ruled constitutional or legal because there are companies making these things and selling them to cities all over the world.

Easy way for them to increase revenues with a one-time cost, rather than hiring more cops.

ddtrane · Post by **ddtrane** » Tue May 06, 2008 8:09 pm

Hey Jack, weren't you speeding some time ago, and got nervous that you might have eluded the police? If so, then the law of averages caught up with you. Just leave earlier and slow down. And take the advice of your fellow DSPers.

jondiehl · Post by **jondiehl** » Tue May 06, 2008 8:24 pm

Just call a traffic lawyer and have them fix it to reduce the ticket to a non-moving violation.

I've had plenty of tickets but still have 0 points on my license and low insurance premiums. Just get it fixed.

Digital Sportspage

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