I HATE COPS!!!!!!!! Options

[Ron88formula]

i just got my first speeding ticket tonight. and i wasnt even speeding! it was a 25 mph speed zone and i was doin about 27. he pulled me over and asked me if i knew how fast i was going. i said maybe 2 or 3 over. he said he got me doing 41! there was even a car in front of me so i couldnt have gone that fast. i told him this and he said that there wasnt any car in front of me, even though there was. i'm so mad right now. and how am i gonna win in court. its his word vs. mine. who are they gonna believe?

[Pyro97]

ouch, i think someone's radar is a wee bit off

[MxPx69_1984]

i just got my first speeding ticket tonight. and i wasnt even speeding! it was a 25 mph speed zone and i was doin about 27. he pulled me over and asked me if i knew how fast i was going. i said maybe 2 or 3 over. he said he got me doing 41! there was even a car in front of me so i couldnt have gone that fast. i told him this and he said that there wasnt any car in front of me, even though there was. i'm so mad right now.   and how am i gonna win in court. its his word vs. mine. who are they gonna believe?

How old are you...

If this is your 1st ticket, and you are older and have a clean record... the DA will give you a major reduction in traffic court...

~Nick

Edit: just read your profile... 17 huh? welp, that throws that out the window.... get a lawyer... that has you going over 15 over the speed limit... your insurance will kill you (probably 1 or 2 points) and , if they decide to keep you at that speed margin, it could mess w/ your license. Either ger a Lawyer ane pay them $200 plus court costs (approx $100) to get it thrown out or put off on faulty equipment, or go in there on your court date and use your 'Prayer for Judgement'... That will save you, but you gotta be on your P's & Q's for 3 years... not something I want hangin over my head...

I am goin thru the same thign right now, so trust me... but mine was 76 in a 55.

This post has been edited by MxPx69_1984: Apr 14 2005, 01:26 AM

[Tyler]

I would seek legal counsil to.Most will talk to you about it up front without a charge. Even if you pay a little more to the laywer it will be cheaper in the long run cause like mentioned above,insurance will rob you blind.

[BKCAT]

Hmm... Strange thing is that I got my first ticket (ever) shortly after getting my first formula...

[Formula305]

You might go see if you can talk to the county prosecutor. I had a ticket for 50+ in a 30 zone. Went and talked with the prosecutor and he dropped it to an expired license tabs violation. I still had to pay the $173 but it never went on record since it was dropped to a non moving violation. Lots of people around here do the samething. Its quick and easy since you don't even have to go to court.

[Dan95]

the entire year and a month i had my bird driving around speedracer style i got puled over onece and i got a warning but i really didnt have to (thats another story) . I got my first ticket like 2 weeks ago 54 in 35 im screwed and dont know what 2 do either i hope the cop is a no show. and ofcourse its in my dads protege i was late for work and dipped outa my neighborhood like 20 secs. later i saw him and itwas over.

i know how u feel man this is a blower i am screwd on my insurance to i feel ya

[smithblmx]

Ron, relax, you're only seventeen . When you get up to the judge, tell them the circumstances and have someone alot older than you swear they were in front of you doing the speed limit. Be sure to wear coat and tie, and for goodness sake, get a hair cut.

OR

Follow the advice of the few here. Get a lawyer, have the case dismissed on grounds of undocumented and miscalibrated radar device. Request the officer be present too. They never show up in court for such a piddly fine. Case will be dismissed. You do have rights, put them to good use, even if your not old enough to vote yet. G/L!

[Shaun Barcelow]

I'll throw in my two cents here (plus the experience of $600 spent to fight a drag racing ticket); get a lawyer. Try not to think about how easily the lawyer is earning your money. Just focus on the fact that you're paying not only for the work he does but also the connections and relationships he has.

[FastBird94]

hey, I've been there one too many times. Look in your yellow pages for a TRAFFIC TICKET attorney. Yes, that's right. They charge you about 100 bucks per ticket. Worse case you have to go to traffic school and pay court fees. Best case you don't pay anything but the initial 100 bucks. It's the best way to go about it. Plus, at least here in FL, you can only go to traffic school 5 times in your life, and if you go about it this way, it won't count towards that. At least not here in FL. I've got a number of a good one if you live in this area! haha!

[1993Formulav8]

your first mistake when disputing the ticket, not visually inspecting the speed he clocked you at. They must show you upon request what your speed was, as well as the calibration date of the equipment.

[Ron88formula]

i did look at the radar tho, it said 41 on it, but he didnt show me any dates. im almost wondering if he clocked some other car thinking it was me. i donno. but i do know that i wasnt speeding

[Chad97WS.6]

From personal and professional experience, going into court to fight a ticket without a lawyer is not a smart move. If the cop doesn't show, most times the judge will grant a continuance to the prosecutor to get the cop there. Only if he doesn't show on multiple occassions will the judge throw out the ticket. You can beg for mercy, and many judges will send you to traffic school, but you still have to pay a fine and court costs, plus the cost of the school (totals about $225 here). And like FastBird94 said, you may have a limited number of times you can attend (luckily for me, in Kentucky we can go once a year). Your best bet is to talk to a lawyer that has been around a little while and has compassion on speeders (so they might cut you a break). They generally can tell you the outcome of the ticket before they talk to anyone, and most don't charge for an initial consultation (ask first, and if they do, LEAVE!!! You don't want that kind of lawyer!). They may tell you to talk to the prosecutor yourself, which can be an okay thing to do...just be sure to talk to a lawyer first...I can't tell you how many times I have talked to the DA about a client that has already been there to talk to him before me and hacked him off...that spells "No Deal"! You never know how sensitive some of those guys will be and you might make them mad without realizing it. Don't risk it...get a lawyer. Like others said, it's actually cheaper in the long run.

[4thtimes charm]

more free advice from one of kentuckys' finest young lawyers. so yeah do what chad says. get some free advice from a lawyer.
good luck

[SiberianFirestor...]

your first mistake when disputing the ticket, not visually inspecting the speed he clocked you at. They must show you upon request what your speed was, as well as the calibration date of the equipment.

I asked a cop that once when I got pulled. His response was rudely put that that is not true in SC. He said he could lock someone at 80 and write everyone up for the day at that speed. Just depends on the cops disposition.

Matt

[Formyla]

My daughter was in High school and got her first in a school zone

I had her write a letter to the DA explaining that it was her first ticket and the circumstances - not pointing at the Officer as doing something wrong - asking to have the ticket dropped. We had to pay more than the ticket itself would have cost but it did not go on her record.

I would caution you about saying the Officer was lieing - the DA wont like that.
Perhaps "there must have been an error in the Radar detector" would be better and by all means talk to a Lawer for consult first.

Good luck!

[formulabird89]

That stinks. In Delaware, unless the cop is having a bad day (or a bad problem with you) or you're doing something really bad they'll drop it to 9 over which is reduced points and fine. Under 18, we have a mandatory court appearance. My advice: be REALLY nice to cop, judge everybody. Suit, haircut, as smith suggests. Can you find a place to calibrate your speedo? I don't know how that works, being electronic and all but it might help with an official piece of paper saying that your speedo is right on. Then I think you can request calibration of the radar gun used. That usually makes it such a pain for the cop that they'll drop the case anyway.

[Formyla]

I have heard of requesting the calibration on the radar gun. Has anybody ever really done that?
While sitting in a patrol car once - yes I was caught some 20 years ago speeding - the cop had a tuneing fork and had the radar gun at zero then hit the tuning fork and put it infront of the gun and it went to 60mph. He claimed this checked the calibration. i know it was in the dark ages of radar way back then and all that but it really happened - really! so I was wondering if it was asked for in court?

[KRockLS1]

Ya, cops lie sometimes, or perhaps he scanned another car and thought it was you... i would definitely challenge the ticket, but I dont see a need to hire legal consul (unless you can get it for free). If you dont convince the judge to pull the fine and dismiss the case, just pay the fee, go to traffic school and move on with your life.

[Vampire]

as a sportbike rider, one who knows what they are made for, surfing the asphalt and taking curves with the knee puck to the asphalt at speeds way above what most people would call normal. Speeding equals tickets and they way to get out of ANY ticket is to get you a lawyer.....he will talk to the DA and they normally make you pay the fine and the ticket disappears....as in your case I would have to take my luck have my lawyer get it thrown out

[Dallasrulz]

Definately agree with Vampire. Luckily I haven't had any tickets on my bike or in my bird yet but I had enough other tickets that my attorney got me out of. Every time I get a ticket now I just go straight to him without even thinking about it.

[Jazsun]

I duno what states you guys live in but in Illinois on your first ticket you just go on court supervision and it never gets reported to the insurance company, then if you get anothet ticket w/ in 3 months both get reported. I got my first when I was 16, a 45 in a 25. legit tho I was speeding my ###### off. Anyways It never got reported I just paid 75 bucks and was on my way.