Speeding Ticket

[DieselDan]

Okay, I know that I am probably going to have people here telling me to just suck it up and not be a baby, but I am just asking for any advise. This evening I was headed home from our friends house after a day at the junkyard. I was in my Taurus and had the cruise control set at 70. I was in no hurry, my wife was in the car with me and were were just chitchatting, the radio wasnt even on. We come around a bend, and I see a cop on the shoulder and just as a automatic reaction, I slowed down a little bit. I also had been getting blown past by everyone on the highway for a while, but it seemed like just in that moment, I was driving faster than everyone else. I see him hit his brakes just as I come into his full view and I told my wife, i bet he is going to pull me over. Just then, he hit the lights and I put on my signal, pulled over, turned on the dome lights and put all 4 windows down. We were on a highway, btw 77, to be exact.

Cop comes up gets my lisence and registration and walks off. I told my wife I swore I thought the speed limit was 70, as this is a stretch of the highway I never drive, the stretch I drive to and from work on this same highway is 70 both directions... She said no, its 65. So I said well, i had the cruise set at 70, I dont think he is going to give me a ticket for 5 over. Well, he comes back, gives me a ticket for 78 in a 65 and a warning because my registration didnt have my signature on it...

So anyway, its 130 dollar fine, I didnt argue with the cop, I was perfecty nice, it was all yes sir, no sir, thank you sir. My car has stock wheels and stock sized tires, the car has no mods.

Anyone have any advise? I didnt argue with the cop because I kinda figure if they pulled you over, they are going to give you a ticket no matter what... gotta make it worth their time. Just 78??? My speedo said 70.

Thanks Guys

 

[ls01]

talking about speeding tickets. does anyone know how much a 80 ina 70 is from tenn. im from ohio but work in texas so i have no idea

 

[Calabrio]

If you can have a certified mechanic verify that you're speedometer is/was out of adjustment, you can probably have the penalty reduced.

I have an attorney friend in Virginia who was caught doing 15 over. Apparently, in that state, this is a misdemeanor offense. Such a violation could have jeopardized his ability to practice law. He took the ticket to court and had a his mechanic write testimony certifying just this and the charges were reduced.

 

[TDUB]

I would fight it. First of all from what I know the cop has to show you the reading on his gun. I know this because a former co-workers of mine's dad is an ex-sheriff and he got pulled over by a rookie cop just because he was "speeding." The cop pulled a random number out of his ass and when the the cop wouldn't produce the radar gun, he told him to have a nice day and went on his way. You also have about a 50/50 chance of the cop not even showing up to court. Another thing people often get the cops on is their radar gun certification. Often times they let them lapse because it's too much hassle and no one ever questions it. If you do question it in court and the cop isn't certified, the case will be dismissed. Your driving record will also come into play. If you have a bunch of tickets, unless your case is bulletproof, forget about it. I would take the car to a mechanic as mentioned above and then go from there.

 

[topher5150]

pulled over, turned on the dome lights and put all 4 windows down.

rolled down the windows????? i've never heard of that before

 

[ground_zero298]

i put all 4 windows down when i get pulled over also. To put the police officer at ease because of by window tint. Ask for a probational period for your ticket.

 

[slowmkviii]

just get a lawyer and let him handle it. if you havent had a ticket for 3 or so years he will more than likely get you off with only probation for a year
FYI cops do not have to show you the radar gun there is no merit or reason for this. Cops can give you a ticket on visual speed .
I cant say this enough to people get a lawyer
ask markviiidrea (Eric) what my lawyer did for him It is worth it

 

[n8bachelor]

I would fight it. First of all from what I know the cop has to show you the reading on his gun. I know this because a former co-workers of mine's dad is an ex-sheriff and he got pulled over by a rookie cop just because he was "speeding." The cop pulled a random number out of his ass and when the the cop wouldn't produce the radar gun, he told him to have a nice day and went on his way. You also have about a 50/50 chance of the cop not even showing up to court. Another thing people often get the cops on is their radar gun certification. Often times they let them lapse because it's too much hassle and no one ever questions it. If you do question it in court and the cop isn't certified, the case will be dismissed. Your driving record will also come into play. If you have a bunch of tickets, unless your case is bulletproof, forget about it. I would take the car to a mechanic as mentioned above and then go from there.

The cop is in no way obligate to show you the radar gun. If you ask you will just piss him off and be sure to get a ticket.
Your example is moot since cops do not give eachother (or their families) tickets. It's a professional curtesy.
The radar gun certification is a big deal. It is their ass if they do not keep it in tip top operating condition. Which includes the certification and verification of its accuracy. You will be hard pressed to find a cop who does not do his job in this regard.
Also, if you go to court with the intent to fight your ticket you will not even get the chance to present your case at your first apperance. You will appear and enter a plea of not guilty. The judge will then set a date for trial. It is not required that the citing officer be present for your plea. He must be present at the time of your trial, if you choose to have one.

To the OP: if you feel the charge was unjustified (you were not breaking the law) get a lawyer and fight it. If you were breaking the law by speeding, take your lumps and get your car checked to be certain it is in proper operating condition. If your record is clean it never hurts to ask the judge for defensive driving class or some other form of amends to keep the charge off your record. If your record is tarnished (like mine) there is likely no way the judge will give you anything but the fine and the points.
Any time you are faced with a trip to the courthouse, remember this. Judges were all lawyers once. In their eyes if you are hiring a lawyer you are supporting their profession. Think about that.

 

[BAD97LSC]

pay it and forget it. i have been through hell when i was younger, all my town cops knew me by first name basis and the judge did to. i fought many tickets and lost, and lost time for work, and paid in the end anyway, i only won a single ticket against me for entrapment, it was awesome that i won, against a mass state trooper, for doing 109 in a 65, i thought i was going to jail and in the end i won 100% and even got to call the trooper a dick. just pay it dan, get it over with and forget it.

 

[96mark8]

pay it and forget it. i have been through hell when i was younger, all my town cops knew me by first name basis and the judge did to. i fought many tickets and lost, and lost time for work, and paid in the end anyway, i only won a single ticket against me for entrapment, it was awesome that i won, against a mass state trooper, for doing 109 in a 65, i thought i was going to jail and in the end i won 100% and even got to call the trooper a dick. just pay it dan, get it over with and forget it.

lol how you get away doing 109 in a 65?

 

[De-marko]

Maybe you could plea bargain. Pay a little more but get the speed reduced or changed to non-moving violation. I've successfully had that done a few times.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

This reminds me of years ago when I had just purchased my trans am.
I was driving from Los Angeles too San Diego one sunday afternoon.
Cruising down the freeway, stereo blasting, and not a care in the world.
I look in the rear view mirror, and there is a cop criuser about one foot from my rear bumper.
I pulled over,and stayed in the car until the chp officer ask me to step out.
He said he had been tailing me for about two miles, and had clocked me at 93 mph.
I explained that I had just got the car, and was not aware I had been traveling that fast, that I wasn't quite use to it yet.
I also told him I had the stereo cranked up so that if he had used his sirein(as he stated he did) I didn't hear it.
The rear window was heavily tinted, and had the louvered panel over it so I really didn't see him until he was one foot from my bumper.
I wasn't lying too him, and obviously he agreed with me.
He walked around the car, and repeated, "this is one hell of a good looking trans am." "Man it's beautiful".
We stood at the shoulder talking for about ten minutes about the car, then he said "you have been honest with me, you didn't try to bullsh!t me,and you got such a good looking car, I'm not going to issue you a speeding ticket, but please slow down in the future.
"I radioed in that I was making a traffic stop so I need to write something up.
He walked around the car once again, and spotted the Heart 2 Heart front plate.
In California, we are suppossed to have two license plates on the vehicle.
That was what he finally wrote me up for.
I thanked him, and continued on too San Diego.
Two things saved me from a speeding ticket.
First, I was completely honest with him and second, as he said, the trans am was one hell of a good looking car, and of cource, like every vehicle I have ever owned, was spotlessly clean and shiny beyond compare.

Sure wish I still had this trans am.
Bob.

 

[shiryu0]

some cop pulled me over couple of months back, he was just being a dumbass, i had the cruise at 70mph he wrote me down for 75 in a 65...........everybody was going 70...........

went to court the cop didnt even bother to show up, ticket got thrown out, got my $350 back........

what i did, i didnt go till the date shown on the ticket, and told the clerks i wanted a trial date, i didnt go to trial till 3 months after i got the ticket.........and I didnt get my money back till 3 more months after the 'trial'...

so i figure the cop didnt even remember giving me the ticket...........so he didnt show up.

 

[RollinLS]

States are hurting for revenue. State troopers and local PD are writing up everything they can find. A guy that works for my company got a speeding ticket for 3mph over. Town near me has been setting up checkpoints on Main St to get people for anything they can find. Seatbelts, insurance, etc....

I got popped by a county cop for speeding(73 in a 55) 5 weeks ago. County boys hardly ever run radar. My own fault. I wasn't paying any attention to my speed. I went to court. Had the ticket changed to a seatbelt ticket. Non-moving violation in Illinios. Then I find out. The FDOT changed the law in March of 2008. Seatbelt tickets are a moving violation for CDL holders. I have a CDL.:Bang I will wait a few months. Pay to have the case re-open. Then have the ticket removed from my record.

BTW For CDL holders. Tickets in our personal vehicles still count against us in our commercial vehicles. Its BS. But the feds want it that way.

 

[DieselDan]

Something I noticed today, donno if this means anything... The cop didn't have me sign anything. This ticket wasnt like a carbon copy thing, I got a peice of paper that looks like it came out of a printer in the cop car, at the bottom it says Signature of Defendant, and he never had me sign anything... Does this change anything?

 

[SoonerLS]

That sounds like the citation I got from the Texas DPS for not having my current insurance card on hand; it was printed out on thermal paper, just like a big cash register receipt. I doubt it'll matter.