Bogus speeding ticket

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by B.J., Oct 10, 2013.

  1. Saturn0660

    Saturn0660 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Heck, put GPS based dash cam in your car.. Much like everyone does in Russia due to insurance fraud being out of control.
     
  2. Squiggy

    Squiggy FrozenToad Admiral

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    That wouldn't help here.
     
  3. Gil T.Azell

    Gil T.Azell Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    So would I cops usually don't have the time to fight these in court.
     
  4. Pegaritaville

    Pegaritaville Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Fight it. I'm planning to contest the speeding ticket I got last week. I usually just pay them, but I know I wasn't going as fast as the deputy (who reminded me of Barney Fife) said I was going. He claimed I was going 79 in a 55, but I just turned onto the road and didn't even have time to get my speed up that high (I was going about 70). I don't expect to get out of it, but I'm hoping to at least get the points reduced.
     
  5. SeerSGB

    SeerSGB Admiral Admiral

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  6. Trekker4747

    Trekker4747 Boldly going... Premium Member

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    Why were you going 70 in a 55?
     
  7. Cap'n Caveman

    Cap'n Caveman Captain Captain

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    Any violation that carries points is worthwhile to fight in court. Sometimes the judge would lower the fine and/or remove the points if you show up in court, and in some jurisdictions if the officer does not show up the ticket is dismissed outright. If it was just a fine, like a parking ticket, I would probably just pay it, but points on your record can increase your insurance premiums.
     
  8. B.J.

    B.J. Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Well, since my wife is a teacher, she asked the advice of the officers that are assigned to her school. They said that in the long run, fighting the ticket would actually cost us *more* than if we just went ahead and paid it, and that's due to stuff like court costs, filing fees, lawyers, etc. It's frustrating and infuriating, but this seems like a mess that I don't have the time or money to deal with. :shrug:
     
  9. Trekker4747

    Trekker4747 Boldly going... Premium Member

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    You don't need a lawyer to fight the ticket, court costs and all of that should already be part of the ticket. I've fought tickets before at least in my state the end-judgment is still the amount on the initial ticket.
     
  10. Alidar Jarok

    Alidar Jarok Everything in moderation but moderation Moderator

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    As Trekker said, don't get a lawyer, so you won't have those costs. There shouldn't be any filing fees either. You are correct that there are court costs and you would have to pay those too if you lose your case, but they generally don't charge you if you win the case.

    Here is a breakdown of the fees, but you should probably check to make sure you aren't being charged them anyway on your ticket. You could also try calling the clerk's office to see if they can tell you how much more you'd end up paying if you go to court.
     
  11. Cap'n Caveman

    Cap'n Caveman Captain Captain

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    Like some have said, you don't need a lawyer to fight a normal speeding ticket. If your wife has a clean driving record (no points), I would suggest that she obtain and bring a copy of that to court with her, should she choose to fight it. The killer are the points she will get if she doesn't fight the ticket, which the judge may waive if she has a reasonable explaination. Points stay on your record for about 2 years, I think, and you can be sure the insurance company will take that into consideration when they renew her policy. Photos of the scene, or a satellite photo showing the parking lot she drove out of and the point she was stopped, may help in establishing that there was insufficient distance to acelerate to the speed the officer cited her for.
     
  12. Pegaritaville

    Pegaritaville Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I was in a rural area. And I have a leadfoot. And nobody actually drives anywhere near 55 around here.
     
  13. Trekker4747

    Trekker4747 Boldly going... Premium Member

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    Going 15 over is still absurd.
     
  14. Pegaritaville

    Pegaritaville Vice Admiral Admiral

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    You're probably right, but it's a habit I can't break. And had I been ticketed for only 15 over, I would'nt fight it, but I'm going to argue my case. As should the OP if they think they were wrongly ticketed.
     
  15. Starkers

    Starkers Admiral Admiral

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    You're probably correct there :guffaw:

    I was just susprised from a UK point of view, because people always complain about the prevelance of speed cameras and traffic cops, but on the upside if they're going to charge you they have to provide evidence (and you can even challenge it to a degree)
     
  16. Saturn0660

    Saturn0660 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Then you likely don't drive very much. Here in Ohio the speed limit used to be 65 on I71(now it's 70). If you are going 80 you are going to slow.
     
  17. Alidar Jarok

    Alidar Jarok Everything in moderation but moderation Moderator

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    Yeah, although things have gotten better, American criminal cases are still generally trial by ambush. They are constitutionally required to turn over exculpatory evidence (evidence that will help you be found not guilty) and there are statutory rules that expand discovery in some ways (although, in Virginia, there are no rights to discovery in traffic cases).

    But the police generally don't save police cams for speeding tickets. Not without evil intent, but just because they overwrite the film (since it isn't needed to convict). That being said, it's possible another jurisdiction differs and does preserve all police cam footage whenever there is a stop.
     
  18. Stoo

    Stoo Commodore Commodore

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    I dunno how things work in america, and I don't rigorously keep to the speed limit on when overtaking on motorways, but if I'm already going 10 over the limit, anyone finding that too slow can get stuffed.
     
  19. Saturn0660

    Saturn0660 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Depends, if you were in the left lane(our passing lane) and you were holding up traffic then thats a problem.

    I never ask anyone to speed... But i do ask you get the hell out of the way. ;)
     
  20. Stoo

    Stoo Commodore Commodore

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    Traffic that's being held up by someone doing 80 is traffic that needs to chill the fuck out and accept reaching their destination a bit later.