Got a speeding ticket...advice?

[BP-Revo]

Originally Posted by Arct1k

For such a minor ticket this will just piss them off - you're likely to just put a big target on you...

In NJ at least you just see the prosecutor and generally if you only have a couple of offenses it will be reduced...

Minor or not it's one point. As I said, the cost isn't the issue, it's the point on my license.

If anything I think the fact that I'm 12 over the speed limit rather than 30 over makes it more sensible to check the laser calibration. Say the laser is off by 10mph due to non-calibration and the angle error, that would put me only 2mph over the limit.

But if I'm going 30 over even if the thing is 15mph off I'm still way the heck over the limit.

Originally Posted by TexasSP

Based on the car you drive I highly doubt trying to make yourself out to be a "poor" student will work too well.

In Texas we have attorney's offices that strictly handle traffic violations. You pay them $100.00 and they go to court with you and get the ticket dismissed and/or similar. It's kind of shady to me but works.

Maybe California has similar unless it's "known to the state of California to be hazardous to your health".

I'll look into the lawyers, could be worth it I guess.

On the plus side, I was driving my dad's truck - not my car so claiming poor college student could possibly work.

Seems like right now the best course is trial by declaration and pray he doesn't respond. If he does and I lose, then set a court date, delay delay delay, and then talk to officer then prosecutor to beg for mercy?

[JERRY2KONE]

Challenging the callibration of radar or lazer guns, which only have a variance of about 5mph in either direction is pretty much futile. So going that route would only do you good if you were 5mph over the speed limit. Sometimes it works, but most of the time the judge just gets pissed off at the effort and levies the max fine on the violation just for wasting his or her time having to discuss it in their courtroom. You have to remember that this type of issue is what goes on in their courtroom all day long, every single day, every week of their miserable job. They have heard every excuse in the book and the bottom line is slow down and stop getting pulled over.

The best advice here so far is for you to approach the prosicutor prior to the hearing/pleeding and try to get it reduced or at least elliminate the points. This will save him/her time and get them out of the courtroom sooner so they can go home for the day. Anything else is just going to cause you even more trouble.

The advice we used to get as kids was take your lumps and move on with your life, and stop making stupid mistakes. We all come to realize as we age that following the rules of the road is the best route. The rules apply to everyone without exception. The sooner you learn this the easier your life will be.

[rabosi]

Originally Posted by JERRY2KONE

.......... The rules apply to everyone without exception.

If only it was so.

[eovnu87435ds]

One thing that I learned is that if you get pulled over, when the officer asks for your license, registration, and insurance, hand him an expired proof of insurance card instead of a new card. Most times the officer will come back and write you a ticket for the insurance, and ignore whatever else you were pulled over for, which is nice, since it's cheaper and 0 points. If, the cop decides to write you up for insurance AND your other violation, be ready to hand him your current insurance, and say you handed him the old one by mistake. By law he would have to remove the insurance offense.

Of course, this won't help you now, but since we were on the topic...

[JERRY2KONE]

Never thought of that one. Sounds like it would work on the right officer. So whats the status with your ticket? Anything new to report?