First Speeding Ticket

[Titan]

27 over the limit will be a big fine and some points. Anything past 20 over the limit is major bucks. However, since this is your first offense, most states have options to plea down to a lesser charge. In NY, I had my first ticket (20 over) plead down by mail. I had to mail in my ticket as NOT guilty and sent a letter to the county judge and district attorney. The DA mailed me a form to plea to a lesser charge. It didn't cost less, but saved me points..

DO not plead guilty. That means you admidt to the offense and nothing can be plead down. Find someone in your state who knows the process or call the local DAs office. I had to ask a lot of people before I got the right answer and I was at college.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: EliteXen
I just got my first speeding ticket the other day and I was wondering how I should go about fighting it. I know I was speeding (80ish in a 45 zone.)

I kinda forgot that I wasn't on I-95 yet so cops might actually care how fast I'm driving.

So you were going almost twice the limit in a residential zone?

I'd be happy if they yanked your license. There are already enough idiots on the road.

If you MUST speed, DO IT ON THE FREEWAY!!!!

 

[isasir]

Originally posted by: tkotitan2
27 over the limit will be a big fine and some points. Anything past 20 over the limit is major bucks. However, since this is your first offense, most states have options to plea down to a lesser charge. In NY, I had my first ticket (20 over) plead down by mail. I had to mail in my ticket as NOT guilty and sent a letter to the county judge and district attorney. The DA mailed me a form to plea to a lesser charge. It didn't cost less, but saved me points..

DO not plead guilty. That means you admidt to the offense and nothing can be plead down. Find someone in your state who knows the process or call the local DAs office. I had to ask a lot of people before I got the right answer and I was at college.

Did this occur in New York City (the 5 boroughs)?

 

[Titan]

nah, it was on i-90 outside of Rochester, and was 4 hours from school, so I had to do everything by mail, it woud have cost to much to show up in court.

 

[Pex]

You fu*ked up!

 

[isasir]

Originally posted by: tkotitan2
nah, it was on i-90 outside of Rochester, and was 4 hours from school, so I had to do everything by mail, it woud have cost to much to show up in court.

Did the ticket itself say you can plea it down? It seems to be a non-NYC thing, as I didn't see any mention of that on my ticket in Queens, NY.

 

[DainBramaged]

you speed, STFU and pay it

 

[Titan]

Originally posted by: isasir

Originally posted by: tkotitan2
nah, it was on i-90 outside of Rochester, and was 4 hours from school, so I had to do everything by mail, it woud have cost to much to show up in court.

Did the ticket itself say you can plea it down? It seems to be a non-NYC thing, as I didn't see any mention of that on my ticket in Queens, NY.

No the ticket gave no clue. I had to ask people who already got tickets and finally had to call the DAs office and they told me I had to write a letter and they'd send me a form.

 

[EliteXen]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: EliteXen
I just got my first speeding ticket the other day and I was wondering how I should go about fighting it. I know I was speeding (80ish in a 45 zone.)

I kinda forgot that I wasn't on I-95 yet so cops might actually care how fast I'm driving.

So you were going almost twice the limit in a residential zone?

I'd be happy if they yanked your license. There are already enough idiots on the road.

If you MUST speed, DO IT ON THE FREEWAY!!!!

I'm not that crazy I wouldn't go 80 in a residential. It was an 8 lane highway.

 

[KEV1N]

Just pay it and take traffic school-- consider it the fee for a lesson learned.

 

[isasir]

Originally posted by: tkotitan2

Originally posted by: isasir

Originally posted by: tkotitan2
nah, it was on i-90 outside of Rochester, and was 4 hours from school, so I had to do everything by mail, it woud have cost to much to show up in court.

Did the ticket itself say you can plea it down? It seems to be a non-NYC thing, as I didn't see any mention of that on my ticket in Queens, NY.

No the ticket gave no clue. I had to ask people who already got tickets and finally had to call the DAs office and they told me I had to write a letter and they'd send me a form.

Thanks for this info. I went to court about a month ago, but the cop didn't show up. Got rescheduled for September. I don't know if I want to deal with that. I'll prob. see if it's too late to try what you did.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: EliteXen

Originally posted by: jagec

So you were going almost twice the limit in a residential zone?

I'd be happy if they yanked your license. There are already enough idiots on the road.

If you MUST speed, DO IT ON THE FREEWAY!!!!

I'm not that crazy I wouldn't go 80 in a residential. It was an 8 lane highway.

OK, nm then. My wrath is for the people who endanger others

In that case try to get driving school. Pay whatever it takes to keep the points off your record. Don't make anything up, but say you'll drive more slowly in the future and mean it.

 

[XZeroII]

Originally posted by: EliteXen
I know I know, but I need some sort of devious scheme to get away without higher insurance.

I guess i could just pray the cop doesn't show up for the trial.

You deserve higher insurance. Going that much over makes you a BIG risk. If I were insuring you, I would certainly want to know if one of the people I was insuring was doing stupid stuff like that. It's people like you that cause the insane rates for us good drivers.

 

[Yossarian]

Originally posted by: tkotitan2DO not plead guilty. That means you admidt to the offense and nothing can be plead down. Find someone in your state who knows the process or call the local DAs office. I had to ask a lot of people before I got the right answer and I was at college.

I think you are mistaken, you have to plead guilty before the offense can be plead down.

 

[Titan]

Originally posted by: Yossarian

Originally posted by: tkotitan2DO not plead guilty. That means you admidt to the offense and nothing can be plead down. Find someone in your state who knows the process or call the local DAs office. I had to ask a lot of people before I got the right answer and I was at college.

I think you are mistaken, you have to plead guilty before the offense can be plead down.

Like I said, it depends on your state. In NY, pleading guilty and mailing it in gives you fines and points. I was told by the DA to plea NOT guilty, then guilty to a lesser charge which he sent me on a form. In general, you mail in the ticket, or go to court. Going to court is a better option, you do it all in front of the judge, and often times if you plea not guilty the cop who wrote the ticket won't show up. I had to do it by mail cuz 8 hours round trip was not a worthwhile justification for a drive I would probably just get another speeding ticket for.

Bottom line: don't mail in the ticket until you know what to do. Start calling police stations/offices until they give you someone who can yeild an answer.

 

[Metron]

I don't know the situation in Maryland, but in Texas you can opt for "deferred adjudication" in which you pay the fine and fees (so they still get their money) and you are on probation for three months (then your record is cleared, so no points or increased insurance). Hopefully you slow down and don't get another ticket. If you don't, you're forced to pay for the original offense and the new one.

Everybody wins, except the insurance companies.

Metron

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: Roger

Suggestions anyone?

Stop speeding.

 

[nakedfrog]

Heh... I have a female friend who just got a speeding ticket for 42 in a 25. Her excuse? It was right after the speed limit switched from 35 to 25, and she had been doing 45, so she says was really only doing 10 over instead of 17.
She make-a me laugh