Got my first speeding ticket. Suggestions?

[Throwmeabone]

We bought a new Jetta Wolfsburg Edition with the 2.0T engine. It's a lot faster than I'm used to and as a result you can be going 80+ and not realize it. I will admit, it's not like I didn't know what I was doing, I was just having fun in the car. I was clocked going 86 in a 65. That puts the penalty for being convicted at 6 points versus 4 points by 1 mph. In New York State there is also an additional $300 fee over three years when you get 6 points. Should I send in the ticket pleading not guilty or wait until I find a lawyer?

 

[iamwiz82]

How do you not notice going 21 miles above the speed limit? Go to court, try to get it pleaded down, pay penalty.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Throwthemabone

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Go to court, likely the judge will say "Anyone who just pleads guilty will pay xx+court costs...", you can also talk to the DA while there to plead.

 

[programmer]

See an attorney specializing in traffic cases a.s.a.p.

 

[ayabe]

Depending on your court date, your time frame for taking the class to remove the points might expire. Then you will go to court and get screwed as well as getting screwed by your insurance company.

If I were you, I would just pay it, take the class and save yourself the points.

You're not going to get off so I wouldn't waste the time.

 

[AMCRambler]

I would plead not guilty and take it to court. The officer may not show up and you might get off with a scolding from the judge. I ran a red and plead not guilty and took it to court. My fiances mom worked as a court clerk for the town then and I told her I had school that morning they scheduled the court date. She told me that I could request a re-scheduled court date for an evening session when I mailed in the ticket. So I did and the officer did not show up. Not sure if it was the fact that I re-scheduled the date or not, but boy was I lucky.
The last ticket I got the officer told me to plead not guilty, mail it in and just get to court early and he would talk to the judge about getting it reduced. So I did, and he did and the judge chewed my ass out and embarrassed me in front of everyone and then dropped it to a stop sign infraction. Counts as a moving violation so it shows up on your record, but no points so it didn't hit the insurance too bad. I think that was for 70 in a 55. 86 in a 65 is pushing it but if the cop was in a forgiving mood he might be willing to do something for you. Perhaps get it knocked down to 15 over and that will reduce the points.
I've heard that New York State has changed the policies on reducing traffic enforcement violations so that now State Troopers are not allowed to do this anymore. Not sure if the same goes for the town courts but it sounds like NYS at least is really trying to discourage speeding.

 

[LTC8K6]

You were speeding and also not paying attention to your speed.

Plead guilty and take your punishment.

 

[Heller]

ticketclinic.com


set it up online, you'll get an attorney to call you the next biz day.

cost me $~80.00 for doing 56 in a 45, didn't have to show for court either.

 

[GoatMonkey]

Last time I was in traffic court, the judge pretty much just said that she would automatically deduct a certain number of mph off of each ticket for everyone who wanted to get out of there faster. About 30 people lined up and the room was half cleared out.

 

[alphatarget1]

fight every ticket.

 

[bruceb]

You have to at least try and fight it. You have nothing to lose, except some time and a lot to gain. Even if all they do is move it down to the next lower amount of points .. 6 points for 1 ticket is a lot. So not only would you need the safety class, but then you would need to watch everything real close for the next 3 years. Not sure about NY, but in NJ for each year you go ticket free, they remove 2 points from your license, but never below 0 points. And the ticket will still show on your license abstract and on your insurance for 3 years. And in NJ if you go over a certain amount of points, then there are other surcharges in addition to the insurance surcharges. In NY if you take the classroom safety course, 4 points come off your license ... it can not be done online. If you hit 11 points, they will suspend your license.

http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/license.htm#points

 

[nonameo]

Slow down?

 

[Squisher]

A lawyer will cost you about $500 and I'd say you have a 90% chance of getting it down to 10 to 15 over. I'd say doing it yourself you've got a 50/50 chance of doing the same.

If you decide to go the lawyer route find one whose office is in the same area as the courthouse so he'll be very familiar with the judges and prosecuting attorneys. It is an old boys club.

 

[potato28]

Pay it, eat the class and move on.

 

[Bignate603]

Originally posted by: potato28
Pay it, eat the class and move on.

In NY I don't think you can take a class for a ticket that bad.

 

[Brainonska511]

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: potato28
Pay it, eat the class and move on.

In NY I don't think you can take a class for a ticket that bad.

Defensive Driving only removes up to 4 points in NY. I had a 6 point speeding ticket a while back - ended up paying $550 overall for the violation + and that additional NYS fine. My insurance never found out and the points expired in December 07.

 

[exdeath]

It can go either way. Most cops will cut people breaks on the spot, ie: they will clock you at 80 and only cite you for 70. If you try to fight something like that and basically look a gift horse in the mouth and the cop shows up the ticket can always be amended with the real speed. If you fight it, make sure this isn't the case.

The whole point of a speeding ticket is that you were CAUGHT which means you weren't PAYING ATTENTION to your surroundings while you were speeding, and it's the combination of the two more so than just speeding that is bad. If you are willing to speed past an area that could potentially hide a speed trap, you probably speed through intersections or around blind corners too whether you realize it or not.

I'll be the first to admit I play with my car every chance I get, but a little common sense and awareness goes a long way to avoiding tickets and accidents.

 

[ayabe]

Really some nonsense advice in here.

It's an urban myth that the cops aren't going to show up, they almost always do. What happens is that 4 months down the road the cop will have all of his/her disputed tickets over that period of time heard in court and will sit there all damn day.

Having been through this myself about 8 years ago and having the cop lie in court has led me to believe that you really just need to take the class and the pay the fine.

While you MIGHT get the fine slightly reduced that will be more than offset by your atty fees and your increased insurance premiums.

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
How do you not notice going 21 miles above the speed limit? Go to court, try to get it pleaded down, pay penalty.

Depending on the car, it's very easy to not notice. In my M3, going 80mph feels like going 50.

 

[Nyati13]

Originally posted by: Bignate603

Originally posted by: potato28
Pay it, eat the class and move on.

In NY I don't think you can take a class for a ticket that bad.

There's no "Defered Adjudication" in NY?. I know every state is a little bit different on driving laws, it makes it difficult to give good advice over the inter-tubes.

 

[lurk3r]

every time I tried to check out the traffic dudes they wanted at least $900, just go yourself and pray

 

[NAC]

In NJ, I got a ticket doing 92 in a 65. The below applies to NJ, I'm not sure how NY is.

The NJ rules are 2 pts for the first 15 over, and then 4 points for 15-30 over. So I was close to 30 mph over. I pleaded not guilty and went to court.

I discovered that the first court date you can plead not guilty in person, and then have to go back again for a second court date and then the officer will be there. So I was not looking forward to fight the case, and need to take another vacation day and perhaps still have to pay the full fine. I never realized that the officer wont be there for the first court date, and is only called in for the second. No doubt, they arrange the second court date on a day and time when the officer can easily make it.

Anyway, so this was the first court date. I told the prosecutor that I was going with the flow of traffic, and don't think I was going 92. He offered that perhaps the judge would allow me to plead guilty to 80 in a 65, which would only be two points. He said usually he wont for speeds over about 90. But anyway - that would be a lower fine, and in NJ only two points can't increase your insurance. Hard not to accept. So the judge came in and allowed me to plead guilty to 80 in a 65. Saved a couple hundred bucks extra I would have had to pay NJ, and who knows how much my insurance might have gone up.

Win-win for the courts to, because if they didn't accept that plea, I'd might have plead not guilty, and taken perhaps an hour of the police officer's time, and more time from the court. So I bet they do this all the time.

Moral of the story? Buy a radar detector.

 

[sniperruff]

"That puts the penalty for being convicted at 6 points versus 4 points by 1 mph. In New York State there is also an additional $300 fee over three years when you get 6 points."

nice!

 

[funboy6942]

If first offense, just go to court, pled guilty, judge will slap your hand telling you bad boy why you do it. Be truthful, walk away paying court costs and 1 year court supervision.

Case closed.........hehe.