got my first speeding ticket

zeruty

Platinum Member
Jan 17, 2000
2,276
2
81
Welp, I got my first speeding ticket. The cop was in plain sight on a motorcyle... I was only paying attention to not hitting the car in front of me, and getting rid of the plastic thing that holds up my seatbelt because it was stabbing me in the side....
so anyways I didn't see the cop until he had already radar'd me :\

I honestly wasn't watching my speedo, I was just pretty much pacing the car in front of me.... of course when the cop pulled out and turned on his lights, I pulled over and got the ticket, the other person just got away with it

The cop said he clocked me doing 54... in a 40 zone... (I drive this road daily, never seen a cop there before, and it's a country style road, no pedestrians or anything around...)
He said he would just give me a ticket for 45mph, which puts it in the lowest cost bracket....
What he wrote on the ticket was:
Violation/statute code: Vehicle Speed:
46-61-400 45 in a 40 (54)
The ticket is for $76... I know its not that bad, but it's $76 more than I can afford right now


Everyone tells me I should definately go to court for it... that they usually cut the fine in half just for showing up, and they may take it off my record..

Does anyone have any suggestions? What to say, etc...

Also a co-worker told me that I can go to the court, pay something like $100 and they will "drop the ticket" and it won't go on my record.... because it's my first ticket... is this true? what are the requirements for this?
 

d33pt

Diamond Member
Jan 12, 2001
5,654
1
81
you got off easy man... just pay the money. all my tickets have been $200-600
 

Trezza

Senior member
Sep 18, 2002
522
0
0
Originally posted by: zeruty

I honestly wasn't watching my speedo, I was just pretty much pacing the car in front of me.... of course when the cop pulled out and turned on his lights, I pulled over and got the ticket, the other person just got away with it

First question. why were you wearing a speedo and why would you be looking at it. ewww :D
 

iwearnosox

Lifer
Oct 26, 2000
16,018
5
0
Originally posted by: Trezza
Originally posted by: zeruty

I honestly wasn't watching my speedo, I was just pretty much pacing the car in front of me.... of course when the cop pulled out and turned on his lights, I pulled over and got the ticket, the other person just got away with it

First question. why were you wearing a speedo and why would you be looking at it. ewww :D
LordJezo was in teh trunk.
 
Apr 5, 2000
13,256
1
0
The thing where it doesn't go against your record is defensive driving. Take the course, send the papers to the court. They drop the ticket. Of course, the course costs more than the ticket itself, but that's the price you gotta pay
 

LeStEr

Diamond Member
Dec 28, 1999
3,412
0
0
If there is any mistake on the ticket just take it to court and dispute it. I have had two tickets and the cops screwed up something when they wrote it up and I got off both times. One of the tickets they wrote the wrong date and the second one they got my postal code wrong.
 

Joker81

Golden Member
Aug 9, 2000
1,281
0
0
Sometimes you can take a course and they will take it off your record. Although you still would have to goto court. Don't know how to do it just have heard of it.
 

thomsbrain

Lifer
Dec 4, 2001
18,148
1
0
you can take traffic school to get it wiped from your record. there may be an option on the ticket itself. otherwise, call in and ask. i didn't need to appear in court in order to take traffic school when i got my ticket.
 

Occifer

Golden Member
Mar 27, 2002
1,002
0
0
Originally posted by: thomsbrain
you can take traffic school to get it wiped from your record. there may be an option on the ticket itself. otherwise, call in and ask. i didn't need to appear in court in order to take traffic school when i got my ticket.

Do this, traffic school is only $30 here iirc.
 

dahunan

Lifer
Jan 10, 2002
18,191
3
0
IS there anything out there that can help erase
88 in a 55 --$125
50 in a 30 ==$150
100 in a 65 == $500
87 in a 65 == $300

All within 5 years

:(
 

zeruty

Platinum Member
Jan 17, 2000
2,276
2
81
my brother got a 121 in a 60 a couple of years ago...

EDIT:

that was... after he slowed down, because he saw cops a couple miles ahead
damn stupid undercover volvo is what clocked him
 

shoeish

Senior member
Mar 15, 2002
245
0
76
I got hit with a 86 in a 70 in texas... Cop was mad enough that one would think I was doing that in his personal driveway through his kids... $146. eek.

 

Acanthus

Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
19,915
2
76
ostif.org
123 in a 65 here, Pennsylvania Interstate I90 at 2AMish, 5 points, $388. No one else was on the road, at all, and its perfectly straight.

He actually caught up to me ><.
 

m2kewl

Diamond Member
Oct 7, 2001
8,263
0
0
zeruty: go to court. they'll most likely drop it to a non-moving violation (parking ticket) and you won't have any points.
 

nsafreak

Diamond Member
Oct 16, 2001
7,093
3
81
Ummm I wouldn't be too surpised that he caught up with you Acanthus. They do a good bit of alteration to the engines of the cop cars, especially the interceptors.
 

zeruty

Platinum Member
Jan 17, 2000
2,276
2
81
thanks for the tips guys...

when I mail in the ticket, should i select "Mitigation Hearing" or "Contested hearing. I want to contest (challenge) this infraction."

Mitigation says:
"I agree I have committed the infractions(s), but I want a hearing to explain the circumstances. Please send me a court date, and I promise to appear on that date. I know I can ask witnesses to appear but they are not required to appear. I understand this will go on my driving record if "traffic" is checked on the front. In some cases the court may allow time payments or reduce the penalty."

Contested says:
"I did not commit the infraction. Plese send me a court date, and I promise to appear on that date. The state must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that I commited the infraction. I know I can require (subpoeana) witnesses, including the officer who wrote the ticket, to attend the hearing. The court will tell me how to request a witness's appearance. I understand this will go on my driving record and "traffic" is checked on the front."

 

nn2000

Senior member
May 9, 2003
227
0
71
I dont's advise you to traffic school
because it's just a small case
if you take the class,you can't have a second chance to take it in one yr.
what if you have a big case within one yr?just keep the chance of taking class until you have a big case

btw, I got a night headlight ticket these days which cost $91,I don't know if the fee is correct
anybody has any link for check the fee for all kinds of ticket?
 

zeruty

Platinum Member
Jan 17, 2000
2,276
2
81
Originally posted by: nsafreak
Ummm I wouldn't be too surpised that he caught up with you Acanthus. They do a good bit of alteration to the engines of the cop cars, especially the interceptors.

Back in the 80s (ending in 91) most crown vic w/police package had 351's, as opposed to the 302 in civilian models...
but still the 351 is only ~180hp

my car is a 1989 ex washington state patrol car... with a 351

most of the crown vic police interceptors in the 90s use the exact same 4.6l V8 that the civilian cars do...
either in 01 or 03 (I can't remember right now) they changed a few things in the engine for the cop cars

other than that... 96 caprice's had the option of using the lt1 corvette engine... and are still about the fastest cop cars still in common use today
 

GtPrOjEcTX

Lifer
Jul 3, 2001
10,784
6
81
traffic school.

nothing on your record. 6 hours on a Saturday. I think it may cost around $60 as well, though (been a while)
and don't get another ticket in 3 years. after 3 years go back to traffic school, repeat.
 

slick230

Banned
Jan 31, 2003
2,776
0
0
Originally posted by: dahunan
IS there anything out there that can help erase
88 in a 55 --$125
50 in a 30 ==$150
100 in a 65 == $500
87 in a 65 == $300

All within 5 years

:(

Yeah, taking your friggin license away will get rid of these problems. Goddamn menace...

 

m2kewl

Diamond Member
Oct 7, 2001
8,263
0
0
Originally posted by: dahunan
IS there anything out there that can help erase
88 in a 55 --$125
50 in a 30 ==$150
100 in a 65 == $500
87 in a 65 == $300
All within 5 years
:(

dude, you're an accident waiting to happen.