I got a speeding ticket

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CubicZirconia

Diamond Member
Nov 24, 2001
5,193
0
71
Originally posted by: PhasmatisNox
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Originally posted by: bradruth
So you were speeding, got caught, and want to fight the ticket? You deserved it, so pay for it and move on.

Edit: Find out what it'll do to your license in terms of points. If it's significant enough then take a defensive driving course or something like that.

What are you, a cop?

ALWAYS fight the ticket if you have an hour or two to spare. I've had multiple speeding tickets, all which I was clearly guilty of, dismissed because of discovery violations. Usually the violations weren't even the officer's fault (city attorneys are lazy bastards).

My last case involved an officer who was a 12-year vet of his PD. He presented his side of the case EXTREMELY well, and was assured a victory had I not filed for discovery. The judge said that since my case was a clear cut discovery violation, even though the officer's testimony was concrete, he'd have to throw the ticket out.


What's discovery? Whether their speed gun was calibrated recently?

Why don't you read the thread and discover for yourself?
 

jonmullen

Platinum Member
Jun 17, 2002
2,517
0
0
Yah the date is April 21st. I think I am probally gonna just take traffic school, its cheaper and I wont have to mess with getting out of school, that is unless oklahoma allows you to do all this by mail like cali does, but I cant find any concrete info on it.
 

BeauJangles

Lifer
Aug 26, 2001
13,941
1
0
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Originally posted by: bradruth
So you were speeding, got caught, and want to fight the ticket? You deserved it, so pay for it and move on.

Edit: Find out what it'll do to your license in terms of points. If it's significant enough then take a defensive driving course or something like that.

What are you, a cop?

ALWAYS fight the ticket if you have an hour or two to spare. I've had multiple speeding tickets, all which I was clearly guilty of, dismissed because of discovery violations. Usually the violations weren't even the officer's fault (city attorneys are lazy bastards).

My last case involved an officer who was a 12-year vet of his PD. He presented his side of the case EXTREMELY well, and was assured a victory had I not filed for discovery. The judge said that since my case was a clear cut discovery violation, even though the officer's testimony was concrete, he'd have to throw the ticket out.

So you broke the law and got away free on technicalities? Congratulations.
 

jpeyton

Moderator in SFF, Notebooks, Pre-Built/Barebones
Moderator
Aug 23, 2003
25,375
142
116
Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Originally posted by: bradruth
So you were speeding, got caught, and want to fight the ticket? You deserved it, so pay for it and move on.

Edit: Find out what it'll do to your license in terms of points. If it's significant enough then take a defensive driving course or something like that.

What are you, a cop?

ALWAYS fight the ticket if you have an hour or two to spare. I've had multiple speeding tickets, all which I was clearly guilty of, dismissed because of discovery violations. Usually the violations weren't even the officer's fault (city attorneys are lazy bastards).

My last case involved an officer who was a 12-year vet of his PD. He presented his side of the case EXTREMELY well, and was assured a victory had I not filed for discovery. The judge said that since my case was a clear cut discovery violation, even though the officer's testimony was concrete, he'd have to throw the ticket out.

So you broke the law and got away free on technicalities? Congratulations.

Believe me, there are enough soccer moms and high school kids pleading "guilty" and lining the pockets of our PDs with their fines for them not to miss my money.
 

Jfrag Teh Foul

Diamond Member
Jul 18, 2001
3,146
0
0
rolleye.gif
So much for being a "civilized" society... I find it amazing how people try to shirk their responsibilities even when an offense is minuscule. You were speeding. You should pay your fine for breaking the law. Take the course and reduce the penalty on the insurance the honest (and legal) way.

 

bradruth

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
13,479
2
81
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Originally posted by: bradruth
So you were speeding, got caught, and want to fight the ticket? You deserved it, so pay for it and move on.

Edit: Find out what it'll do to your license in terms of points. If it's significant enough then take a defensive driving course or something like that.

What are you, a cop?

ALWAYS fight the ticket if you have an hour or two to spare. I've had multiple speeding tickets, all which I was clearly guilty of, dismissed because of discovery violations. Usually the violations weren't even the officer's fault (city attorneys are lazy bastards).

My last case involved an officer who was a 12-year vet of his PD. He presented his side of the case EXTREMELY well, and was assured a victory had I not filed for discovery. The judge said that since my case was a clear cut discovery violation, even though the officer's testimony was concrete, he'd have to throw the ticket out.

So you broke the law and got away free on technicalities? Congratulations.

Believe me, there are enough soccer moms and high school kids pleading "guilty" and lining the pockets of our PDs with their fines for them not to miss my money.

Police departments don't reap the benefits from writing tickets. All that money goes directly into the city's coffers and is likely used for services that YOU benefit from. Some may indirectly fund the PD, but it's probably a minescule portion compared to what other agencies & programs get.
 

jpeyton

Moderator in SFF, Notebooks, Pre-Built/Barebones
Moderator
Aug 23, 2003
25,375
142
116
Originally posted by: bradruth
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Originally posted by: BlinderBomber
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Originally posted by: bradruth
So you were speeding, got caught, and want to fight the ticket? You deserved it, so pay for it and move on.

Edit: Find out what it'll do to your license in terms of points. If it's significant enough then take a defensive driving course or something like that.

What are you, a cop?

ALWAYS fight the ticket if you have an hour or two to spare. I've had multiple speeding tickets, all which I was clearly guilty of, dismissed because of discovery violations. Usually the violations weren't even the officer's fault (city attorneys are lazy bastards).

My last case involved an officer who was a 12-year vet of his PD. He presented his side of the case EXTREMELY well, and was assured a victory had I not filed for discovery. The judge said that since my case was a clear cut discovery violation, even though the officer's testimony was concrete, he'd have to throw the ticket out.

So you broke the law and got away free on technicalities? Congratulations.

Believe me, there are enough soccer moms and high school kids pleading "guilty" and lining the pockets of our PDs with their fines for them not to miss my money.

Police departments don't reap the benefits from writing tickets. All that money goes directly into the city's coffers and is likely used for services that YOU benefit from. Some may indirectly fund the PD, but it's probably a minescule portion compared to what other agencies & programs get.

In the case of state PD, the money goes to the state, which is responsible for funding the PD. Likewise, the cities coffers are where the money for local PD comes from. So the incentive is there.
 

jteef

Golden Member
Feb 20, 2001
1,355
0
76
if you are worried about insurance hikes, hire a lawyer. $100-200 to the lawyer plus fines(generally 2x the original ticket cost) and you generally get reduced to a no points or non moving violation.

yes it is expensive, but consider you'll be spending about the same amount of money every 6 months for the next 3-5 years.
 

bradruth

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
13,479
2
81
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Originally posted by: bradruth
Police departments don't reap the benefits from writing tickets. All that money goes directly into the city's coffers and is likely used for services that YOU benefit from. Some may indirectly fund the PD, but it's probably a minescule portion compared to what other agencies & programs get.

In the case of state PD, the money goes to the state, which is responsible for funding the PD. Likewise, the cities coffers are where the money for local PD comes from. So the incentive is there.

An agency would have to write a whole hell of a lot of tickets in order to benefit themselves. Highway Patrol is the only type of agency who's main purpose is to write traffic tickets, and they don't need as much funding as other LE agencies because they don't extend themselves as much (in other words, the revenue from the tickets goes toward general state spending). Municipal PDs primarily respond to calls for service, so traffic is generally secondary. County does a blend of both (and their function varies immensely from county to county).
 

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,853
1,048
126
Originally posted by: TerryMathews

Sucks being a teenage male with a car. Doesn't really get better until your mid 20s either.
Bah, the magical age of 25 got me a whopping $100 savings on my insurance every 6 months. Don't fall for the hype.
 

isasir

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2000
8,611
0
0
Originally posted by: Jfrag
rolleye.gif
So much for being a "civilized" society... I find it amazing how people try to shirk their responsibilities even when an offense is minuscule. You were speeding. You should pay your fine for breaking the law. Take the course and reduce the penalty on the insurance the honest (and legal) way.

If all I had to be concerned with was the amount of the fine, then I wouldn't have any problem paying a ticket (unless I was innocent of the charge). The fact that my insurance rates will likely go up though because I sped and got caught (since I'm almost never the only one speeding on the road at a given time) is what makes me want to try and get a charge dismissed by whatever means.

Hell, I got a bogus $20 parking ticket the other day. I easily could've fought it and I know I'd win, but it just isn't worth my time. So I consider fighting a ticket when guilty is just the oppposite end of the spectrum.
 

QueHuong

Platinum Member
Nov 21, 2001
2,098
0
0
Damn, just got a speeding ticket today :-( He said I was going 77 in a 55. Do cops always have to show you the reading of their radar/laser because mine didn't show me - he just said I did 77. He gave me a citation and the fee is going to be $128. If I contest the ticket in court, will my argument that he didn't show me proof of my speeding help my case?

Some facts: my first time getting a ticket, I'm 19, and I live in Ohio.

 

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,853
1,048
126
Originally posted by: MindStorm
Damn, just got a speeding ticket today :-( He said I was going 77 in a 55. Do cops always have to show you the reading of their radar/laser because mine didn't show me - he just said I did 77. He gave me a citation and the fee is going to be $128. If I contest the ticket in court, will my argument that he didn't show me proof of my speeding help my case?

Some facts: my first time getting a ticket, I'm 19, and I live in Ohio.
You can argue about whether they calibrated the thing... so I hear... I don't think they have to show you. That has no bearing on whether you did it or not.
 

jpeyton

Moderator in SFF, Notebooks, Pre-Built/Barebones
Moderator
Aug 23, 2003
25,375
142
116
Originally posted by: MindStorm
Damn, just got a speeding ticket today :-( He said I was going 77 in a 55. Do cops always have to show you the reading of their radar/laser because mine didn't show me - he just said I did 77. He gave me a citation and the fee is going to be $128. If I contest the ticket in court, will my argument that he didn't show me proof of my speeding help my case?

Some facts: my first time getting a ticket, I'm 19, and I live in Ohio.

That argument won't stand in court. Like I said before:

A)Plead not guilty, setup a trial date or setup trial by written appearance (if available in your area).
B)Submit a list of requested documents to the municipal court, police department, city/county attorney, etc. requesting things like the officer's certification regarding speed measuring devices, logs for calibration of the speed measuring equipment, policies and procedures regarding the PDs use of speed measuring equipment, etc.
C)Submit the list right away, so you give them ample time to respond.

You have a better than 50% chance that they won't submit any documents, or won't submit many documents. Then at your trial, tell the judge that your case was dependant on reviewing the documents requested, and that your discovery rights were violated, and that the case should be dismissed.

There you go. That's the short version. Do a little research online to get any details I left out.
 
Jan 31, 2002
40,819
2
0
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Originally posted by: MindStorm
Damn, just got a speeding ticket today :-( He said I was going 77 in a 55. Do cops always have to show you the reading of their radar/laser because mine didn't show me - he just said I did 77. He gave me a citation and the fee is going to be $128. If I contest the ticket in court, will my argument that he didn't show me proof of my speeding help my case?

Some facts: my first time getting a ticket, I'm 19, and I live in Ohio.

That argument won't stand in court. Like I said before:

A)Plead not guilty, setup a trial date or setup trial by written appearance (if available in your area).
B)Submit a list of requested documents to the municipal court, police department, city/county attorney, etc. requesting things like the officer's certification regarding speed measuring devices, logs for calibration of the speed measuring equipment, policies and procedures regarding the PDs use of speed measuring equipment, etc.
C)Submit the list right away, so you give them ample time to respond.

You have a better than 50% chance that they won't submit any documents, or won't submit many documents. Then at your trial, tell the judge that your case was dependant on reviewing the documents requested, and that your discovery rights were violated, and that the case should be dismissed.

There you go. That's the short version. Do a little research online to get any details I left out.

Just to note, if they do provide said documents, expect to get lambasted by the judge.

- M4H
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,924
45
91
Originally posted by: Nebor
It's kinda funny and sad, a lot of cops get killed writing BS tickets like this. They could very well still be alive if they hadn't pulled that last car over...

Yeah, that's really funny you stupid moron.
 

jpeyton

Moderator in SFF, Notebooks, Pre-Built/Barebones
Moderator
Aug 23, 2003
25,375
142
116
Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Originally posted by: MindStorm
Damn, just got a speeding ticket today :-( He said I was going 77 in a 55. Do cops always have to show you the reading of their radar/laser because mine didn't show me - he just said I did 77. He gave me a citation and the fee is going to be $128. If I contest the ticket in court, will my argument that he didn't show me proof of my speeding help my case?

Some facts: my first time getting a ticket, I'm 19, and I live in Ohio.

That argument won't stand in court. Like I said before:

A)Plead not guilty, setup a trial date or setup trial by written appearance (if available in your area).
B)Submit a list of requested documents to the municipal court, police department, city/county attorney, etc. requesting things like the officer's certification regarding speed measuring devices, logs for calibration of the speed measuring equipment, policies and procedures regarding the PDs use of speed measuring equipment, etc.
C)Submit the list right away, so you give them ample time to respond.

You have a better than 50% chance that they won't submit any documents, or won't submit many documents. Then at your trial, tell the judge that your case was dependant on reviewing the documents requested, and that your discovery rights were violated, and that the case should be dismissed.

There you go. That's the short version. Do a little research online to get any details I left out.

Just to note, if they do provide said documents, expect to get lambasted by the judge.

- M4H

Hardly. Every municipal court judge in the country who tries traffic court cases knows that 90% of the people pleading before them are guilty even if they pleaded not guilty. Every one I've encountered has been kind and courteous, whether they found me guilty or not.
 

BatmanNate

Lifer
Jul 12, 2000
12,444
2
81
Originally posted by: jonmullen
I'm not here to say that I was not speeding, I was, I was going 15 over on a non-residential street trying to get my friend home by curfew. I live in Oklahoma City and am 16 and this is my first ticket...what is the best course of action so that this does not affect my insurance. Should I try to fight the ticket, I head that if you fight by mail it often gets dismissed or something, or should I take drivers school and does that get the points taken off and not go on my insurance. I'm pleaing what are my options here.

It depends on your state law, but I would request mitigation and then often times the state will offer a program where you take so many hours of defensive driving class (even online) and pay a fee (probably 100 bucks or so) then if you don't get a ticket for X period of time (90 days to a year from what I've seen in most states) then it doesn't go on your insurance. I believe this is called a deferal.
 

QueHuong

Platinum Member
Nov 21, 2001
2,098
0
0
Originally posted by: jpeyton
Originally posted by: MindStorm
Damn, just got a speeding ticket today :-( He said I was going 77 in a 55. Do cops always have to show you the reading of their radar/laser because mine didn't show me - he just said I did 77. He gave me a citation and the fee is going to be $128. If I contest the ticket in court, will my argument that he didn't show me proof of my speeding help my case?

Some facts: my first time getting a ticket, I'm 19, and I live in Ohio.

That argument won't stand in court. Like I said before:

A)Plead not guilty, setup a trial date or setup trial by written appearance (if available in your area).
B)Submit a list of requested documents to the municipal court, police department, city/county attorney, etc. requesting things like the officer's certification regarding speed measuring devices, logs for calibration of the speed measuring equipment, policies and procedures regarding the PDs use of speed measuring equipment, etc.
C)Submit the list right away, so you give them ample time to respond.

You have a better than 50% chance that they won't submit any documents, or won't submit many documents. Then at your trial, tell the judge that your case was dependant on reviewing the documents requested, and that your discovery rights were violated, and that the case should be dismissed.

There you go. That's the short version. Do a little research online to get any details I left out.


As this is my first ticket, is it worth provoking the court and police department by making them provide me all of these documents and if I'm found guilty, they might not reduce the charges? On one hand, I'm willing to pay the fee, as long as it doesn't show up on my driving records. On the other hand, I have a chance to just go off scotch free and play pseudo-lawyer for a day...decisions, decisions.

Also, one thing that bugs me is that there were from 1-3 cars that were between me and police at various times as we approached and rounded the curve (the police was at the curve of the highway exit), how exactly is the police going to know the speed he's clocking is me specifically?
 

pyonir

Lifer
Dec 18, 2001
40,856
311
126
Originally posted by: Nebor
It's kinda funny and sad, a lot of cops get killed writing BS tickets like this. They could very well still be alive if they hadn't pulled that last car over...

How in the hell have you not been banned. You are nothing but a troll.