is it worth fighting a speeding ticket?

[rh71]

I was busted for 75 on a 50, typical 3-lane highway (absurd max but I didn't know what it was anyway). I decided to pass in the left instead of following the pack and a Dodge Charger was lurking at the bottom of a decline - my mistake, I should've known - I was going to pay the $200 (11-20 over would've been the same fine) and move on but after reading such an article I'm wondering if it's worth fighting regardless.

http://articles.moneycentral.m...idaSpeedingTicket.aspx

- the next one, should I get another, could hurt my rates dramatically so keeping anything and everything off my record would be ideal.

- I'm unsure if this will even affect my rates and I'm not about to call and ask them... should it go up right away, at the renewal, or maybe they don't constantly review for infractions?

- it would cost $400 to fight this $200 ticket... do lawyers show up in court for you? What if they are unsuccessful?

- even former cops suggest to fight everything

 

[Vette73]

Yes, always.

 

[funboy6942]

ALWAYS show up to court. 90% of the time the Judge will make you pay court costs and thow the ticket out the window. The other 10% of the time you catch him/her on a bad day and they stick it to you, which if you planned on paying it wont really matter.

I take my chances on it getting thrown out, PROVIDED this is like your first time getting caught. I dont know anyone who wouldnt just go and try to get it off the record messing up your insurance quotes.

 

[rh71]

how do I know if i'm fit to represent myself against their questioning as opposed to a lawyer for hire who knows all the tricks? Is it easy stuff in there for joe schmoe?

Originally posted by: Gibson486
Now, if you have a legit excuse, you better have lots of evidence to back up that excuse, and then teh counter evidence to back up teh counter defense the judge will use.

Well it's a speeding ticket so if by excuse you mean why I exceeded my excuse was because people were going too damn slow and I felt it was necessary to pass in the passing lane just to get by them to make a birthday party on time. I never considered any speed limit or even looked at the speedo as I was doing it. If that's not considered an excuse, then I don't actually have one. Do they really accept those?

 

[Gibson486]

Today? No. They are so hungry for money, they will go out of your way to prove you wrong. Before, if you had a legit excuse, your fine would be thrown out. Now, if you have a legit excuse, you better have lots of evidence to back up that excuse, and then teh counter evidence to back up teh counter defense the judge will use. As for teh rate increase.....it will usually happen at renewel since that is when the recalculate yoru policy. If yoru record is clean, you will see a modest increase, but you can make teh increase smaller by switching companies.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Not really, you'll waste more of your and the goverment (your tax dollars at work) time. Just pay it, and be more careful next time.

If it's a situation where you really should not of got it, then by all means fight it, you might have a chance if you have good evidence and a good lawyer.

Never consider "the next one". If you follow the law there should be no next one. Yes, people hate me when they're behind me because I actually follow the LIMIT. But hey, at least I will never get a ticket. (ok, so I do go 10 over sometimes, maybe even 20 over but I try to follow the limit where it makes sense, some are just too low for nothing)

 

[Svnla]

Yes, do something now or your insurance rate will go up for the next several years (at least 3 years in my case).

Take a defense driving class/plead no contest with no points or record/etc. or anything else but guilty on your DMV record.

In my last tickets (several years ago), I called the City Attorneys office and asked what I could do to save everyone time and effort. They suggested that I went to court and plead no contest and took an 8 hours class. I did and no record = same insurance rate.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: rh71
how do I know if i'm fit to represent myself against their questioning as opposed to a lawyer for hire who knows all the tricks? Is it easy stuff in there for joe schmoe?

They are not going to question you, per say. You are just gonna go up to a judge and you plea your case. The judge will probably ask the cop who ticketed you if you were accelerating or deaccelerating (or some other useless question). Then he will make a decision from there. In most cases, you will get the ticket slashed in half or something, but that is insigficant when you factor in yoru insurance cost.

To give you an idea...

My rate up went up $170 per 6 months. I ended up swicthing to geico where I know pay the same as I did before I got a ticket, so it evened out. Remember, lawyers are not cheap.

 

[waggy]

yes fight it. you do not need a lawyer. one is worth it but not needed.

while the odds are you are going to lose i always fight them.

 

[funboy6942]

I cannot believe some of the replies saying to pay it and get fucked on your insurance having a moving violation on it.

When I was younger I used to get tickets all the time for speeding, no insurance, running over people, and only ONCE did I have to pay on the ticket and go to driving school.

Its so easy to be a caveman can do it, or for that matter me, because I got a ticket in my town when I first got my fastro, had my youngest, 7 at the time, not in a booster seat which he couldnt get into because there was just lap belts in a 88 Astro and it said in red letters NOT TO USE SEAT with lap belt only.

But the ticket was considered worse then a speeding ticket, and I didnt have to pay nothing. Showed up to court with the seat, told him they never made a 88 astro that year with shoulder restraints so I cant even get them installed aftermarket, said a few more words and let me go.

IMO was well worth the time going there. You are there to NOT get it on your record, the time "wasted" is money over the next 4 years in higher insurance cost, which at that point which is going to cost you more. You got to fight it, again if he makes you pay your no worse they you are right now, but if you get it off your record and have to do traffic school so be it, atleast your not paying out the ass each month with your insurance.

 

[BW86]

always fight it

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: rh71
how do I know if i'm fit to represent myself against their questioning as opposed to a lawyer for hire who knows all the tricks? Is it easy stuff in there for joe schmoe?

Originally posted by: Gibson486
Now, if you have a legit excuse, you better have lots of evidence to back up that excuse, and then teh counter evidence to back up teh counter defense the judge will use.

Well it's a speeding ticket so if by excuse you mean why I exceeded my excuse was because people were going too damn slow and I felt it was necessary to pass in the passing lane just to get by them to make a birthday party on time. I never considered any speed limit or even looked at the speedo as I was doing it. If that's not considered an excuse, then I don't actually have one. Do they really accept those?

I mean excuse as in, teh cop meant to pull over someone else or you just took a massive dump in your pants an dyou were rushing home (that excuse will not work). Anything else is pretty unacceptable to why you were speeding. As long as you admit you were speeding, you will have to pay. Also, your state may not even allow plea bargains, so it could be all or nothing.

 

[GeekDrew]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
But hey, at least I will never get a ticket. (ok, so I do go 10 over sometimes, maybe even 20 over but I try to follow the limit where it makes sense, some are just too low for nothing)

Some of us live in areas where speed limits are designed due to politics and revenue, not safety, and are thus absurdly low almost everywhere.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: funboy6942
I cannot believe some of the replies saying to pay it and get fucked on your insurance having a moving violation on it.

When I was younger I used to get tickets all the time for speeding, no insurance, running over people, and only ONCE did I have to pay on the ticket and go to driving school.

Its so easy to be a caveman can do it, or for that matter me, because I got a ticket in my town when I first got my fastro, had my youngest, 7 at the time, not in a booster seat which he couldnt get into because there was just lap belts in a 88 Astro and it said in red letters NOT TO USE SEAT with lap belt only.

But the ticket was considered worse then a speeding ticket, and I didnt have to pay nothing. Showed up to court with the seat, told him they never made a 88 astro that year with shoulder restraints so I cant even get them installed aftermarket, said a few more words and let me go.

IMO was well worth the time going there. You are there to NOT get it on your record, the time "wasted" is money over the next 4 years in higher insurance cost, which at that point which is going to cost you more. You got to fight it, again if he makes you pay your no worse they you are right now, but if you get it off your record and have to do traffic school so be it, atleast your not paying out the ass each month with your insurance.

except some peopel live in all or nothing states. You either win, or lose. there is no in between.

 

[dainthomas]

I went to court just for the heck of it on a $400 photo radar van ticket. The guy going before me got his tossed because the cop had the wrong warning sign out, so I did the same thing. You never know.

 

[rh71]

- anyone know anything about New York State Drivers Responsibility Act, which apparently adds $80 in surcharges? Google has nothing on this which is weird.

- if I lose in court and have to pay the fine anyway, do they tack on court charges?

 

[sdifox]

Fight it. If you enter a guilty plea, some clerk will change the charge from a point deducting one to one that is not. I apparently ran a stop sign (I am pretty sure I stopped), but the clerk changed it to moving violation. Same fine, but no points. I am fine with that.

 

[rh71]

^ guilty plea in court is not the same as saying guilty on the ticket and paying it?

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: rh71
^ guilty plea in court is not the same as saying guilty on the ticket and paying it?

a guilty plea is when you plea guilty and pay the fine, but you have some agreement that allows you to not recieve points on yoru record.

 

[69Mach1]

I always go by whether I actually did what they wrote me up for. If I actually did what they said, I just pay it, and call it a stupid tax. If it was one of those times when they were full of shit, then I'll go fight it. So far, I've only lost one that I fought, out of 5 or 6 visits to court.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: sdifox
Fight it. If you enter a guilty plea, some clerk will change the charge from a point deducting one to one that is not. I apparently ran a stop sign (I am pretty sure I stopped), but the clerk changed it to moving violation. Same fine, but no points. I am fine with that.

are you sure he did not change it to a non-moving violation? Moving violations are what give you points.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: sdifox
Fight it. If you enter a guilty plea, some clerk will change the charge from a point deducting one to one that is not. I apparently ran a stop sign (I am pretty sure I stopped), but the clerk changed it to moving violation. Same fine, but no points. I am fine with that.

are you sure he did not change it to a non-moving violation? Moving violations are what give you points.

Well, it was something like improper right turn. I am assuming that is a moving violation that doesn't carry points.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: RedSquirrel
Not really, you'll waste more of your and the goverment (your tax dollars at work) time. Just pay it, and be more careful next time.

If it's a situation where you really should not of got it, then by all means fight it, you might have a chance if you have good evidence and a good lawyer.

Never consider "the next one". If you follow the law there should be no next one. Yes, people hate me when they're behind me because I actually follow the LIMIT. But hey, at least I will never get a ticket. (ok, so I do go 10 over sometimes, maybe even 20 over but I try to follow the limit where it makes sense, some are just too low for nothing)

limit or not if you are holding up the flow of a row of cars you could be held accountable.

I am hoping you are staying to the rightmost lanes as well.

 

[Gibson486]

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: Gibson486

Originally posted by: sdifox
Fight it. If you enter a guilty plea, some clerk will change the charge from a point deducting one to one that is not. I apparently ran a stop sign (I am pretty sure I stopped), but the clerk changed it to moving violation. Same fine, but no points. I am fine with that.

are you sure he did not change it to a non-moving violation? Moving violations are what give you points.

Well, it was something like improper right turn. I am assuming that is a moving violation that doesn't carry points.

lol....what is an improper right turn?

 

[mb]

I would fight it. I've received one speeding ticket (92 in 70), fought it, and won. Actually I had a lawyer fight it for me, I didn't even have to go to court, which is great considering the ticket was out of state. Cost of lawyer was less than the ticket price, not to mention the time and money to have to drive one state over and ultimately no points.