Should I take my ticket to court?

[EagleKeeper]

And what does the ticket actually state the fine is for?

Speeding, Excessive speed for conditions, etc.?

 

[lokiju]

Yeah.

Why wouldn't you fight it if it was invalid?

 

[3NF]

Originally posted by: SteveBallmer
It was snowing pretty badly earlier this morning. When I was driving, however, the snow has stopped and the roads were pretty clean (subjective). There was a state trooper car in front of me. The speed limit is 70MPH and I was going 60MPH. The squad car flashed his siren lights for one second. Apparently, it was supposed to be a signal to slow down, but how was I supposed to know? I was clearly going under the speed limit. So I decided to pass the squad car at 65MPH. When I passed him, he turned on his lights and pulled me over and handed me a ticket. The fine turned out to be $127.

Should I bring this to court?

You came to the most appropriate place in the world to ask this question.

If it's your worth your time & effort to try to fight - go for it.

 

[SteveBallmer]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
And what does the ticket actually state the fine is for?

Speeding, Excessive speed for conditions, etc.?

The ticket says "failure to reduce speed".

 

[EagleKeeper]

You could take it to court.

It becomes your word vs the officers in terms of the driving conditions.

It sounds like he warned you and you ignored the warning. He felt that you were going at an unsafe speed for the conditions and cited you for not slowing down to what he considered to be a safe speed.

gut feeling - you will lose.

 

[SteveBallmer]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
You could take it to court.

It becomes your word vs the officers in terms of the driving conditions.

It sounds like he warned you and you ignored the warning. He felt that you were going at an unsafe speed for the conditions and cited you for not slowing down to what he considered to be a safe speed.

gut feeling - you will lose.

He did warn me, by flashing his lights twice for one second each in front of me. I didn't know what that was supposed to mean at the time. Is it even stated in the rule book? Let's say I lose, will I have to pay any court fees on top of the ticket, or does it depend on which state/county?

 

[TheGizmo]

Originally posted by: funboy42
Well I stand corrected. I have aced my passenger test back when I was 16, 19 years ago, and my CDL test, and I have past numerous cops in the snow and rain and never been pulled over. I have no problem passing up a police officer on the road at all. They put their pants on the same way as I, and if a cop wants to do 50 in a 55 I pass then as I would any other person and have never been pulled over for it, rain, snow, sunny day, never mattered to me. Sorry OP, I stand by my comment though that the cop had a boner for you.

haha, he said boner huh huh, boner </beavis from beavis and butthead>

 

[Scarpozzi]

I call shens Jr. Member.

The ticket shouldn't hold up in court without a radar gun or its your word against his.

RODNEY KING!!! RODNEY KING!!! RODNEY KING!!!

If you weren't actually speeding based on the posted limit, he should have at most given you a warning after pulling you over. It's especially odd that he would do something like this at the beginning of the month rather than the end when he's trying to meet his quota.

 

[TheGizmo]

Originally posted by: SteveBallmer

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
You could take it to court.

It becomes your word vs the officers in terms of the driving conditions.

It sounds like he warned you and you ignored the warning. He felt that you were going at an unsafe speed for the conditions and cited you for not slowing down to what he considered to be a safe speed.

gut feeling - you will lose.

He did warn me, by flashing his lights twice for one second each in front of me. I didn't know what that was supposed to mean at the time. Is it even stated in the rule book? Let's say I lose, will I have to pay any court fees on top of the ticket, or does it depend on which state/county?

as far as i know you have to pay court fees if you lose but not if you win

 

[SteveBallmer]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
It's especially odd that he would do something like!! this at the beginning of the month rather than the end when he's trying to meet his quota.

It actually happened at the end of February. I just copied/pasted my words from a previous forum. The quota thing is a myth, at least that's what my roommate says.

 

[TheGizmo]

Originally posted by: SteveBallmer

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
It's especially odd that he would do something like!! this at the beginning of the month rather than the end when he's trying to meet his quota.

It actually happened at the end of February. I just copied/pasted my words from a previous forum. The quota thing is a myth, at least that's what my roommate says.

quota is not a myth here, how else do you explain such an increase in speeding tickets in the last 5 days of the month?

 

[SteveBallmer]

Are there any lawyers here on Anandtech?

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: SteveBallmer

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
You could take it to court.

It becomes your word vs the officers in terms of the driving conditions.

It sounds like he warned you and you ignored the warning. He felt that you were going at an unsafe speed for the conditions and cited you for not slowing down to what he considered to be a safe speed.

gut feeling - you will lose.

He did warn me, by flashing his lights twice for one second each in front of me. I didn't know what that was supposed to mean at the time. Is it even stated in the rule book? Let's say I lose, will I have to pay any court fees on top of the ticket, or does it depend on which state/county?

Depends on the state. When I lived in Indiana, I got a ticket for disregarding a stop sign. The "fine" was $10, and the court costs were ~$80. I had to pay the court costs if I plead guilty or if I was found guilty. So either way, it cost me the same amount.

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: SVT Cobra
You passed a cop? Christ that was stupid, it makes me wonder what else you do not know you should not do.

Get legal advice from ATOT

 

[Tobolo]

WTH are you thinking you are going to a Jury Trial!?!?!?!?!?!?! This should be a probate matter at the most.

Take it to court and ask the judge where it is legaly defined what a signal to slow down is.