Speeding Ticket: Pay it or Fight it?

[Pennstate]

I just got my first speeding ticket while driving in PA. THe cop was hiding in a ditch around a bend. The cop said I was doing 75 in a 55 zone. I really don't know how fast I was going. I was just keeping up with the car in front of me. I got pulled over instead of the other guy. It's $145 and 4 points on my license. BTW, she was using a Radar. I tried to plead for a warning since this is the first time that I've ever been pulled over and my driving record is clean, never had any points. BUt she wouldn't budge. So I am faced with a dilemma. Should I fight it? There was a car pretty close in front of me. DO I stand a chance in fighting it? My car was about 30 feet from the cop when I got clocked aparently.


Advices? Thanks in advance.

 

[killface]

Why wouldnt you fight it? If you go to court, you can at least plea it down to some parking tickets and less points.

 

[Triumph]

Here, read this:
The Ticket FAQ (thanks VWVORTEX)

 

[sharkeeper]

Always fight it. Look at this way, even if you stand no chance, at least your fine+court costs paid are doing something in the form of entertainment! I always enjoy watching people tell their tales in traffic court!

Cheers!

 

[chechi]

This is funny. Pennstate listen up. I used to live in pittsburgh, and I was driving from MI to PA and I was following a group of cars, and I was the last one. Well I got pulled over and was given a ticket for $120. So my roomate said to go and fight it because the cops never show up for court to defend them and it would get taked way down. Well I show up to court to fight it, and what do ya know, the cop is there! Damn roomate. Anyways I explained to the judge that I was just going as fast as everybody else, and that I shouldnt of been stopped. He laughed at me. But he was cool about it. So he knocked it down to like $75, and didnt take points off my license. I was happy. But then ontop of the $75 I was smacked in the face with a $90 court costs fee for showing up to fight it. So I was worse off. Your going to have to pay it to. So I wouldnt fight it, unless you really need the points not to be taken off your lisense. Good Luck

 

[cressida]

I thought if you always fight it and lose you have to pay for court fees?

 

[Tates]

Even if you fight it and lose and have to pay a bit more, not having points posted to your license would be much cheaper in the long run, insurance premium wise, then not contesting it. Something to think about.

 

[Desturel]

Four points for 20 mph? :Q

I'd fight it just to get the points trimmed down. Plus if this is your first speeding offense, you normally get off even if the cop does show up.

 

[bozo1]

You broke the law. Stand up and take your punishment like a man.

 

[Pennstate]

Thanks for the link Triumph. It's not the fine that I mind, but 4 points is ouch. CAn somebody explain to me how the PA point system works?

 

[ThaGrandCow]

Don't ever try the "radar detector wasn't calibrated correctly" excuse. That used to work when detectors were calibrated every few weeks or so, but they are calibrated daily now. That excuse will only piss off the judge and possibly get your fine increased.
Definitely fight it though. If you go to court and be respectful you can get the ticket dropped or probation before judgement. PBJ is where as long as you don't get a ticket in the next year they will count that ticket as never happening.

 

[Pennstate]

Don't ever try the "radar detector wasn't calibrated correctly" excuse. That used to work when detectors were calibrated every few weeks or so, but they are calibrated daily now



Thegrandcow:


On the ticket (issued 3/16/02), it said the radar (serial# GHS1892) was "Tested on 2/8/02" (under the section "date equipment tested"). Does that mean it's calibrated over a month ago?


I think the radar model is Genesis Handheld (GHS). Manufactured by Decatur Electronics, Inc., 715 Bright Street, Decatur, IL 62522.

It was under the list of approved radars in PA under this link

http://www.pabulletin.com/secure/data/vol26/26-13/495.html

 

[BeauJangles]

You can fight it, but don't expect to win. I interned with a Judge at a District Court and spent a day watching speeding ticket appeals. This one guy got a ticket for going 39 in a 30 mph zone. He asked the police officer where exactly he had been caught going 60 mph (on the road). The officer showed him and he measured it from the intersection (where there was a red light). He found out it was 200 something feet from the light, and went to the car's manufacturer (don't remember the car type, but it was a POS) and spoke to the engineers who designed the car. They calculated, given the car's accelerationg (which they designed!) that it was physically impossible for the car to hit 60 miles per hour in such a short distance. It would take at least 300 feet. They calculated the top speed he could've been traveling was 40 mph. Can you imagine how much work that took? And guess what? The guy still had to pay the ticket.

The moral of the story: You almost never ever ever ever ever win.

Out of the 80 or so protests the ONLY one that won was a teenager who had been given a ticket for driving friends around. In MA, this is illegal, you can't drive people under 21 around until you have had your license for 6 months. However, it is a secondary offense, ie you need to do something else wrong first in order to get ticketed for driving people around. The kid got pulled over for 'being too young' the officer said. His ticket was overthrown, because the officer had broken the law.

 

[toant103]

pay up


I try to fight when stupid cop gave me a ticket for riding my speed bike at night w/o a headlight. Cost me $50. Judge=A$$O

 

[kranky]

Pennsylvania point system.

It doesn't address what happens to your insurance rates, check your policy to see if your rates will go up.

 

[Bleep]

One point should be made here NEVER TAKE LEGAL ADVICE FROM THE COP THAT ARRESTED YOU. I could say it louder but wont. It really is not the cost of the ticket but the insurance goes up making it very expensive in the long run. Talk to a atty. It will be the best 50 bucks you will spend.
Bleep

 

[Yomicron]

Look at your ticket to make sure the cop wrote the correct statute # on the ticket. If they wrote it down incorrectly, then you could probably get out of it.




And next time, dont speed.

 

[b0mbrman]

I've never tried to fight it...maybe I should...

 

[SludgeFactory]

More advice

 

[Freejack2]

I take it Maryland shares points with Pennsylvania? That's the nice thing about New York, if you get a ticket out of state (except I think Ontario and Quebec in Canada), as long as you pay the fine no points on your license! May want to check your DMV laws.
Also $145 is cheap. Most states you'd be facing a $400 - $500 fine.

 

[Harvey]

If you were speeding, you're nailed. The fact that another person was also speeding and was not stopped is not an excuse in court.

If your state has traffic school, go for it. It'll cost as much as the ticket, possibly more, but if you can get it, they'll take the violation off your record, and you won't have any points against you. In California, they even have traffic schools you can download off the web.

The only time it's worth fighting is if you have good evidence you didn't do it, or if there is some very over-riding reason. Once, I lost count of the number of lights I ran taking a friend to the emergency room. I didn't get stopped, but I risked it because it was a legitimate life or death emergency.

 

[luckydragon]

ALWAYS fight your ticket, ask around and find yourself a good lawyer. they will be a great help for you and you'll save alot of money in the long run from not having to pay a ton for insurance. I hired a lawyer for a speeding ticket i got a few months ago, my case lasted for about 30 seconds as the lawyer talked and my case was dismissed. It might not be the same for you of course but i'm sure a lawyer can lower your fines alot. I saw a few cases before mine and it seemed to me that lawyers are well worth it. Good Luck