Speeding ticket question

[jlee]

Read my last post again. "Guilty until proven otherwise" = my biggest beef. So I go to court, my words (I did not speed) vs. his words (oh yes he did) and the judge would more than likely be on his side. And as if cops never lied before, right? <not saying all cops are>.

Just saying. It was more than a few years ago. I was just telling the OP my own experience with traffic cop. What done is done.

I didn't say I would not sign the ticket. I asked him what was his proof because he said he pulled me over for speeding. He said he would not have to show me anything so either I sign the ticket or else.

That's my problem.

What you say your problem is is different than what you say your problem is.

 

[Svnla]

What you say your problem is is different than what you say your problem is.

Heheheh. I guess I had TWO problems.

1. The cop pulled me over for something I knew I did not do because it was very late at night, I was driving home after the library was closed and was not in a hurry, the road was almost empty with less than a handful of vehicles. IIRC, he said I was 15 MPH over the speed limit (the road was a main road with 2 lanes on each side and 1 turn lane in the middle and 35-40 MPH speed limit). He was on the opposite side, turned his car around and immediately pulled me over. If he said I was about 5 MPH over, I would believe it but not 15.

2. Guilty until proven otherwise in traffic court and the bar to convict you is not very high. I ended up with cost in money and time. At least I did not get higher insurance rate because of traffic school.

/rant

 

[Carson Dyle]

She says there is no way she was driving that fast. She has no reason to lie.

You mean apart from trying to avoid the wrath of her husband for getting a ticket that may cost several hundred dollars and increase your insurance rates?

 

[LTC8K6]

Heheheh. I guess I had TWO problems.

1. The cop pulled me over for something I knew I did not do because it was very late at night, I was driving home after the library was closed and was not in a hurry, the road was almost empty with less than a handful of vehicles. IIRC, he said I was 15 MPH over the speed limit (the road was a main road with 2 lanes on each side and 1 turn lane in the middle and 35-40 MPH speed limit). He was on the opposite side, turned his car around and immediately pulled me over. If he said I was about 5 MPH over, I would believe it but not 15.

2. Guilty until proven otherwise in traffic court and the bar to convict you is not very high. I ended up with cost in money and time. At least I did not get higher insurance rate because of traffic school.

/rant

I'm sure he had more than his word about your speed, though.

 

[Mixolydian]

You mean apart from trying to avoid the wrath of her husband for getting a ticket that may cost several hundred dollars and increase your insurance rates?

Pics of OP? :hmm:

 

[dmcowen674]

Speeding ticket question

My wife was pulled over for speeding this weekend. The officer says she was going 68 in a 50. She says there is no way she was driving this fast. She is not a fast driver at all. Every time she drives with me in the car, she is always either driving the speed limit or less than 5 over the speed limit.

Another thing that seemed strange was that she said that she saw him and that he followed her for 1/2 mile or so before turning on his lights. They were even stopped with him right behind her at a red light at one point.

That seems really odd and wacky. Has this happened to anyone else?

I'm so glad to be getting out of this Illinois rat hole of high taxes and bogus tickets and fees.

I was across I-90 from Carpentersville and bowled at the Liberty Lanes there which is the only thing I will miss.

Now I will be a thorn in the side of Indy Colts Fan.

 

[rudeguy]

You rang?

hey you can do something besides take pictures of an engine inside your house!


When a cop pulls up behind someone they already know they are going to pull over, what is the process they go through?

In my mind its run the plate, then run the registered owner for warrants/criminal history/concealed carry permits. But I'm sure its more than just that.

Can you please clarify?

 

[Svnla]

I'm sure he had more than his word about your speed, though.

I am sure you do. You were there, right? :whiste:

Now stop quoting me and go trolling somewhere else.

 

[Krazy4Real]

You mean apart from trying to avoid the wrath of her husband for getting a ticket that may cost several hundred dollars and increase your insurance rates?

We both work full time and have separate checking accounts. She pays for her car insurance, so she would pay the higher rate and not me. That's why this is boggling my mind. There is no wrath to be had from me.

I'm merely trying to give her advice on how to best proceed. From what everyone is telling me, this is pretty standard fare. I'll tell her to go to court and ask for court supervision. She'll need to attend traffic school, but at least her insurance rates won't go up. Then she needs to pay better attention to her speed.

Is there any advantage to getting a lawyer to represent my wife? Better chance of getting traffic school?

I just remember back in high school when I got my two speeding tickets, I was clocked and immediately the lights came on and I was pulled over. That's why I thought it was strange that she was followed for so long before being pulled over.

 

[Midwayman]

In illinois you should be able to get a suspended sentence with traffic school no problem. Unless there is a reckless driving charge as well I don't think a lawyer is worthwhile.

 

[LTC8K6]

I am sure you do. You were there, right? :whiste:

Now stop quoting me and go trolling somewhere else.

What did he present in court as evidence that you were speeding?

Why is this like pulling teeth?

 

[Svnla]

What did he present in court as evidence that you were speeding?

Why is this like pulling teeth?

I did not bother to go to trial because of the potential for big fine, court cost, other fees plus the risk of higher insurance rate (and which one the judge would be more than likely to believe - me or the cop). I asked the clerk prior to the trial for traffic school. Paid the reduced ticket fine, a few days later, spent several boring hours and it was done, the ticket went away. As I said, guilty until proven otherwise in traffic court = sucky.

 

[nageov3t]

your wife has no reason to lie, but she has plenty of reason to maybe have selective memory and paint herself in the best light.

it's either a crooked cop or she didn't realize how fast she was going. it's IL, so either could be likely.

if it were me, I'd hire a traffic lawyer and go to court... you won't get out of the ticket, but the state will plea bargain and drop the points or reduce the fine just so they don't have to deal with it.

 

[vi edit]

I've got one of those GPS/Black box things from my insurance company that tracks my every move (hey, it's working on getting me a 20% discount at this point). I wonder if I got pulled over for speeding and the cop said I was doing 65 in a 55 if I could go to the insurance company and pull the logs over that time and dispute it.

 

[ViviTheMage]

1) she lied
2) it takes time to run for wants/warrants

This...

He was running her plates, driving and typing, or his partner did it if he wasn't riding able. Or he had to call it in because computers were down, plenty of reasons for him to tail her for a bit.

She could go to the courthouse and dispute it if she wants ...

 

[nageov3t]

couldn't it also be that he didn't have a radar gun and tailed her to confirm how fast she was going?

eg: if I'm driving 65 mph and maintaining the same distance from the car in front of me, they must be going 65 mph as well.

 

[dank69]

Pretty sure the burden of proof is on the officer if she decides to fight it. Him saying she did it isn't proof. He will either have radar printout or maybe video of pacing her? IANAL in case you couldn't already tell.

 

[waggy]

Pretty sure the burden of proof is on the officer if she decides to fight it. Him saying she did it isn't proof. He will either have radar printout or maybe video of pacing her? IANAL in case you couldn't already tell.

err have you been to traffic court before?

the cops word is proof you was speeding. anything extra he brings is enough. its insane how traffic court is.

 

[vi edit]

And for what it's worth...if she's anything like my wife...she has no clue what speed she was going now or even then.

My wife is clueless to her speed unless I tell her "hey speedy...it's 55...you're doing almost 70". Her response "Oh sorry, didn't realize I was going that fast".

*sigh*

 

[dank69]

err have you been to traffic court before?

the cops word is proof you was speeding. anything extra he brings is enough. its insane how traffic court is.

Been a long time but I got off on a technicality even though he had me on radar he didn't have proof he calibrated the gun that day.

 

[diesbudt]

My wife was pulled over for speeding this weekend. The officer says she was going 68 in a 50. She says there is no way she was driving this fast. She is not a fast driver at all. Every time she drives with me in the car, she is always either driving the speed limit or less than 5 over the speed limit.

Another thing that seemed strange was that she said that she saw him and that he followed her for 1/2 mile or so before turning on his lights. They were even stopped with him right behind her at a red light at one point.

That seems really odd and wacky. Has this happened to anyone else?

Police always stay behind you for about 1/2 - 1 mile so they can run your plates prior to pulling you over.

 

[Svnla]

err have you been to traffic court before?

the cops word is proof you was speeding. anything extra he brings is enough. its insane how traffic court is.

Bingo.

As I said, unlike other courts in our justice system, traffic court = guilty until proven otherwise by the defender. And it is a HUGE money making machine, don't believe in all the craps of "we only do this for public safety".

 

[LTC8K6]

More and more of them have the camera system that reads and processes your plate so they have that info almost immediately.

Pic of a local cop in Charlotte County VA in 2009 with a plate reading system on the Crown Vic.

http://www.mediafire.com/convkey/60ae/xlm5i2kdz9zctli6g.jpg

 

[EagleKeeper]

I've got one of those GPS/Black box things from my insurance company that tracks my every move (hey, it's working on getting me a 20% discount at this point). I wonder if I got pulled over for speeding and the cop said I was doing 65 in a 55 if I could go to the insurance company and pull the logs over that time and dispute it.

I dumped the GPS from my in-dash nav system to a USB stick and took a printout to the court house.

They dropped the speeding charge, but still hit me with court costs.- Total savings of $35.

She can challenge the equipment or plead no contest and get traffic school. Can not do both.

Either way, make sure she shows up on the date/time/location specified.

 

[LTC8K6]

Bingo.

As I said, unlike other courts in our justice system, traffic court = guilty until proven otherwise by the defender. And it is a HUGE money making machine, don't believe in all the craps of "we only do this for public safety".

You should always go if you can, though. You never know. You can get off on several technicalities, depending on how the cop got your speed.

Like the poster a few above where the radar gun was out of cal.