Originally posted by: jagec
No radar reading, the cop said "you were going between 10 to 20 over, you passed ME!"
I was going about 15 over. And SO many other people get away with it...
Fair enough, but that's unlikely to happen on a freeway.
But I could be grasping at straws. Still, I like living, and don't ride in a way that's likely to endanger my life. A crash would do that.
15 over is not that bad...he was jsut probably pissed you passed him. I live in Issaquah and I90 is usually 70 or so flow of traffic from bridge to Issaquah.
I would be concerned about the insurance implications if you are found "guilty" of the charge. I would check into that, the lawyer may cost you the same as the ticket but if your insurance rates go sky high it will cost you a lot more in the long term.
NEVER PAY TICKETS!!!! FIGHT THE MAN!!!
and in WA STATE......MITCH IS THE MAN FIGHTER.
Mitch (Mitchell Reuban) Greene
PO Box 88139
Tukwila, WA 98138
206-760-9822
206-255-5853 cell
trafficticket@hotmail.com
Pay if you win, nothing if you lose.
and in WA STATE......MITCH IS THE MAN FIGHTER.
Mitch (Mitchell Reuban) Greene
PO Box 88139
Tukwila, WA 98138
206-760-9822
206-255-5853 cell
trafficticket@hotmail.com
Pay if you win, nothing if you lose.
Sport Bike - Check
Speeding - Check
You are SOL. My suggestion is to go in and throw yourself on the mercy of the court. If you go in clean-cut and well-dressing (not suit, but business casual) and assuming the judge is in a good mood, he might drop the charges provided you goto traffic school. It will also be stipulated you get no more tickets for x months.
At least that's how I handled it in VA.
Speeding - Check
You are SOL. My suggestion is to go in and throw yourself on the mercy of the court. If you go in clean-cut and well-dressing (not suit, but business casual) and assuming the judge is in a good mood, he might drop the charges provided you goto traffic school. It will also be stipulated you get no more tickets for x months.
At least that's how I handled it in VA.
Nah, he's a really good guy, so is his staff.
Out of about 10 tickets we've had him fight, he's never lost.
Out of about 10 tickets we've had him fight, he's never lost.
First thing you should do.....delay. The next thing you should do, delay again. Ask for another court date as close to the current one as you can. If WA is like most states, cops are going to court on their free time to get paid OT. If you can reschedule, chances are that the cop won't be able to show. If he can't show....ticket is dropped without a hearing or any cost to you. If he does show, his recollection of the event will probably be less than perfect and you might be able to argue something that he won't be able to definitively contradict.
You could also write the DA and ask for a plea deal to lower the cost of the fine.
You could also write the DA and ask for a plea deal to lower the cost of the fine.
Originally posted by: jagec
Backstory: I'm heading to Issaquah about a month ago to pay a surprise visit to a friend on my new motorcycle. I'm going down 99-S to get onto I-90, and I totally forgot that there was a game that day.
So, I spend a good half-hour in stop and go traffic. Finally, I get onto I-90. Frustrated by the traffic, I start going much faster than I usually do...like 15 over. Well, before too long I see the red-and-blue in my windows. I pull over, I'm courteous, I apologize and explain that I usually don't speed like that, I was just frustrated. All true, but I guess he had heard it all before, because he just said "Well you did tonight!", and hands me a $500 ticket for "negligent driving." WTF? I was speeding, true. But I wasn't weaving in and out of traffic, I wasn't cutting anyone off, I was using my signals for every lane change...I guess he just didn't get a radar reading and wanted to make something stick?
The court date's coming up, and I'm stuck in a difficult position. This was the first time I've really opened up on the highway (and probably the last...I've been kicking myself almost every day for the past month, and certainly have been keeping it to a reasonable speed). I'm usually a very safe driver, and all my friends can attest to that. But, of course, the legal system has heard that defense a billion times by now, and the truth simply won't cut it anymore.
So now I have to consider whether to show up to court and be perfectly honest (I'm not good at BSing my story, I just don't feel right doing that), or hire a lawyer to do the BSing, at around the cost of the ticket. I really don't want this on my record, and $500 is an insanely high amount of money for me. How do they determine these fines, anyway? I mean, any doctor or lawyer would consider it a pinprick, but for me, it's a crushing blow.
So, those of you who have been to traffic court...how forgiving are the judges? Are they usually willing to lessen your sentence, or is it something you really want to fork over the $$$ to hire a lawyer for? How effective are the lawyers, anyway? I guess if the US court system is really for sale, I might as well be doing the buying, but I really want to believe that a regular citizen can do OK in the courtroom, even without years of law school. I want to be honest and penitent, but that simply doesn't seem to be a recipe for success in modern society.
This sucks.
Yeah I would admit to speeding and say that you were not negligent ONLY if you check the state law. In some states if your are going over a certain amount then it is a charge of speeding and negligent driving (wreckless driving). Although, with 15 over I doubt it.
Be sincere and apologetic and ask that the charge be reduced providing you do not have any tickets a certain period and you take a defensive driving course (helps on your insurance too).
You can also talk with the DA a head of time and they might be willing to plea you too a lesser charge. The judge will still have to sign off on it.
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