Need Advice re: SPEEDING TICKET

[drdon326]

GOT a speeding ticket on Interstate by a county SHERIFF...
not state trooper... by LASAR GUN.

I WAS GOING 83 IN A 65...which is true

fIRST TICKET IN 15 YRS....my attorney says pay the $ 125
fine and forget it .

i will entertain any suggestions.

should i fight it??

if i do , anyone recommend a good book to try to fight
it??

apparently the counties are subsidizing the shitty economy
with speeding tickets.

thanks for any suggestions.

d

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. 18 mph over the limit?

Show some integrity and pay the fine that is rightfully yours.

I'd say that nailing someone for doing 18 over is NOT "subsidizing the economy" but the police actively trying to stop the dangerous drivers.

[drdon326]

2. gee ...thanks

its a interstate....no one goes 65 mph.

sheesh

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. Ah, I totally didn't make the connection

between interstate and county cops. That's quite unusual, isn't it? At least, back in WI, I don't think county cops went on the interstates at all. Not even sure if they were allowed.

Still, 18 mph over the limit is too much over. I'd be willing to accept as much as 75, but even if I were going 75 and got a ticket, I'd feel that I'd rightfully earned it, whether or not "everyone else" was going that speed or more.

Unless there was more to your situation that you haven't told.

[rustydog]

39. I bet you could argue that it is ok to steal at work

because everyone steals.
That is a stupid and extremely poor arguement that doesn't begin to excuse such poor driving.
The speed limit sign doesn't say 65 mph Except when others speed too.

[Emboldened Chimp]

3. Here's a good way to fight it...

Plead not guilty. Wait for your court date, then change the date for a later one at the last minute (not sure how it is in your state, but in mine you can change the date once.) Appear at court on the new date and pray that the cop doesn't show up. If he/she doesn't, you're in the clear. If not, well, at least you tried. :evilgrin:

[geniph]

61. That's not true everywhere

here in Washington state, the officer does not have to appear in court. They just file the paperwork.

I try not to exceed 10 over. Most of the time, they won't bug you if you're within 10mph of the speed limit. 18 over, they'll pop you every time around here.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. Does your locale offer traffic school for rare infractions?

If they caught you on radar, it's tough to fight.

[drdon326]

5. Never heard of it....

but i'll check

[oustemnow]

13. Internet traffic school is the best, if it's available to you

When I got a speeding ticket a few years ago they included an insert in the ticket, letting me know which sites are acceptable. It's excellent; you can complete it from your own home, in increments that are entirely up to you, and if you forget the answer to a question you can use the "back" button on your browser.

As far as fighting it, it seems like they've pretty much got you dead to rights.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

20. In California we have them

They still cost money and you do pay a fine but it stops the ticket from going against your driving record for insurance purposes.

[DancingBear]

28. Is this true in CA?

Here in VA, taking an on-line class like you descibed won't do anything w/regard to insurance rates. I got two speeding tickets last year, and the cop (#2) gave me all the info about those on-line schools. I took a class, only to find out from my insurance agent that it in no way would help. All it did was remove 2 points from my driving record. It seems that the insurance companies base their rates on the tickets (and frequency thereof) themselves, not on anything that one does to "improve" their driving skills.

BTW, when I renewed my license I had to RE-TAKE the written portion of the drivers test, since I had received two moving violations during the term of my license.

Grrrrrrr.

[oustemnow]

31. My ins. rate didn't go up

It had the effect of erasing the ticket, if you completed it within a certain amount of time (whcih I forget what it was, but they tell you in the info). I do recall, though, that one of the stipulations was that if you got another ticket withing 18 months, it all went on the record. Maybe your situation is due to the fact that you had two tickets within a year? Not sure.

And, on a further note, SLOW DOWN! I was on the 5 last night, doing a steady 80 most of the time, and still there would periodically be packs of two or three cars passing me as if I were standing still. (Is freeway drag-racing a new phenomenon? It certainly seemed that they would come in packs of two or threes, not the usual lone asshole who flashes his brights behind you because you're not doing 100.)

On edit: Duh; this was in California, to answer the original freaking question that you posed and which I failed to address. Not sure about the particulars of VA.

[Faygo Kid]

7. Pay it. Life is too short.

You got caught. Accept it, and move on. Your insurance company will raise your rates, but you probably won't beat this one. Your only hope is if the cop doesn't show up in court. Your attorney is right. Send him a Candygram, and put this behind you.

[unblock]

8. just show up

contest it and show up on the court date. if the ticketing officer is there, then plead nolo contendere and pay the fine and accept that you were, in fact, speeding -- more than the 'acceptable' 8-10 mph over (75 in a 65).

but if he doesn't show, then you beat the ticket, just say he's wrong and he's not there to dispute it.


the other trick for such things is to go to city records and see if everything was in fact done properly -- that strech of road was in fact designated to be the speed, or in the case of running a red light, that that intersection was actually designated as having a light. this doesn't really apply to you, unless you live in one of the rare states that has 75 mph streches, it has to be 65 mph or less.

[MercutioATC]

9. My brother-in-law gets 1-2 tickets a year and has NEVER paid a dime.

He just shows up in court and says "not guilty". The officer has never shown up for the court date, meaning he's automatically not guilty (at least here in Ohio). The issue is less about the ticket than it is about your auto insurance rates. I say fight it.

[drdon326]

11. My lawyer says...

they can re-schedule if the officer is not there.

[MercutioATC]

15. State laws DO vary...I can only speak for Ohio.

.

[BiggJawn]

48. In Indiana, you get 3 continuances, the State gets 2...

You continue it until the State runs out of continuances.

But....If i was you, I'd pony up the bux. If it was THAT easy to beat a speeding ticket, everybody'd do it and they'd quit writing the damn things.

[geniph]

62. In WA state, the officer does NOT have to appear in court

you can still be found guilty from the officer's paperwork.

[Don_G]

10. Check On Traffic School

And have your lawyer suggest it. If it's worth a few hours of your time to bury a ticket for insurance purposes, then you should take advantage of the oppourtunity your "mouthpiece" should have offered in the first place.

I don't know your situation and I'm certain I don't have all the facts, but that's the way I would go.

[Catholic Sensation]

12. I have a similar problem

I got arrested for murdering my neighbor by a local police officer...
not the FBI... just some local pig who happened to arrive at the house shortly after the incident, and I was standing over the body with the handgun in my hand.

They say I shot him in the head with a handgun... which is true

First murder I've been arrested for in 20 years, my lawyer says I should plea bargain to avoid the death penalty.

I will entertain any suggestions on how to fight this true, but completely bogus charge!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

everything above the dashed line isn't true, but mostly to prove how stupid your complaint is. Pay the fine, you were speeding and got caught and now acting like you're the one being wronged.

[drdon326]

14. Nice Comparison

thanks

[Catholic Sensation]

17. no less stupid than your complaint

in my fictional scenario i break the law and am feeling wronged for being caught. In your real scenario, you broke the law and are feeling wronged for being caught. I used an extreme to show just how radically ridiculous you are being.

[qanda]

22. He said nice comparison...

Why are you beating him up like he's your 16 year old child? Give it a rest!

Edit: Grammar

[TexasMexican]

57. not a good comparison.

In your fictional scenerio maybe you shot him in self defense. :D

[MercutioATC]

18. Wow! Somebody's off their meds....

Had the original post asked for help solving a moral dilemma, I'd have answered differently. As it was, the post asked for advice. I (and others) gave the poster the benefit of our experiences.

Relax, dude...

[Catholic Sensation]

21. he was flippant when someone told him to pay his ticket

so it seems he needs an extreme to show how whining about the injustice of being caught doing 83 on the interstate is totally dumb

[drdon326]

23. SHEESH...

I'll bet youre no fun at parties.

[MercutioATC]

26. My thoughts exactly.

I'd advise you to fight it in Ohio, but state laws differ. It might be better to just take this one on the chin, depending on the laws.

Just as a general statement...

The freeways around here tend to run about 10 mph over the posted limit, so that's what I do. I've driven through other states where 85 in a 65zone was the average speed. I did 85. To chastise you for breaking the speed limit is silly, IMHO. If you were 10+ mph over the flow of traffic, I'd say you probably deserved the ticket, but when in Rome....

[drdon326]

27. Thanks

interesting reaction

[Don_G]

34. An Honest Question Deserves An Honest Answer

No more and no less without one's opinion clouding the issue when the factual data hasn't been presented.

Or would you rather listen to Faux and ShrubCo to rationalize applying the Patriot Act to reduce your "local" problem?

[politicat]

55. Depending on the state, the cop and other circumstances, speedlimit can be

grounds for a ticket.

It happens here, Colorado, as often as speeding tickets... called "Obstruction to Traffic."

Traffic is flowing nicely at 80 in a 65, joe is doing 65. He will get pulled over as a hazard (to himself and others).

Traffic is flowing nicely at 65 and joe is going 50, thinking slower is safer. He will get pulled over as a hazard.

Traffic is flowing nicely at 65 and joe is going 80. He will get pulled over as a hazard.

In this case, the law is arbitrary. I know that it is safer for me to pace the cars around me than to go speed limit on the freeway because the hazards are greater if someone must crawl up my butt because I'm holding up the parade.

Politicat (who drives as little as possible because there is no standard driving culture in Colorado anymore.... too many people from everywhere else moved in.... :cry: )

[qanda]

16. Slow down and save a life...

The life you save may be your own.

[Jack Rabbit]

19. Pay the fine and forget it

I, too, go some time between moving violations. I went nearly twenty years between an illegal left turn when my older son, now on his own, was a few weeks old and a failure to yield about four years ago. Given that kind of record, its a bit of a surprise you were doing 83 in 65, Doc. Of course, that's because I'm no speed demon.

Here in California, I had the option to do an online remedial driver's course. That kept it away from my insurance carrier. But I still had to pay the ticket, which was (I think) about what you're being charged.

[Superfly]

24. Fight it all the way

down here in VA, 12 miles or over the speed limit results in a summons to appear in traffic court. A resultant guilty verdict results in a misdemenor conviction that stays on your driving record for a very long time.

I would fight it tooth and nail to reduce it to a moving violation that will not remain on your record for long.

[rustydog]

40. He is admittedly guilty here in WRITING!

Fighting the ticket would entail perjury because there is no defense for speeding on the interstate.
You can try to say you were speeding to the hospital, but since the vehicle isn't an emergency vehicle, one can still be ticketed for excessive speed because emergency vehicles can only do 15 over the speed limit and Speed Racer here was almost 20 miles over the limit.
fight it when you are in the right. if you are afraid of crappy driving habits being a part of a permanent record, LEARN how to drive like a considerate human being.

[Superfly]

44. I doubt anything written here on DU would be admissable

in any court....

And "fighting it" does not always entail perjury.

[proud patriot]

25. Plead no contest

My husband did that once and because
all the people before him tried to plead
not guilty and fight the charges the judge
liked that my husband wasn't going to try
and waste the judges time and was let off
without a fine . :shrug:

[Maddy McCall]

29. You admit you were speeding--pay the ticket and quit whining.

Sorry to sound like your mother, but if you are in the habit of driving so fast, just consider yourself lucky that you haven't been caught numerous times before.

Actually, you are lucky the cop didn't write you up for 20 miles over the speed limit. He actually might have given you a break: 20 MPH over the speed limit results in an additional charge of reckless driving.

Just pay it. You admit you were wrong, you knew the chance you were taking, so it's time to ante up.

[thebaghwan]

30. Be a man and take the responsibility.

That seems to be what this is really all about isn't it? You admot your were speeding and you don't dispute the amount over the speed limit. So what is the issue here? Oh, I got caught and I don't want to pay or admit responsibility. As a paralegal, I see guys like you every day in court. Maybe you could blame it on your childhood.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

32. Pay it

You're not Bill Janklow.

[TexasMexican]

58. ...

Bill Janklow's problem wasn that he was speeding, his problem was that he ran a red light and hit someone.

[bicentennial_baby]

33. Pay it

you deserve it for going 18 over the limit.

[Heddi]

35. does your state offer deferrments?

i just got my FIRST speeding ticket EVER! I was doing 48 in a 30..cop wrote it down to 45 in a 30---not that it matters, but this was NOT a residential area---major highway area that has this speedtrap just when you're coming down off a steep hill---very near impossible to do 30 at the bottom of the hill---but I was speeding, and I take repsonsibilty for it.

The fine for the ticket was $132 or so, and I went to the magistrate---because this is my first ticket, I was allowed to have it deferred. I had to pay $50 in court costs, and the ticket will be 'wiped off' my record if I don't get another moving violation for the next 6 months. If I DO get another moving violation in 6 months, the origial ticket will go on my insurance as well as the 2nd.

You can only get one deferrment in WA once every 7 years.

I wasn't so frightened of having to pya the $132 fine, I just couldn't afford to have my insurance rate skyrocket if the ticket was put on my insurance---being a F/T student and just living on my husband's income, we don't have much in the way of 'extra cash'.

However, Even before I got the ticket, I was a speedy driver, adn I'm definitely not now that I got the ticket.

Check out deferrment options if there are any.

[toddzilla]

36. please...

so many high and mighty responses here it makes me ill..


find a competent but cheap traffic attorney and have them handle it. It will cost you more in the short term, but your insurance won't go up and you'll be ahead in the long run. if this is your first ticket in such a long period of time, i doubt that you are some reckless maniac that deserves license suspension. Financial hardship alone will be sufficient for you to probably reduce your speed, at least in the short term. The system is corrupt, one person paying a fine and taking your "medicine" isn't quite going to change anything except your insurance rates. we wouldn't have any of this if the insurance industry wasn't corrupt and complicit in price fixing policies and ridiculous profit margins.


get an attorney, i have done so in a few instances in the past, and it doesn't cost as much as you think because they don't really go and argue a case, they pay off the judge basically.

[rustydog]

41. How can blatantly ignoring the speed limit be a condemnation

of a corrupt system?

If you drive like a human being, you do not get speeding tickets!
You are not the victim of the corrupt system!
No gray area here. right is right and wrong is wrong. The poster stated he was caught dead to rights, he was speeding.
Guilty, pay fine, next please.

Save the attorney for when one is truly needed like the next time you are speeding and kill anothe motorist through your negligence.

[toddzilla]

46. this is a prime example of why so many people hate liberals

he was fucking speeding, doing 83, on an interstate highway. he wasn't firing an ak-47 into a schoolyard. I assume that you never exceed the speed limit, ever, and that you signal every time you change lanes. many, many people will get a speeding ticket in their lifetime. the current judicial system that deals with these things is corrupt and primarily serves to fill the coffers of the municipality that the ticket is written in.. this is not an endorsement of reckless driving or eating baby seals. this is blown way out of proportion, it's a damn ticket, not a vehicular assault on the population.

these types of fanatical attitudes toward everyday things is why so many people are unable to identify with liberal type beliefs. the original poster is obviously not a serial speeder, or he wouldn't need advice on getting a ticket in the first place. many of these posts sound like something out of a militant vegetarian's diatribe on the evils of meat or something.

[VOX]

37. My nickel's worth: You got nailed, you should pay.

Quick story: My cousin, who lives in Palm Desert, recently got a speeding ticket in Arizona. It bugged him so much that he and his wife made a court date and went back to AZ. The judge heard him out, said "No soap," and he had to pay the fine.

Back at their unattended house (while they were out of state unsuccessfully haggling over the speeding ticket), the water hose leading into their washing machine burst and flooded the whole house with 6 inches of water.

Needless to say, he *really* wishes he had paid the ticket, 'cause it cost him dearly not to.

[rustydog]

38. You have GOT to be joking right?

This isn't the County subsidizing the economy it ticketed a person who was almost 20 miles over the posted speed limit!
Do you know what the penalty for vehicular manslaughter is in your state?
83 miles an hour is ridiculous and you deserve the ticket.
You would be best served to shut up and pay the bill. if i were a judge and you showed up in my court to protest a ticket you admit you deserve, I'd add a day of jail time for you recklessly endangering the lives of other motorists.

[HamstersFromHell]

49. No joke...we don't know all of the circumstances...

You may argue that 18 over is 18 over...it is in math.

However, 18 over in a 15 mph school zone is an absolute danger, but 18 over in a 75 mph zone in a rural stretch of interstate with relatively straight roads and little traffic is very little danger. It's all relative. To me, driving while distracted by a cell phone (headset or speakerphone or whatever) is a LOT more dangerous than knowingly speeding while paying attention to the primary job at hand...driving.

In Tennessee, anything over 15 over is an automatic careless driving as well as speeding, but there are "outs".

I once got clocked doing 117 in a 55 by a state trooper. I had just rebuilt my bike and had to do jetting checks on the carburetion. Only way to do that is to hold it open a bit in high gear. I knew it's wrong, but I'm NOT going to destroy a few thousand in engine parts by having it burn itself up due to not getting enough fuel.

I've discovered that if you "disarm" the officer's attitude you get treated much different than if you act like some typical motorist and get an attitude with them. They all but expect you to be somewhat belligerant and argumentative with them or otherwise act indignant that they pulled *you* over.

I get off the bike/out of the car, license in hand and tell 'em "You got me, do what you gotta do."

The trooper in question told me "I can't wait to hear your excuse." I replied I don't have an excuse, but this is why I did it, and why I was back cruising at 55 long before he caught up to pull me over. He asked me if I knew how fast I was going, to which I replied "no, the speedometer only goes to 85 and I buried it." He told me what he clocked me doing, then told me to stay put while he ran tags, license, etc.

He came back with a ticket for 64 in a 55 (10mph+ = points, 9 is none) and told me I ought to come to court. When in court the judge was maxing fines for everyone there who pled not guilty. When my turn came, I pled guilty and the officer stood up and told the judge that "I was exemplary in my cooperation with him..." and basically pled his leniency with me. Judge fined me court costs...only $32 on what could have been a $100+ ticket as written, and a massive fine if he'd actually wrote what speed I'd really been doing.

You can *try* to fight the ticket by asking in court of the officer who wrote the ticket was "certified" in his training in use of the speed checking equipment, whether the equipment in use on that day was properly calibrated that morning, etc. There's a ton of "loopholes" in proper protocol that you may fine to wiggle thru, but if you lose, all you're gonna do is piss the judge off and maximize your fine and reduce his willingness to give you a break.

As an aside before everyone starts flaming me like I'm the autobahn antichrist or something...where I did my speeding was very open highway with no side streets or other inherent dangers (the trooper was hiding between some abandoned semi trailers in an otherwise empty parking lot). I used to be a certified learn to ride safety instructor and have ridden well over 500,000 accident free miles on bikes. The ticket I described above was the first moving violation I'd had in 14 years, and I've had one more since then.

I'm also a 2 time state champion in SCCA Solo II events, as well as a driving instructor in same, so I know car control at the limits. I'd heartily recommend participating in SCCA events if they are available in your area. While it may be "high performance driving" by description, it makes you a LOT safer on the streets everyday...when confronted by the typical "accident" situation you merely react instead of having to think or panic.

Off my overly large soapbox now... drive safe.

Hammies!

[rustydog]

51. The speed limits posted in all states do not have provisions

for open roads, they are for safe speeds for which the road was built for. It doesn't matter if you invented stunt driving or can corner at 180 mph on a roller skate.
The posted speed limit is the speed LIMIT and exceeding it is a violation of traffic laws which deserve a ticket. The original poster ADMITTED the guilt, so we don't need to "know the circumstances" he was speeding and GOT CAUGHT.
Who cares if you can race circles around Al Unser, you still have to follow the speed limit or you are an idiot for endangering other motorists.
So, you say the lot was otherwise empty except for the trooper, but by your own arguement, if it is a parking lot the otherwise empty lot COULD have contained an innocent person who did not see you screaming down the highway at 85-plus. You could have killed them if they exited the lot and were hit by you at that speed in spite of your touted training and everything. As an instructor, you sure don't know much about safety on the open highway. You are a danger to others.

It is my opinion and I'm sticking with it.

[HamstersFromHell]

54. hate to pick nits, but...

Wrong #1: Check Montana's speed limits. There, they have what is called "safe and reasonable" which can be 100mph in some areas, regardless of the posted limit. It's officer's discretion then as to whether it's "safe and reasonable" (location, traffic, etc.).

Wrong #2: The Interstate highway system was built for high speeds, check your history. We were duly impressed with Germany's autobahns, so we attempted (sometimes successfully) to copy them. The original 75 mph limit on interstates was set to be approx. 85% of the maximum safe speed (under ideal conditions) FOR VEHICLES AS BUILT IN THE 1960'S. So by simple math, we can determine Interstates were designed for cars traveling at 89 mph on 60's technology....poor braking, rock hard tires with little grip, poor handling and roadholding, high centers of gravity, etc. Automotive technology has come a very long way since then in terms of braking, handling, maneuverability, etc.

As for him admitting guilt, yes he did. And where in my post did I advocate lying or otherwise trying to get him out of it? I merely stated some possible defenses against speed radar/laser devices. They CAN be wrong, and have been proven so in and out of court more times than you can count. But once again, I'm not advocating fighting it on any grounds unless you have reason to believe the charge against you was obtained through error(s) in the equipment....if you're caught, you're caught. Same as I got caught. I could have decided to run and probably gotten away with it....at almost 120 I'd have been almost 2 miles gone before he got out of the parking lot. I stopped. You might call it "personal responsibility."

And now in your mind breaking the speed limit automatically equals idiocy? I hope you don't drive much, because you'll be run over by the normal flow of traffic in almost any area of the country. Driving the speed limit when the flow of traffic is exceeding it is a known cause of a lot of accidents. Most places have a "tolerance" for speed, whether it's a set number or percentage. It's a known fact that most traffic flow exceeds the posted speed limit by 10-15%. By "obeying the law" rather than the speed of the existing traffic flow you're endangering more than you're helping.

To qualify my little "adventure" to you. The parking lot in question is a gravel lot of a long abandoned warehouse. There's almost a 0% chance of anyone coming out of that lot, period. (Unless you're a cop hiding between long abandoned trailers.)It's not like I couldn't see anyone who might have been in that lot long before I got there unless they are hiding. I'm NOT foolish enough to place myself in danger by taking a non-calculated risk...I'm the one on the bike who'll get spattered, remember? Likewise, I have a LOT more maneuverability than a typical car, as well as acceleration and braking. You suppose I could have killed them, and yes I could have IF there had been someone there and IF they didn't see me coming and IF they misjudged my oncoming speed and IF I couldn't avoid them. I suppose I could have avoided it. I was there, you weren't.

The rest of my post was to qualify my position on safety. I AM a safe driver....3 tickets in 32 years and well over 2 million miles driven or ridden. No (as in ZERO) accidents.

The reason I posted about participation in SCCA events is that it's not only fun to those of us who enjoy driving, but you learn the capabilities of your own vehicle and your own driving, and you learn where you need to improve and do so. To me, it ought to be MANDATORY for anyone who wants a license to be able to exhibit the ability to control a vehicle at it's limits in potential "panic" situations. In such situations, there isn't time to think "what should I do?" You either panic, overreact, fail to react, or you do what is (through training) instinctive to avoid the situation. Only one of the "answers" is correct, but we don't teach it in school or in driver training. That, my friend, is the real crime here.

Unfortunately, most so-called "license" exams do little more than test your eyesight and knowledge of the "law" and no little or nothing to actually make you prove you can control a motor vehicle. To wit: When I got my first motorcycle license 32 years ago my dad was suprised the tester didn't follow me in a car as I took my road test (consisting of "ride around the block here"). When he asked, she commented "If he comes back alive, he passes." How does that serve to prove anything?

You think I'm a danger because I have occasioned to break a law. I think you're a danger because you can't prove you can safely operate a motor vehicle.

And that's *my* opinion.

[NicoleM]

60. Wrong #3

Montana got rid of "reasonable and prudent" in 1999. Here are their current speed limits. They reinstituted the speed limit because their fatalities went up when the speed limit was "whatever you think is best."

[politicat]

56. Actually, you're wrong. "Speed limits posted are for the safe speeds

for which the road was built" is highly inaccurate.

My father is a civil engineer who worked for several state Departments of Transportation after he retired from the Navy. He was primarily involved in the design and construction of federally and state funded highways.

Roads are built for 10-20 miles over the posted speed limit, depending on materials and climate. ( A concrete road in a hot dry region does better than an asphalt one in a cold region or asphalt in intense summer heat in the desert.)

Other conditions are the number of feeders and type (ramps versus standing start, etc), curves, bridges - which ice up quicker - and maintenance. However, the design is for 10-20 miles an hour over the stated limit so as to lengthen the life of the roadbed and, in case an emergency vehicle has to use the road, it is safe, too.

And as I mentioned above, a safe speed is a speed that does not make you a risk to others - in other words, pacing those around you. If everyone's going 25, and the speed limit is 40, 40 is unsafe and is speeding. If everyone's going 55 and the speed limit is 40, 40 is unsafe because you will get rear-ended or cause someone else to be rear-ended. Traffic planners have huge computers that do fabulous simulations of this....

Politicat (who realizes that speeding may be your hot button issue and hopes that you live somewhere civilized where people don't speed.)

[Spirochete]

42. Sounds like they got you.

If you go to court and plead no contest, they may reduce the fine, but it doesn't look like you can get out of it completely.

[vdeputy]

43. You deserved it

Any cop is going to give you a speeding ticket for anything in the 80's. I doubt you can fight it if he got you on radar. In Indiana though, we have a diversion program. It actually costs more but it keeps the points from going on your license. You might ask the prosecutor in that county if they have such a program.

[rucky]

45. I fought the law...AND I WON!

Almost exactly the same situation.

Here's what I did:

A court date was set. I filed for a continuance... then I filed for another continuence.

Nearly a year later, I show up for court. The cop showed up, and I was counting on him NOT showing up. But it was so long ago that the cop didn't recognize me.

Ticked dismissed.

[ScreamingMeemie]

47. Fight it and ask for it to be taken under advisement due to your

good driving record. If you do not get another ticket for a year, they'll drop this one...if you do get a ticket, you pay for both. I always say fight them. There is good chance the police officer won't show up.

[IndianaGreen]

50. Pay the fine!

It will cost you more to fight it in court, and you can't win against a laser or a radar gun. If it is offered, pay it by mail.

Many jurisdictions rely on traffic fines to finance their operations, but this is a political question, not a legal one.

[Elidor]

52. Drive faster next time

Flashing lights mean GO!

[Exultant Democracy]

53. Fake your own death

either that or you find out who the judge would be. Then you go to his house at night and leave a severeed horse head at the foot of his bed while he is sleeping.

[TexasMexican]

59. Fight it.

and get a trial by jury rather than a trial by judge.

It would be alot easier to convince a jury that you dont deserve a ticket than it would be to convince a judge.

I dont think going 83mph on the highways is excessive.

Here in Texas our high speed limits are 75mph.

[bloom]

63. I don't know if anyone said this yet

but sometimes you can put it on diversion. If you don't get a ticket in a year - it's dismissed. Need to call the prosecutors office.