Speeding Ticket options..

[thatguy]

I am 45 and got my first speeding ticket tonite - in the car talking and the speed limit went from a 65 to 45, and I blew thru doing 63 (after the Campbell Co deputy was nice enough to drop it a couple mph though)..

I can pay the ticket, but really dont want to take a 4 point hit on my license (currently have +5 points though)



Never having a ticket before what are my options beside paying it and taking the 4 point hit?

Worth it to get a lawyer and fight it? (although he caught me fair and square)

How do i get traffic school and would that keep the points of my license?

Other thoughts??

Brian

 

[swick1]

Depending on the situation a lawyer can get the charges reduced so you pay the same amount to the jurisdiction but no points on your licence. Win win

 

[rsewill]

First ever!!! Just claim old age and you were talking to your imaginary friend. The judge may empathize. Talking on the cell phone? Pay it.

 

[Lady Tonka]

I went to one of my favorite sites and Lifehacker came through again with some very interesting information written by a law student that may help you, especially this section:

You've gotten a ticket, but you still want out:

8. Call the officer at work.

Ask politely if you can arrange a time to meet with the officer to talk to him or her about a ticket you got recently. Usually, officers will readily meet with you, the taxpayer, and this meeting has gotten me out of many tickets.

But, don't go to the meeting and just say, "Will you let me out of this ticket?" You better have a story or some reason to motivate the officer to let you out. That's just up to you, but just be really nice and try to bridge that officer-civilian gap with a personal story and plead for mercy. The more the officer can identify with you, the more likely he is to want to show you mercy.

Remember always, the officer has full authority to drop your ticket, so remember how important he is in this process. Treat him and pursue him as the gatekeeper to your freedom. Don't be scared, though. You have a right to try to talk to the officer. You pay his salary.

9. Write a letter to the officer.

Even if you met with the officer, it can't hurt to write him a letter pleading your case to him. Write it professionally, succinctly, and include complete contact information. I've even gone so far as to offer alternative punishment. Although that alternative wasn't accepted, the officer was pretty surprised at my tenacity, and it motivated him to let me off the hook. He could tell that I really did care about this one ticket.

Make the ticket a bigger deal to you than to him, but you have to carefully do this in a professional, civil way. Anything else, and you're playing with fire.

10. Repeat calls and letters to the judge and/or the prosecutor.

If the officer won't listen to you, feel free to contact the judge that will preside over your case. Also, find out who the prosecuting attorney will be and call him at his office. They are just people, and the worst they can say is "no." You have nothing to lose at this point. Plead your case to either of them, but do not be a pest and be consistently apologetic for the lengths to which you are going to get out of your ticket. You must be sincere, or don't bother going at all.

In steps 8-10, you stand the risk of being labeled a nuisance or a troublemaker. If you get this impression too much, then bail out with apologies. But, do not be afraid to at least try to talk to the officials face-to-face. They are, after all, public servants, and you are that public.

How to beat a speeding ticket (or at least better your chances)

 

[s219]

You already caught a break -- if they had pegged you at 65 in a 45, you would have been 20 over, which is reckless driving and a Class 1 misdemeanor criminal offense in Virginia. The deputy probably checked your record, saw you had no former tickets, and decided not to crucify you. I'd just pay up -- they caught you fair and square. If they had hit you with reckless, you'd have no choice but to go to court -- there is no pay by mail option for that.

 

[phiferpharm]

You say no ticket before, but you already have points, so that is a little confusing. You should be able to do traffic school and not get the points. A traffic lawyer may be able to advise you on that.

 

[CBW1999]

I must disagree with some of this advice. An article written by a Law STUDENT is the LAST bit of advice I would consider in taking action on a legal issue.

I cannot speak as to the specific laws in your area however- if the deputy already dropped it a couple of MPH, consider that your gift. Nothing stopping him from amending it to the original violation if you are a pest. Points don't usually stay on forever. If this is your first goof, then it shouldn't be an issue although you mentioned already having points-

Read the ticket carefully, it should have all of the information about contesting it. perhaps there is a phone number for the "traffic bureau" that can be of more assistance to answering your questions.

 

[dgl24087]

You say no ticket before, but you already have points, so that is a little confusing. You should be able to do traffic school and not get the points. A traffic lawyer may be able to advise you on that.

+5 points means he has 5 safe driving points.

 

[Bigfoot62]

. . .I cannot speak as to the specific laws in your area however- if the deputy already dropped it a couple of MPH, consider that your gift. Nothing stopping him from amending it to the original violation if you are a pest. . . Read the ticket carefully, it should have all of the information about contesting it. perhaps there is a phone number for the "traffic bureau" that can be of more assistance to answering your questions.

I agree.

Here in La, 15 over can get you a trip to jail, and your vehicle impounded. It's up to the discretion of the officer.

Again, where I live, once a ticket is written, the officer can't dismiss it. Only the Sheriff's Office or District Attorney can do that.

 

[creekbend]

In the mid 70's, I was a road deputy for a Sheriff's Dept. in Tennessee. The County was the fifth largest in the State, and I worked there for nearly 5 1/2 years. At the end of each shift we turned in the receipts from the ticket book, if and when any tickets were issued, along with all written offense reports that we had worked during our shift. We were allowed 48 hours to turn in our accident reports though. Once our paperwork was turned in, the paperwork went directly to the proper agencies such as County Court Clerk. We, as State appointed LEO's, could not tear up a ticket anytime after that. At that stage and time, it was up to the Courts. Things may be different now, but I sincerely doubt it. It's the Officer's job to enforce the LAW by issuing a ticket. This is done by his discretion, but the final judgment is ruled on by a JUDGE or the District Attorney's Office.