Got my first speeding ticket! What to do?

[Arizona_928]

I know Hella unlucky. Should've stayed at the g/f house longer..... lol

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

I know Hella unlucky. Should've stayed at the g/f house longer..... lol

If'n yer gonna git skrewed either way, that'd defnatly be the gooder way.

[billybek]

Get ready for two more!
They always come in threes.

[fintstone]

Originally Posted by Gogar

Ah, the Doom Docks. Been their many time's.

Me too.

"People put me down 'cause
That's the side of town I was born in"

[L8Brakr]

Originally Posted by DARISC

BTW, if some clown comes right up on your bumper at night, DON'T accelerate (assuming you're already doing the limit) and DON'T slow down. That's a tactic that cops sometimes use to have an excuse to pull people over and have them take a breathalyzer test.

If you speed up, you'll be stopped for speeding - and be asked to take a breathalyzer test. If you slow down, you'll be stopped for "driving erratically" - and be asked to take a breathalyzer test.

Point is, you DON'T want to be stopped! .

Big-time agreement with this. On at least three occasions driving the 911 home on a limited access non-interstate between the local sports bars and my house I have had a pair of lights come up behind me, ride the bumper and flash the high-beams in an attempt to start a street race. Maintained my speed, exited as planned, and had the guy follow me down the ramp. Once I had completed the proper signals and turned, the guy does a slow pass by on the left, eyeballs me, and returns up the next ramp to the original road. Yes, it was a patrol car each time.

[aigel]

Fight it. You may need traffic school for the next ticket. Sure, you are guilty, but that doesn't mean you have to admit to it. People advising you to pay and slow down don't live in areas that are filthy with cops looking to keep the revenue stream going. It is a game, you have to play to win!

George

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by sailchef

Pay the ticket, and slow down.

And NO MORE STREET RACING!

He could have nailed you for reckless driving. Cops love to teach young uns a lesson.

[M.D. Holloway]

I got one a few weeks ago - I was taking our Son to the BSA Museum to work on a merit badge for Boy Scouts. I entered the Hwy and there were 3 cars in front of me. I wasn't speeding - really! But he pulled me over and said I was going 78 in a 55. That was total bullshnikys. My Son asked me afterwords why I didn't confront him "Its just like a teacher or a ref Son, arguing will only accomplish frustration on their part - it will not change the outcome. I did plead not guilty and plan on a day in court. My Son wants to testify on my behalf stating that I has not speeding and the officer got the wrong car. I told him he should wear his Boy Scout uniform. Mommy wont let us do this....

[Brando]

Learn to identify the cars. Even the undercover cars stand out like a fart in church.

I don't think telling you to slow down would do any good. Expensive lesson.

[Arizona_928]

If i fight the ticket and am still found guilty, Do I still have the possibility to do traffic school?

[aigel]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

If i fight the ticket and am still found guilty, Do I still have the possibility to do traffic school?

This depends on the state, so you will have to find some AZ specific information. In CA you first delay the court date by asking for an extension (2 months). then you do a trial by written declaration. If you lose the written trial you go to court with a trial de novo. If the cop shows up, you plead no contest right away and ask for traffic school. Most judges will be generous with traffic school if you plead no contest immediately, making it short for them.

My experience in the system here is that if you delay the court dates chances are high that the cop will be a no show. If you go straight to the court date that's on the ticket, the cop will be there, because he puts down "his" day in court, where he hangs out there all day. They generally do not come to court for a single ticket. So, the more delay and detachment you can get from the original ticket, the more likely it will be that the cop isn't there. This piece of advice is probably true for AZ as well.

G

[sailchef]

In Delaware, if you try to fight it and loose, then all bets are off. You will be at the courts mercy. They will decide your fate. I'm sure its different from state to state. Feeling lucky?

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by LubeMaster77

My Son wants to testify on my behalf stating that I has not speeding and the officer got the wrong car. I told him he should wear his Boy Scout uniform. Mommy wont let us do this....

How will she know?

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

If i fight the ticket and am still found guilty, Do I still have the possibility to do traffic school?

Get a lawyer. Even a crappy one will be able to get the charge reduced. Unfortunately it is a game.

If the Insurance companies were not involved, I would simply pay the ticket and slow down. With the extra cost of insurance, it pays to get a lawyer and get it reduced to a non-moving violation, even if the lawyer plus ticket is more. Even if the new violation is more!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Either traffic school or fight it. Not knowing more details, I'd say traffic school is probably more appropriate.

Never, EVER "just pay it". No way. Don't ever just hand your money over to the man. Make sure you either get something in return, or fight it tooth and nail.

[esample]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

If i fight the ticket and am still found guilty, Do I still have the possibility to do traffic school?

What ever happened to accepting responsibility for one's actions? Just sayin'.

-e.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

It went out the window when the cops stopped being good guys looking out for the public interest and started becoming glorified tax collectors serving only their own.

It's hard for the PDs (not all, but a lot) to claim any kind of moral high ground in these games. Unfortunately there is no morally correct position on either side in these situations so as said above - fight to win!

Edit (before some idiot takes the above out of context):

I have all the respect in the world for the good cops out there doing their jobs and dealing with a lot of BS I'd never want to. I seriously admire that.

However...

Respect is EARNED - it does not come automatically with title. I certainly can respect a cop going after bona fide criminals. A cop sitting on his ass with a radar gun or looking for ways to feel self-important by playing games with motorists? Not so much.

[esample]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

It went out the window when the cops stopped being good guys looking out for the public interest and started becoming glorified tax collectors serving only their own.

Respect is EARNED - it does not come automatically with title. I certainly can respect a cop going after bona fide criminals. A cop sitting on his ass with a radar gun or looking for ways to feel self-important by playing games with motorists? Not so much.

Are you talking to me? If I don't like the way cops are behaving, I can do whatever I like on a public street and I'm absolved of responsibilty for my own actions? Really?

And who is talking about respect? Again, one of the great maladies in American society at present is the sense individuals have that their misdeeds are the result of the actions of others. No one likes to pay a ticket or go to traffic school (speaking from experience here), but when we succumb to the temptation, it's on us. The devil didn't make me do it.

-e.