Got my first speeding ticket! What to do?
 

Going back from the girlfriends house. I was leaving a light and the malibu in front of me guns it. I take off but not pushing it. I finally pass the malibu running 2 grand in 4th like 55 mphish. I pass it, and had to make the next light, so I pull in front of it, to make a right turn and as soon as i get over he hits the lights. A undercover. -.-
Anyways I thought I was going 50, He said 51. He said the speed limit was 40. I look at the ticket and He checked the radar, but he didn't put anything in the ac reading? He also just put the alleged at 60.
What should I do? Traffic school 210$, pay the ticket 201$, or fight it?

Fight Traffic Tickets / Contest Traffic Tickets with the Ticket Assassin: Your Guide to Fighting California Traffic Tickets & Contesting Traffic Citations in California ;)

just realized you're in AZ, but I'm sure you'll find some useful info from that link anyway... I know I did

plead not guilty.
stall, reschedule, stall.
talk to d.a. at your hearing, try for a reduced charge.
pray the officer is a no show.

best of luck to you.

try not to drive a red car.

Ahmmm, you were going 55 in a 40.

Just what can be fought in this situation? You were speeding.

Yeah that was the red 951.. Cops love it i guess. :/

Pay the ticket, and slow down.

If you can manage deferred adjudication/deferred disposition, do that. It's better than taking defensive driving.

At least in Texas, if you take DD, then your record will show a ticket with 0 points. Well, I don't know for sure, but I assume that your ins co will still see the ticket. If you take deferred, then usually you pay a "fee" that is $200-300 (usually around the value of the ticket), then if you don't get convicted of any more tickets in a given period (usually 3 months), then they just throw the ticket out and it's as if it never happened.

Again, this is all in Texas, but if you are within your 3 month period (could be 6 months or whatever the judge/prosecutor says) and you get another ticket, you can (here in Houston at least) ask for deferred on that one. Since you don't get convicted, that doesn't screw up the first ticket. The state is happy because they get their cash, and you're happy because you didn't have to take 8hrs of dd, and you don't have anything on your record when you're done.

It's something that you may want to look into.

Plead no contest, go to Traffic School and from now on end go slow while U keep your eyes peeled.

Lets just leave it at you were being stupid.

Sounds like he sucked ya right in...

When the Judge says it will be $30 or 30 days tell the judge, "You want the time cause U always wanted to get in touch with your female side by feeling how it is to be a woman."

Yeah, He asked what I was doing. I said; Sir I was following you.

I will do the traffic school, and watch out for those unmarked cars.

Personal experience their Tabs?

LOL, dude, you raced a cop.

Might I suggest you pay this one and move on?

Why did you feel the need to pass if you knew you had to turn right at the next light?

Did he have to hit his brakes to slow for you as you slowed to make your right turn?

If he did, and it was me, yeah I'd be a bit pissed. Happens a lot. :mad:

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!

That happened to me one night and I had had a couple of drinks (but was "probably" not over the limit). I was lucky; a cop friend of mine had told me about that tactic so I maintained my speed (I was in a Vette doing exactly the 35mph limit at 10:30 on a Sat. night). The lights dropped back, the car followed at a reasonable distance for a few blocks, then passed me - it was a cop.

Pay the ticket, keep a sharp eye out in the future and try not to develop a negative attitude towards cops based on what you hear from others - if stopped and that attitude is detected, it won't stand in your good stead.

Nope when it comes to the law I already am a big *******.

Naa this happened out in the doom docks. It was like 2+ miles between lights.

Exactly. Learn to accept second place when you're on the street. Track is a different story.

Chalk it up to learning, pay the fine, move on. Oh yeah, and don't race cops.

So ya lernt that 10 over an passin' da pig in even da doom docks, you be doomed ta git a tikit ennyway. :)

Ya gots ta pay to play.....

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

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. :)

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

Me too.

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

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.

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

And NO MORE STREET RACING!

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

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....

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.

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

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?

How will she know?

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!

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.

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

-e.

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.

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.