Well it finally happened!!!!!

Well it finally happened.

The weather in Denver was sunny and about 55 degrees. I decided to take the top off of my 86 Targa and enjoy the sun and feeling of driving something other than my SUV. I guess I got caught up in that joy and got nailed doing 51 mph in a 40 mph zone. He got me w/ a laser. I have no detector as I had taken it out for the winter and put it in my SUV.

I have not had any type of ticket in over 15 years but still might try and fight it.

Has anyone had any luck fighting such a ticket? Any suggestions?

Thanks,

jvp777
86 Targa

In Illinois, if you have a clean record, talk to the public defender. You can plead guilty, pay the fine, and it will not appear on your record (read insurance). Forget pleading not guilty. This is a racket for them that you cannot win.

If it was a municipality or city cop on a highway, you might have an out - only state hogs are supposed to be ticketing up there.

If it was a city/municipality cop on a side road - you're toast.

Regardless, go to court. Plead not guilty. Get a court date, walk in, and say you were doing the speed limit the last time you had looked at your speedo. Be able to correctly ID where the last speed limit sign was.

With any luck, the cop won't show, making it moot - the case gets thrown out. You might get lucky, and have the judge believe you.

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Mark Szabo
1986 911 Targa 3.2
1987 Escort 5-speed 1.9
The Porsche Owners Gallery

Be sure to have infor on when your speedo was last calibrated. Also request that the offier explain when and how the lazer was last caliberated, and if it was calibrated after he tagged you.

Does Colorado have a traffic school program?

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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T (3.6) sunroof coupe
jackolsen@mediaone.net

[This message has been edited by JackOlsen (edited 02-06-2001).]

I agree with Rarly - - you are not going to beat this one pleading not guilty unless the cop is a no show. The judges have heard them all! I would go to court, wearing a suit and tie, shined shoes, etc., and tell the judge exactly what you told us - - nice day, first time out with top down, open road, light traffic, did not notice the speed, etc. Be polite. This assumes you were not caught in a school zone or other area where the cop can make an argument that you were driving too fast for conditions. Who knows, the judge may have a Porsche too!
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It's becoming so RARE these days for people to take responsibility for their actions. Started with the White house, most politicians, and high-paid sports figures.
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Chuck the Curmudgeon

Besides, 15 years without a ticket? I consider myself very lucky to make it through 15 months.

If any of you own stock in the auto insurance industry, my rates are probably putting your kids through school.

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Jack Olsen
1973 911 T (3.6) sunroof coupe
jackolsen@mediaone.net

I last heard this topic - well, I think here. The solution is to maybe try this:
1. Start calling the police station where the officer works every few days, and find out if the officer is working that day. Your goal is to find out the pattern when the officer is off of work.
2. Schedule a court date
3. Try to make the court date (if asked) on a day when the officer is off of work for that day.
Supposedly, officers do not like to come in on their days off (as they don't get paid), and they usually make other plans - like the rest of us!

I am not sure about the last comment. My brother is a cop, and I believe not only does he get paid for court, he gets paid overtime.

This may vary by location, but I would guess any big city police department with a decent union, this would be the case.

I live in CO. The last ticket I got was 7 years ago, 73 in a 55. My record had been clean for 5 years and I plea bargined. It was reduced to a non-moving violation, failure to remove snow from the winsheild (in July). Seems all they wanted was the fine, it was the same as the speeding ticket. I was willing to pay to not get the points and not have my insurance rates increase.

One reason I posted the way I did was because in my area the cop does not have to show up. They tell you when to be there, not the other way around. If the cop does not show up then the date is changed - and, by the way, the cop has the entire DAY to show. So they waste your entire day, then reschedule and you do it again. I cannot fathom how this bull**** system of guilty until proven innocent is allowed to exist. These *******s can completely make something up - your word against them. Who's the judge going to side with? I've seen such rehursed bull**** between the judge and cop it made me want to shoot them both.

Its freaking Kangaroo Court man. Thats the legal system for you. The good guys occassionally get caught in the crossfire and its not fair.

Porsche tax, no doubt about it. I just got nailed for 50 in a 30. I have not had a ticket in 23 years.

I have been pulled three times in the last three months for various crap such as merging onto a freeway too fast- WHAT THE? On ramps have speed limits that are lower than highway speed? "Yes sir, you were accelerating too fast for this on ramp." Give me a break.

Luckily, Florida has drivers ed to keep the points off your license. I called and asked if a day at Sebring with the PCA would qualify. No luck.

Joe
'80 SC Targa

I watched with amusement my wife and daughter go to court over a traffic ticket. 45 in a 30. they essentially could prove the officer perjured himself. Seems three car occupants heard him say "this is your lucky day. my radar gun was not turned on" at the scene. The cop's written statement was a canned thing that said 'radar' aobut eight times, including display readout, trigger pointing, etc. Clear perjury. In a pre-hearing conference the prosecutor delivered a brilliant performance, and his explanation to the judge as to why the charges were being dropped was priceless.

Anyway, the point is, the plead of 'not guilty' got us a pre-hearing conference with the local prosecutor. That's where deals are struck. I'm suggesting a mixture of the ideas above. Be honest and sit up straight in nice clothes. Tell your story. These guys cut deals all the time.

And besides, this is gambling WITH a net. You got a ticket and you expect a fine and 'points.' That's already the worst that can happen. Have fun with it. Get stressed about something else.

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'83 SC

Got ya coming and going. Either pay the fine or lose a day's pay and go to court to fight the ticket with the chance you're gonna be declared guilty and have to pay the fine on top of losing a day's pay!

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Howie
79SC

I say cut your losses now and move on....slowly.

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Robert Stoll
83 SC
83 944

Go find some mechanic who you know gets off on screwin people, give him a couple of bucks and voila!!!! Your speedo was off by 15mph because Venus was in a strange orbit and the Earth's polarity was wacked. I usually get some crap like that when I bring cars in to be repaired...
Pete
77'Carrera3.0

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www.geocities.com/pcafaro2000/carrera30.html

Plead NO CONTEST. Do not plead NOT GUILTY or GUILTY. Then, offer an explanation much like patalive offered above. It is no use arguing that you were not speeding, you know you were. Your best option is to put yourself at the mercy of the court AND THEN OFFER A VALID EXPLANATION AS TO WHY AND HOW THIS INFRACTION OCCURRED. I speak from experience.
Good Luck.

All this talk of tickets just reminded me of something funny that you should try. The previous owner of my car was an ambulance attendant and he has a "Sudbury District Ambulance" sticker in his rear window. Its ugly as sin and I hate stickers but he says that it saved his ass MANY times... If they look at your license and you have an F class (or whatever the large vehicle license is where you are) and they see the sticker as they come up to your window, they usually just say to be more careful and have a nice day. I guess the cops and firemen and ambulances stick together or something. I don't know for sure, but i'm willing to give it a shot. Just my thoughts....

Adam

The matter is dependant on if the judge got some that morning and nothing else!Sweet talk
candy,even flowers will not matter here.Just waive the damb ticket!!!

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Mully 911