[Rick Lee]

Sorry guys -- I disagree. I have beaten a lot of tickets in court -- I mean a lot. Sometimes the judge is a hard-a$s, both on defendants and cops. I've seen a cop get reamed by a judge for shuffling papers, trying to find his notes on my case -- and I won when he just said I blew through a right turn on red without first stopping. Yes, in a lot of places going to court is part of the good ole boy/patronage network. Pay a lawyer, who used to work with the prosecutor and probably has beers with the judge. It all depends on where you live. But I've won some when my case was weak -- and I've lost a few when my case was strong. I think I mentioned before here that I once saw the entire courtroom get dismissed when the night court judge wanted to get home in time to watch Nancy Kerrigan skate on tv. Think of how many people could have come to court that night, but just went ahead and paid. ALWAYS fight the ticket. As long as you're polite and professional (dress nicely too), you'll at least get a reduced fine, if not full dismissal. I've seen some really outrageous cases (passing stopped school buses, etc) get tossed because the defendant knew how to behave in front of a judge. Sometimes the issuing cop will be your best friend in court.