advice on fighting a speeding ticket

I wouldn't make a very pretty slut, unfortunately.

pros re: court trial - cop less likely to show up and argue? increased likelihood of leniency?
cons: I am more persuasive with the written word than I am nervous and in person. also would have to take time off work which would mean $$$/time off lost

christ on a stick, $480???

If it's an automated camera ticket, would they need a cop to show up?

If you lose, will court costs be tacked on to the 480?

citation sez:

"an officer and witnesses will be present"

it doesn't say anything about court costs, apart from a fine if I fail to appear ($300)

re: a written trial, there's no mention of a cop, it just says "the judge will make a judgment based up on your Written Declaration and the photographic evidence which will be subpoenaed by this court"

who 'witnessed' this, if it was a camera?

well I dunno what other witnesses the city would call. I had people in the car with me (am also considering using "distracted by semi-hysterical toddler" defense)

Did you see this page? http://www.amusings.com/san-francisco-red-light-camera-tickets/

Lots of good info for SF.

seems like the plead guilty + traffic school option is halfway decent.

Good timing, I have to do this soon.

Last one of these I got, a whole bunch of cops did not show up and those that did "could not recall" the incident resulting in it being forgiven.

Mine is $360 for going 65 in a 35, which seems way faster than I was going, I did not even really think I was speeding. But it is a long, underdeveloped stretch of straight road leading through an industrial area just outside of Downtown LA. I see cops with radar there all the time now picking people off, so it is a total speed trap. There's no way you can keep to 35 on that road.

seems like the plead guilty + traffic school option is halfway decent.

yeah altho I'm a bit confused. it looks like you show up, plead NOT GUILTY, and then they offer you a reduced fine + traffic school in order not to pursue the case...?

oh is it not guilty? i guess at that point pursuing the case costs them more than the fine would collect.

I think so... I don't get why you would request a trial and plead guilty, seems like that's a bigger waste of the court's time.

At least in NJ, the way you do it is to plead not guilty and request a trial. Then on the day of your court appearance, the prosecutor will typically offer you a plea deal (provided your offense is not too, um, offensive). The deal they typically offer you is a reduction on the points, but not necessarily on the fine - however, your situation may vary. Basically the point of the plea deal is to save them the hassle of holding a trial for you.

that makes sense

SO why would you take that deal instead of doing traffic school and paying the fine?

^^^that is the deal. you get a reduced fine + traffic school and they waive the trial.

see refs in linked site above

I'm not sure how that works in NJ, but I think the traffic school is something separate that you can do any time to reduce points on your license. I don't think it has anything to do with the plea deal.

seriously FUCK traffic tickets with a motherfucking shovel

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Friday, July 11, 2008 4:46 AM (4 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Some of the truest words ever. I'm simmering with anger and hope I can keep it from boiling over here at work.

run very fast and try and squat it.

swot, I mean.

Hope the officer that wrote your ticket doesn't show up in court. When I had to go recently I wasn't one of the lucky ones, but three officers didn't show up and easily 40-45% of the people in the room had theirs dismissed.

My first inclination is to suck it up and pay the fine, rather than trying to contest it. But is this sort of thing really worth challenging?

Got slammed for doing 42 in a 25mph zone (aka a local side street in the 'burbs). Defund the motherfuckin' police.

Yeah but if you defund them they're going to be that much more aggressive with speeding tickets to compensate. Maybe go with deflate instead.