Stadifer

In my exeperience (via friends and others) going to court and pleading guilty usually gets you some bonus points and the knocked down a little. The court may also other options to "do the time." Of course I'm in Washington and most of the judges in our circuit are fairly light against speeding for first time offenders. I can't think of any of my friends that didn't at least get a reduction. In some cases the court actually dropped the fine.

Also... If you go in and just say guilty (becasue you are) there is no need to hire a lawyer.

mjpell

Hey, within the past year, in NY, two of my family members got speeding tickets, and they both called the local DA's office for advice. In both cases, the end result was pleading Not Guilty and getting the DA to reduce the charge....to something like driving through a stop-sign.

Now granted they weren't going 40+ over the speed limit.........but a call to the local DA wouldn't hurt!

(And no it wasn't me.....it was my 17 year old son, and my wife)

jwede

Good God Magnum!

I once got $426 ticket in Omaha NE (72 in a 50 construction zone) and as blessed by having the ability to take a driving course and a $100 fine but no ticket.

I also hired a lawyer once to get the ticket reduced when I lived in St Louis. The DA turned it into a muffler ticket but doubled the fine (not to mention the lawyer fees). I read an article a month or so ago that in Atlantic Iowa the DA and sherrif were impeached for doing that type of thing. The people of Cass county claimed that by doing so "Justice was for sale". Anyway....

In my experience of watching others in your cituation, the larger the infraction, the less chance of escaping it. Good luck!

FourLights

I try to keep it around the speed limit, but I have as much fun as I can getting there.

lordalhays

Hire a local lawyer...they know the judges, cops and prosecutors and will probably get the ticket knocked down.

yur1279

plead not guilty and get a lawyer. They will push the date back at least once and if the cop dosn't show, they usually reschedule for another date(can do that a few times i believe) or your lawyer can argue that this was the only time you could make the date and the judge will usually dismiss the case.

I also think that if you are goin 30+ over the posted limit you have to go to court no matter what.

JessicaRabbitt

Just checked CA law, and we too have both Traffic Infractions as well as Misdemeanors. I used to be soooooo good at Traffic law, too many years have passed and I havent been keeping up... sigh. Use it or lose it!

I will be fighting a red light ticket here soon, I am not sure how far I will get, but I was not doing anything illegal, I only hope I can prove it! LOL

I CONSTANTLY rely on cruise control. I cant tell you how many times I have been cruising along and realize I am at a steady 80-85. This car just wants to GO. So, set the cruise at 70-75, and let her have the control of the pedal.

davids2toys

grantsdale, I think your mistaken.......I also live in CT. Last year i got pulled over for 88 in a 55, Rt 8, Beacon falls....So here is the deal, anything over 85 is an arrest, a mandatory court date, and the charge is reckless driving...Period.
The officer has the option of impounding your car and taking your license on the spot.
So I had to go to court, got a lawyer..............got the reckless driving reduced to speeding, payed 259.00 to the court, and a reduced fee of 250.00 to the lawyer because of my prior buisiness with him. He told me if I wanted to fight the ticket, I would be fight the recless driving charge only, and if convicted, my license would be a pulled for 6 months, and I could get a work permit would be after 30 days, 4 points omy license, and I think the fine was around 500 bucks...I took deal # 1.

DCPD158

:angry: Great advice that can screw with my days off even more. Beauty

yur1279

:angry: Great advice that can screw with my days off even more. Beauty
[/b][/quote]

If it makes you feel better, it didn't work for me. I honestly feel though that if you break the law, then accept the fine.

Zastava_101

I guess I'm the only guy who didn't get a ticket for driving over 40 mph over speed limit. Heck, I didn't even get pulled over. About year ago I was driving my 1997 Dodge Intrepid from Chicago at 2 a.m. and I was driving over 90 mph in 55 mph. Police Crown Victoria just passed me and didn't pulled me over.

vroomvroom

dont care about the money i just dont want my liscense taken away
i want to drive my carrrrrrrr
i accept my punishment not goin fast for a long time
but i cant accept not havin my liscense that i will be pissed about

Grantsdale

grantsdale, I think your mistaken.......I also live in CT. Last year i got pulled over for 88 in a 55, Rt 8, Beacon falls....So here is the deal, anything over 85 is an arrest, a mandatory court date, and the charge is reckless driving...Period.
The officer has the option of impounding your car and taking your license on the spot.
So I had to go to court, got a lawyer..............got the reckless driving reduced to speeding, payed 259.00 to the court, and a reduced fee of 250.00 to the lawyer because of my prior buisiness with him. He told me if I wanted to fight the ticket, I would be fight the recless driving charge only, and if convicted, my license would be a pulled for 6 months, and I could get a work permit would be after 30 days, 4 points omy license, and I think the fine was around 500 bucks...I took deal # 1.
[/b][/quote]


Uhm? CT doesn't have a point system on the license. Unless you are under 18. The only thing I can think of for those kind of charges around here is the crackdown on the "pike" racing. They put in special laws for that area so they could do more to the people they caught. Since you are more or less in that area, I would guess thats what it is.

I've been caught doing 110+ on I-95 a couple of times. Not me driving. One was down near the casinos, and the cop actually said "you guys are lucky you arent in RI, they would have taken your car, we cant".

KansasCityTim

What state are you in? As grantsdale said, every state is different. In the majority of states, things like this are the judge's discretion. Most of the time, you can have it probated for 6-12 months, and if you get no other violations, it drops off the record. Traffic school is also popular in a lot of states. You will end up paying the amount of the ticket at least, in court costs, etc. regardless of which route you go. All you can hope for now is to avoid any further punishment. With as fast as you are going, you will be lucky to get away without community service or worse, suspension of license. That is if you are required to go to court. As I said, all states are different. The speed you were going was pretty egregious (not that I haven't....just haven't gotten caught). If I were you, I would consult an attorney in you city. He will be more in tune with the state laws. It should not cost more than $100 to figure out what avenues you may take. With as fast as you are going, I would almost say it is imperative. Otherwise, you could find yourself in deep crap.

McDGT

Hey Zoran, you ain't got that "Diplomatic Immunity" do ya? Or know where to get Diplomatic plates?

I think the law states they're allowed to break any laws they want, apologize, and then flip us the bird on the way back to their country.

EleanorsMine

grantsdale, I think your mistaken.......I also live in CT. Last year i got pulled over for 88 in a 55, Rt 8, Beacon falls....So here is the deal, anything over 85 is an arrest, a mandatory court date, and the charge is reckless driving...Period.
The officer has the option of impounding your car and taking your license on the spot.
So I had to go to court, got a lawyer..............got the reckless driving reduced to speeding, payed 259.00 to the court, and a reduced fee of 250.00 to the lawyer because of my prior buisiness with him. He told me if I wanted to fight the ticket, I would be fight the recless driving charge only, and if convicted, my license would be a pulled for 6 months, and I could get a work permit would be after 30 days, 4 points omy license, and I think the fine was around 500 bucks...I took deal # 1.
[/b][/quote]

Ouch. I am spending the next week in Beacon falls and Route 8 is the primary road I stay on(MIL lives in Beacon Falls near peter paul). I am driving to Pa, then leadfoot takes over when the weather goes. Wish me luck.
I keep my pony on cruise, because I can't seem to drive the limit on my own, and have been lucky to date.

Grantsdale

The other thing I forgot to mention is it makes a difference who pulls you over as well. City/county cops have much less jurisdiction than state.

Horsepower844182

http://www.beatmyspeedingticket.com/

Zastava_101

What is diplomatic immunity?

Actually, I will be US citized soon (my parents and my brother already are US citizens), so I don't think they can send me back to my country.

rap1977

In Illinois most traffic violations are "petty offenses" punishable by fine only, however 40+ over speed limit is Class A misdemeanor. Punishable by up to 364 days in county jail although that is HIGHLY UNLIKELY, at least in Cook County. As laws do differ greatly from state to state, I can't speak for others.


Diplomatic immunity doesn't allow them to break any law they want, however anything less than a felony would all them to use diplomatic immunity. I don't know exactly how it works cause I haven't run into many diplomats in the ghetto