Speeding Tickets

[Lord]

I just got my first speeding ticket Not only that, but i have to find the cost online. (And i seem to be having quite a problem.)

is anyone well knowledgeable about speeding tickets, and is there any technicality that if the court date to appear is 1/24/06, can i get it thrown out of court? (technically speaking, 1/24/06 already passed, and if i was to follow the rules to a T, i would never be able to show up as i dont have a time machine)

 

[The Equivocate]

Well, here's what most likely would happen. Assuming you don't show up for court and contest that the ticket said 1/24/06, they'll probably just contact you or mail you a new court date with a real date. Regardless of what you are going there to plead (guilty or not guilty), you'll still have to face it at the new court date. I don't know the consequences for not appearing for traffic court but even if they did slap you with an extra fine or suspended your license, THEN you could contest that the listed court date was wrong and go from there...

Of course I'm not going to tell you to NOT go to court, especially if it's going to cost you some extra money, losing your license for a while, or just the overall stress of them hounding you...

Maybe someone who's a little more knowledgeable can explain it a little better..

 

[swimjenni]

I would just call and find out what the real date is and get it over with.

 

[Broker]

I would hold on to the ticket and laugh if thats the date for court for real. If they give you any problems ask to see the last inspection report for the radar gun used to test your speed. They have to be inspected every so often, not sure but a friend got away with one asking that question. Dumb luck probably.

 

[Keral_Patel]

I wouldn't take it lightly.

In past I used to make fun of tickets and out of 50 or so tickets, I didn't went to court for a single one.

But yeah after 3 years a policeman came home and this time he had a warrant for me.

Don't know what the system is in your country. But the bottom line is just finish off with this court business. Their timing is always perfect in ruining your Birthday or Vacation trip.

 

[homebuyer]

Layman's opinion

I would think that, in addition to the police officer issued ticket, the court would send you a notice of when to appear in court. If this date is also on January 24, 2006, then I would suspect that their electronic calendaring would also set the court date as January 24, 2006, and as such, the court that is actually in session on January 24, 2007 would have no notice of your ticket or you.

In any event, the hand written ticket would have to go to someone who manually enters it into the court's calendaring program. He might also err and enter 2006. You should receive some kind of notice from the court so look for the court date there.

It is also possible that the police officer who issued you the ticket might not be aware of his mistake and might assume that you paid your ticket and that is why you are not on his list of people contesting their tickets when he shows up for court on January 24, 2007.

Do you have a duty to do the police officer's and the court's job? In short, your ticket might just end up in a perpetual legal limbo until your right to a speedy trial has been violated.

 

[B33R]

There's a huge number of reasons you can challenge a ticket, in this country anyway. You might even end up getting away without paying but only after you've sought legal advice and actually spent the time challenging it.

I say just pay the ticket, learn your lesson and don't do it again. Of course, this advice is coming from a non-driver so it may be slightly biased.

 

[01wojtowicz]

http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/motor...objectid=18046659&siteid=62484-name_page.html

30 SPEEDING FINES


IT'S vital to check that the evidence against you is legally valid. Always ask police for photographic evidence of the alleged offence if they fail to provide it. Each year thousands of cases collapse when the police fail to provide a photo.


All camera-generated speeding fines have a 14-day time limit. The Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) must be received within two weeks of the alleged offence. If it isn't, the case can be dismissed. This is the first form sent by police saying that they plan court action. Alert your lawyer if it is not received within two weeks. Otherwise the case will collapse in court or be dismissed by prosecutors.


Check if the speed camera has been officially approved for operation at the site involved. Check with the police or Home Office, or ask your lawyer to check it out. If requested, the prosecutor must send written proof that the camera has been authorised for use on that road.


THE law says you are obliged to provide details of the driver who committed the alleged offence. If more than one person is insured to drive the vehicle and you can't remember who was driving it at the time, it is up to the police to prove who was behind the wheel. If you genuinely can't remember who was driving, you must say so, and it is then up to the police to prove a case against one individual or another.

if its a speeding fine from a camera then that may be useful, im not sure if its the same in your counrty though. also if theres an error on the ticket then you could probabaly find a way to get away with no fine (not sure how though!)

I don't drive and I cant drive at my age, but the above info might help you...if you're rich then theres a lawyer in the UK nicknamed "mr loophole" who gets people out of speeding fines in all manner of ways http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Freeman

 

[Hitch]

Ask if the Camera was checked the day you got your speeding ticket, the are supposed to be checked daily i belive (In the UK.)

If not, just mention it, and you shouldn't get a ticket or something, because it wasn't checked.
I think that's what happens, i read it on a car forum before.

Don't hold me to that though, i think that's what it was, wasn't too sure.
Worth a try.

I think it's because a speed camera once clocked a stationary bike at 6mp sometime...Lol...something like that.

Adrian

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

They do have to aclibrate their speed guns. How often depends on the municipality and they can get very screwed up. Police officer friend remarks, "We have to calibrate them so that they are accurate. I got in one morning and while checking calibrations clocked a tree doing 125."
He has a picture of that one too.

 

[maximum]

Not making fun of the OP's situation. But, as cliche' as it may sound, "You do the crime, you should do the time." (or in this case fine).

However, one of the replies just got me going :lol:

They do have to aclibrate their speed guns. How often depends on the municipality and they can get very screwed up. Police officer friend remarks, "We have to calibrate them so that they are accurate. I got in one morning and while checking calibrations clocked a tree doing 125."
He has a picture of that one too.

Few folks go through the throuble, much less the expense, of hiring a lawyer/solicitor for speeding tickets. But, I just read that and imagined every judge in your jurisdiction had to get tired of those lawyers that were hired to defend speeders saying "Your Honor, shall I remind the time this department's radar guns clocked a tree....." We all know they can be wrong. But, that one will make me look at every cop I see issuing a ticket diffrently :p

 

[viciouscircle]

Before anything else, I think it needs to be established where exactly you're from. What to do in this situation is almost entirely dependent upon the legal jurisdiction that you're in.

 

[IAmAllanShore]

1) Where are you from?
2) How much over were you?
3) Do you want this to go away entirely or do you just want to plead to something like "improper equipment" or a lesser speed?

Basically, almost any attorney willing to take a speeding ticket case can make the thing disappear - but it isn't cheap. However, it might be a deal compared with the increased insurance (Health/Life/Auto) rates you'll pay otherwise for years to come.

-Allan

 

[Ken_]

Heres what allanshore is refering to
You go c the attorney for 200-500 he makes one call to the da.
Depending how good the lawyer is, It can be changed to a civil penalty or just dropped outright and as long as you dont recieve any more citations that they find out about, within a certain timeframe.
It will never show up. If however they do find that you got another ticket the deal is off.
Some people attempt to make the call themselves I advise not to do so.
Dont do nothing and dont play lawyer, get one
Good luck

 

[IAmAllanShore]

Well, that is one possibility, true.

But there are many programs available that attorneys that deal with traffic violations would be privy to that most of us are simply unaware of. So that, coupled with goodwill from ADA's or magistrates = usually a positive turnout. In fact, if you live in North Carolina, you'll get about 10-15 letters in the next 6 weeks all offering to get the ticket removed (Or reduced, depending on specifics) for $70, with you never even having to go to court or do anything aside from signing a piece of paper.

-Allan

 

[Ken_]

north carolina seems to get their jollies off seeing how many tickets they can issue in a single week whats the record now?

 

[Lord]

ooooops ! guess this is a bit of a late reply

but i've done quite a bit of research and it seems in the wonderful state of NJ, you can plead your ticket down to a zero point ticket, but pay extra money.

I've had people estimate my final cost to be $430, which is $230 over my normal ticket.

Also, they never reissued me a court date nor a new ticket through the mail, and sadly, I lost my original ticket.


i did get some 20+ attorney letters though in the week after my ticket (i never felt so wanted...or loved)