Speeding Ticket Advice ?

[EaglesPeteC]

My advice: slow down 😎

[Packerraymond]

6 hours ago, BornToFly said:

Last month I was issued a ticket for 13 over.  38 in a 25.  I want to fight this ticket.  This was in an area of the village that goes from 25 to 35, and 35 to 45 in a very short period of time.  The 35mph couldn't have been more than 500 feet in front of me.  While I was speeding, I feel like I received a $175 ticket and 4 points for going 3 over, even though technically it was 13 over.  I misjudged the 35mph sign by 300-500 feet. 

 

My question(s) is, I'm not  sure what to even expect, in court, which is coming up.  Do I plead guilty, innocent, or no contest?  Can I meet with the DA prior to the court date?  Do I meet with anyone before going in front of the judge, or do I only go in front of a judge, by myself?  I haven't been pulled over in over 20 years!  I don't want to waste my time or look stupid if I have zero chance.  Is there a chance to get the points removed? Or a lower fine?  

 

If anyone knows how it might work, or what to expect, I'd appreciate it.  Bonus if you know what to expect in the state of Wisconsin, since that is where the ticket happened.  

 

You'll just show up, plead guilty, tell them it was an accident and you misjudged a speed reduction and they'll probably drop your points altogether or halve them. They never really drop the money cause that's all they care about. As far as your insurance, you're probably going to see something like a 15-20% hike as if you have a clean driving record, you'll probably lose your discount for that. If you don't have a safe driving discount, your price change should be minimal. To try and get it removed entirely, you would have to plead not guilty, and then I believe there is another court date set, just for your case, and you'd have to try and prove you weren't speeding, which you were. Will just cost you more time and money. This was my experience (in WI) granted it was 12 years ago. 

[BayRaider]

So traffic school. Not worth fighting it. Not sure how states outside California work, but you can do traffic school every 18 months do prevent your insurance rates from going up. If you get two speeding tickets in 18 months, that's when you should fight the second ticket. 

[BornToFly]

19 hours ago, Bullet Club said:

In Minnesota? Highly unlikely.

Wisconsin  

[Daniel]

@BornToFly

Ask the judge to do safe driving school. I’m pretty sure most states have it. You’ll pay about the same but you won’t have points on your license.

That’s assuming you’re eligible, which for the states I’ve seen, is just if you haven’t had a moving violation in the last two to five years.

[DontTazeMeBro]

I disagree with every comment that it isn’t worth it. Going 13 over the speed limit isn’t dangerous. Speeding tickets are a way for the tyrannical government to get revenue and I don’t know why so many people are okay with them. And the insurance. People who have been driving for decades, have never been in an accident, have 800 credit scores have to pay more because some losers just decided that’s how slow you should go. It’s BS. You should probably talk to a lawyer but I hope you own these bastards.

[Heimdallr]

38 minutes ago, DontTazeMeBro said:

I disagree with every comment that it isn’t worth it. Going 13 over the speed limit isn’t dangerous. Speeding tickets are a way for the tyrannical government to get revenue and I don’t know why so many people are okay with them. And the insurance. People who have been driving for decades, have never been in an accident, have 800 credit scores have to pay more because some losers just decided that’s how slow you should go. It’s BS. You should probably talk to a lawyer but I hope you own these bastards.

Or you know, the civil engineers that calculated that speed based on various possible conditions and surrounding factors.

[adamq]

Just pay it and forget it. Some states will let you off with community service for your first offense though. Saves on the insurance hike

[naptownskinsfan]

I have a similar spot where I am coming over a bridge at 50 MPH limit, and about .10 up the road, it goes down to 40.  When I was pulled over, the officer said the 40 began when the bridge ends, even though I had glasses and could barely see the sign from there.  

Thankfully, based on where I work, he dropped the ticket but I was always careful about my speed through that area and other places after that.  

[adamq]

1 hour ago, DontTazeMeBro said:

I disagree with every comment that it isn’t worth it. Going 13 over the speed limit isn’t dangerous. Speeding tickets are a way for the tyrannical government to get revenue and I don’t know why so many people are okay with them. And the insurance. People who have been driving for decades, have never been in an accident, have 800 credit scores have to pay more because some losers just decided that’s how slow you should go. It’s BS. You should probably talk to a lawyer but I hope you own these bastards.

Speed limits exist because it takes cars a long time to stop, not necessarily because its more dangerous for the driver. This is why interstates are 70 mph while smaller highways are 55, you have to account for driveways/side streets & cars merging. Interstates, you have an on ramp to get up to speed. On a rural highway (especially with curves) 13 MPH could be the difference between stopping for that semi turning on to the road or slamming right in to him.

Obviously speed limits are lower in towns because pedestrians. 

 

Annoying at times, I guess. But far from tyranical.

Edited August 24, 2022 by adamq

[skywindO2]

On 8/23/2022 at 10:12 AM, BornToFly said:

Last month I was issued a ticket for 13 over.  38 in a 25.  I want to fight this ticket.  This was in an area of the village that goes from 25 to 35, and 35 to 45 in a very short period of time.  The 35mph couldn't have been more than 500 feet in front of me.  While I was speeding, I feel like I received a $175 ticket and 4 points for going 3 over, even though technically it was 13 over.  I misjudged the 35mph sign by 300-500 feet. 

 

My question(s) is, I'm not  sure what to even expect, in court, which is coming up.  Do I plead guilty, innocent, or no contest?  Can I meet with the DA prior to the court date?  Do I meet with anyone before going in front of the judge, or do I only go in front of a judge, by myself?  I haven't been pulled over in over 20 years!  I don't want to waste my time or look stupid if I have zero chance.  Is there a chance to get the points removed? Or a lower fine?  

 

If anyone knows how it might work, or what to expect, I'd appreciate it.  Bonus if you know what to expect in the state of Wisconsin, since that is where the ticket happened.  

 

Are you in Minnesota? It was about 10 years ago I got pulled over for speeding(70 in a 55). I called the number and set up an appointment with some court official. My ticket was for $175 but they offered some probation deal where I paid like $250 but it wouldn't go on my record and the insurance company wouldn't be notified, provided I wasn't pulled over again for a year. I'm not sure if they still make that offer but it's definitely worth calling the number on the ticket. 

In retrospect, it's really just confirmed for me that speeding tickets have nothing to do with safety and everything to do with extorting people for money. 

[ET80]

On 8/24/2022 at 10:53 AM, Daniel said:

@BornToFly

Ask the judge to do safe driving school. I’m pretty sure most states have it. You’ll pay about the same but you won’t have points on your license.

That’s assuming you’re eligible, which for the states I’ve seen, is just if you haven’t had a moving violation in the last two to five years.

Yup, was coming here to say this - Defensive Driving class (what it’s called in Texas) is the alternative to fines and points. You pay about as much as you’d pay for the fine, take a four hour class (most are online nowadays) get a certificate and send back to the court. Pay the court fees and blammo - ticket dismissed.

[Ty21]

Have you considered demanding a trial by combat 

[NateDawg]

A lot of places if you put the time into fighting a speeding ticket, if you have a good record, when you talk to the prosecutor they are willing to accept guilty/fine for a no points speed violation. So you would not be assessed the points but you pay the citation. I can’t speak for your area though, that’s pretty common-place where I am at though because of the caseload the prosecutors deal with. If you have a poor driving record though I wouldn’t count on that regardless. Downside though is you would also he accessed court cost in addition to the fine. 

[Tugboat]

I once got a speeding ticket...in a national park (so extra bucks) for doing 93 in a 70 zone.  And i really should've fought it, because it was a complete and utter trap...camped around the corner of one of the little 90 --> 70 --> 90 zones for a touristy pullout.  I should've just assumed it was one of those, but there was literally a Tour Bus blocking the sign or something, because i did not see it, despite obviously watching for them.

 

The guy sidled up to my window and had the gall to act like he was doing me a ******* favour by knocking it down to 20 over and warned me that in the province over, that would've been an "automatic impound" ticket.  And i just had to sit there and eat his **** with a grin.

 

But it wasn't worth even fighting, because i would've had to either drive 500 miles from home to appear in that court, or file a buttload of paperwork for some sort of "change of venue" filing and i briefly looked into it and noped out.

I don't get speeding tickets anyway.  It just wasn't worth the hassle to fight instead of just paying it and letting it drift off my license in 5 years.

 

The only other tickets i've acquired, were literally in the same absolutely awful day.  Where i got a legitimately earned ticket that he actually knocked down by almost 30kph.  And then on the way home, i got a ticket for "failing to stop" for blatantly drifting a corner/intersection in the middle of icy winter within sight of a cop who was parked in a parking lot somewhere down the road for some reason.  But both were jackass driving and entirely deserved.  I was in a really bad headspace that day in particular and kind of "driving angry".  But it was reckless and stupid, and it did really wake me up.  I don't really speed anymore, ever.  Even if my cop sister constantly abuses the speed limit like it's just a vague suggestion.  lol.

 

I still like to hang the tail out around corners, particularly in the winter though.  Jaguars fans can't change their spots completely.

 

 

 

In any case...in short, i have no advice for you because i assume you're dealing with an entirely different legal apparatus in an entirely different country.  But 'round here, it's basically just a "day" booked at court where if the ticketing officer doesn't show up, you can walk completely free.  If they do show up, you can basically just make a case to the judge that you done goofed and won't do it again and they might reduce or dismiss the fine.  Just don't go in there trying to get it dismissed or diminished if you were actually doing something worse than what you were charged with.  lol.

 

But i ain't a lawyer.  And no lawyer is actually going to give you legitimate legal advice on an open forum like this, for free.