Just got a $105 ticket
- Thread starter epj3
- Start date
Yeah, it's total bullshit. Ultimately, when you get a ticket, your best bet is to find a lawyer who has some serious connections...unfortunately they're extremely hard to find, even if you're willing to pay.
BMWenthusiast, change the "when" to "if".![[thumb]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_thumb.gif "Thumbs Up [thumb]")
Seriously, I haven't gotten any kind of ticket since February and that is a record for me especially since the G35C is the fastest car I have ever had...I'm just not allowed to drive in this one town anymore (Fort Lee, NJ if anybody knows it).
BMWenthusiast, change the "when" to "if".
Seriously, I haven't gotten any kind of ticket since February and that is a record for me especially since the G35C is the fastest car I have ever had...I'm just not allowed to drive in this one town anymore (Fort Lee, NJ if anybody knows it).
epj, I have been pulled over more times than i can count. Fight it. Every time i went to court they took off the points. They will probably reduce your ticket to "failure to heed all traffic signs." or something like that. Same fine, no points, which is pretty important if you are getting your own insurance in the next 3 years. (don't know your situation)
Best bet, in court tell a story or something about what you were doing that day. Be friendly. I told the judge once that i was going to play broom ball that evening and haven't been in the area before (all true) and he was more interested in broom ball than my infraction. reduced to 5 over and lower fine. Or plead for grace.
My old roommate didn't win in court once because he had a radar detector. Dumb things like that can hurt. So its not definite that he/she will let you off but its possible and worth a try in my opinion.
at least you did not tell the officer off when you recieved your ticket. That hurts you in court. I was pulled over once because i spotted him and stopped. Granted, i was not going to stop but i don't remember minority report being in PA. Anyway i followed the law and i called him on it. He was mad i knew the rules and gave me a ticket anyway, so i said his municipality must be hurting for money for pulling people over for following the law and stuff like that. I didn't say anything inapropriate but definitely pissed him off. Bad move i know and stupid. He brought all this up in court. The judge scolded me alot about that stuff, but still no points. Still bull that i had to pay but thats how it goes. I even proved i didn't go through the stop sign. Damn i wish i didn't talk smack! oh well, lesson learned.
Best bet, in court tell a story or something about what you were doing that day. Be friendly. I told the judge once that i was going to play broom ball that evening and haven't been in the area before (all true) and he was more interested in broom ball than my infraction. reduced to 5 over and lower fine. Or plead for grace.
My old roommate didn't win in court once because he had a radar detector. Dumb things like that can hurt. So its not definite that he/she will let you off but its possible and worth a try in my opinion.
at least you did not tell the officer off when you recieved your ticket. That hurts you in court. I was pulled over once because i spotted him and stopped. Granted, i was not going to stop but i don't remember minority report being in PA. Anyway i followed the law and i called him on it. He was mad i knew the rules and gave me a ticket anyway, so i said his municipality must be hurting for money for pulling people over for following the law and stuff like that. I didn't say anything inapropriate but definitely pissed him off. Bad move i know and stupid. He brought all this up in court. The judge scolded me alot about that stuff, but still no points. Still bull that i had to pay but thats how it goes. I even proved i didn't go through the stop sign. Damn i wish i didn't talk smack! oh well, lesson learned.
Take it to court dude...
there is a chance that the cop doesn't show up.... if he does you can still plead no contest. Buy pay $50 to some lawyer to prepare this stuff for ya....
The lawyer will talk for you in court etc etc... he will inform you if the cop is here with a case, at that point you can go ahead and fight it, or just plead no contest like I said... but get differed adjudification (or however u spell it) to keep the ticket off your record....
Trust I've been through this, I was charged with running a red light which was complete BS! I was stopped behind this Semi(without his load) the light turned green and he turned then I turned left. No yeah a Semi is big and slow, but it isn't that BIG and slow for the light that just turned green to turn red again.
I brought the cop to court, but he showed up... in the end when I was told he was there I decided to plead no contest because 1) it was right after all the clubs left out at night and I was in the club/bar area by myself no other withnesses 2) there were 2 asshole cops in the car.
I still regret not just going ahead and fighting that shit in court just for the principle of it, in mycase it was bullshit yours is still bullshit, but illegal bullshit.
Ah heck Just fight it dude! Win or lose at least you go down fighting!![[boxface]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_boxface.gif "Box Face [boxface]")
there is a chance that the cop doesn't show up.... if he does you can still plead no contest. Buy pay $50 to some lawyer to prepare this stuff for ya....
The lawyer will talk for you in court etc etc... he will inform you if the cop is here with a case, at that point you can go ahead and fight it, or just plead no contest like I said... but get differed adjudification (or however u spell it) to keep the ticket off your record....
Trust I've been through this, I was charged with running a red light which was complete BS! I was stopped behind this Semi(without his load) the light turned green and he turned then I turned left. No yeah a Semi is big and slow, but it isn't that BIG and slow for the light that just turned green to turn red again.
I brought the cop to court, but he showed up... in the end when I was told he was there I decided to plead no contest because 1) it was right after all the clubs left out at night and I was in the club/bar area by myself no other withnesses 2) there were 2 asshole cops in the car.
I still regret not just going ahead and fighting that shit in court just for the principle of it, in mycase it was bullshit yours is still bullshit, but illegal bullshit.
Ah heck Just fight it dude! Win or lose at least you go down fighting!
Going to court is always always worth it. You may not get off, but the attempt is worth it. They will not give you a worse fine.
A ticket story:
I was driving over to my girlfriend's (now fiancee's) house in a pal's car. 25 mph zone on a road that has no business being 25mph. I was a touch north of 100mph, seeing what the car could do. When I had almost gotten to her house, I get a call on my cell - one of my roommates needs something that's in the car. I turn around and retrace the same roads back home. This time I'm driving in a boring manner. Go down the same road, following traffic. On the same 25mph road, I'm in a group of 4 cars. Down the road a little bit, we all get waved over by a cop on the side of the road. Apparently they had been setting up a speed trap. They were pulling over absolutely everyone that came down the road. Well, one cop came up, and, boy, she was furious!!! Apparently she had chased me when I headed the other way down the road (they were just setting up the speed trap). She knew where I turned for the first two turns, so she definitely was chasing. I had no idea that anyone was chasing me. I guess she couldn't keep up with the 325i or something. Anyhow, she couldn't prove that it was me that was going the other way - I said that it wasn't me and a couple of other officers there agreed with me but she didn't. She was still hopping mad, and gave me the full 50 in a 25 ticket that I more than deserved (for my second trip down the road). I went to court, and the judge wanted to hear more about where I was in college and about the e30 I was driving than why I was going 50 in a 25. He reduced the ticket to 5 over. I got a partial refund on my ticket and no points.
I've only had once that I've gone to court and not gotten a ticket reduced.
A ticket story:
I was driving over to my girlfriend's (now fiancee's) house in a pal's car. 25 mph zone on a road that has no business being 25mph. I was a touch north of 100mph, seeing what the car could do. When I had almost gotten to her house, I get a call on my cell - one of my roommates needs something that's in the car. I turn around and retrace the same roads back home. This time I'm driving in a boring manner. Go down the same road, following traffic. On the same 25mph road, I'm in a group of 4 cars. Down the road a little bit, we all get waved over by a cop on the side of the road. Apparently they had been setting up a speed trap. They were pulling over absolutely everyone that came down the road. Well, one cop came up, and, boy, she was furious!!! Apparently she had chased me when I headed the other way down the road (they were just setting up the speed trap). She knew where I turned for the first two turns, so she definitely was chasing. I had no idea that anyone was chasing me. I guess she couldn't keep up with the 325i or something. Anyhow, she couldn't prove that it was me that was going the other way - I said that it wasn't me and a couple of other officers there agreed with me but she didn't. She was still hopping mad, and gave me the full 50 in a 25 ticket that I more than deserved (for my second trip down the road). I went to court, and the judge wanted to hear more about where I was in college and about the e30 I was driving than why I was going 50 in a 25. He reduced the ticket to 5 over. I got a partial refund on my ticket and no points.
I've only had once that I've gone to court and not gotten a ticket reduced.
Great stories. It really is worth it to fight because if you think about the cop and the town that gave you the ticket...do they really care about the points? They just want your $$....that's why a lot of times they'll let the points go if you show that you're going to pay the ticket and you are not fighting to get rid of it (Just to lower the points).
I'm not going to pay a lawyer - becuase like I said... money is the issue, not the points. I think I'm going to plead not guilty just so I can go in and see if they'll give me a no-points violation since it was so late at night and on a fairly secluded road. Since it's a small town, they would (As elussive said) simply reschedule the cout date if the cop couldn't show.
Sexualwasabi; It's not a bullshit ticket beucase technically I didn't stop completely - I slowed down to about 4 or 5 mph and didn't see any headlights. (The speedo only starts at 10, and the needle hadn't moved from its resting position). I'm just hoping they'll lower it becuase of the scenario. It's the first time I've ever gotten a ticket, but the third time I've been pulled over. The two times before this, they didn't even give me a warning - just said slow down or take it easy.... the 2nd time I got pulled over I would've lost my license and probably would have had a TON of fines... 65 in a 35, crossing lanes, etc. when I was driving on a back road following my friend. He definitely gave me a HUGE break.... didn't even give me a warning.
Sexualwasabi; It's not a bullshit ticket beucase technically I didn't stop completely - I slowed down to about 4 or 5 mph and didn't see any headlights. (The speedo only starts at 10, and the needle hadn't moved from its resting position). I'm just hoping they'll lower it becuase of the scenario. It's the first time I've ever gotten a ticket, but the third time I've been pulled over. The two times before this, they didn't even give me a warning - just said slow down or take it easy.... the 2nd time I got pulled over I would've lost my license and probably would have had a TON of fines... 65 in a 35, crossing lanes, etc. when I was driving on a back road following my friend. He definitely gave me a HUGE break.... didn't even give me a warning.
In Illinois, for all these minor infractions, you can usually pay the fine, plead guilty and go to traffic school for 4 hours and then there's no permanent record. Second ticket in less than 12 months gets you 8 hrs of school. I don't think Ill uses the point system. Often in court, they offer the same deal--pay the fine, go to school, and get supervision. If the cop doesn't show, you're free. However, often all the cops tickets are on one day, so there's a good chance s/he'll show; that happened to me a few years ago for going 60 in a 45 on Lake Shore Drive (far left lane, pretty much with traffic, but in the nicest car of the bunch-Lexus at that time); I really don't know how he could radar me from way over on the right. Anyway, the funny thing was that after the 4 hr school about safe driving,..... I followed a female student out of the lot and onto the expressway; she must have hit 60 by the end of the on-ramp--in one ear and out the other. Consult a lawyer; see if there's anything they know of. Paying a larger fine or for the mouthpiece may be better than risking higher insurance. Good luck.