Speeding Ticket -- Wrongfully Accused !!
- Thread starter MrElussive
- Start date
Definitely fight it in court.
When I lived in Massachusetts there was a cop in a neighboring town who was a tad...er...off the center line a bit. Everyone knew it. I had friends who were local cops and state troopers, and they all said this guy was an idiot and shouldn't be carrying a badge, let alone a gun. One Labor Day morning at 6AM I was heading out for a long ride on my FJ 1200. He pulled up beside me on the highway and almost hit me. I was doing 55MPH, even though the speed limit was 65, just so he'd have no excuse to pull me over. After a mile or so, he flips on his lights and siren (we were the only two vehicles in sight). I pull over and he jumps out and asks me if I knew how fast I was going. I told him 55 and he says, "It was much faster than that." Then he gives me a ticket for 75MPH, tailgating, and illegal passing!?! Like I said, we were the only two vehicles in sight. There was no one to tailgate or pass. I told him he was insane and he blew up and yelled at me, saying, "I know you've done those things at one time or another, so this is for all the times you got away with it."
Needless to say I fought it in court. He didn't show up, so the ticket was dropped. I was disappointed because I really wanted to blast him in court. I never even got to open my mouth. When my case came up and he wasn't there, the judge dismissed the case.![[?|]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_banghead.gif "Bang Head [?|]")
When I lived in Massachusetts there was a cop in a neighboring town who was a tad...er...off the center line a bit. Everyone knew it. I had friends who were local cops and state troopers, and they all said this guy was an idiot and shouldn't be carrying a badge, let alone a gun. One Labor Day morning at 6AM I was heading out for a long ride on my FJ 1200. He pulled up beside me on the highway and almost hit me. I was doing 55MPH, even though the speed limit was 65, just so he'd have no excuse to pull me over. After a mile or so, he flips on his lights and siren (we were the only two vehicles in sight). I pull over and he jumps out and asks me if I knew how fast I was going. I told him 55 and he says, "It was much faster than that." Then he gives me a ticket for 75MPH, tailgating, and illegal passing!?! Like I said, we were the only two vehicles in sight. There was no one to tailgate or pass. I told him he was insane and he blew up and yelled at me, saying, "I know you've done those things at one time or another, so this is for all the times you got away with it."
Needless to say I fought it in court. He didn't show up, so the ticket was dropped. I was disappointed because I really wanted to blast him in court. I never even got to open my mouth. When my case came up and he wasn't there, the judge dismissed the case.
There is a good book out there about fighting traffic tickets (I don't remeber the name). One of the things I rememer is that if you go to court, when you have the cop on examination drop a coin from your hand and have him tell you the speed the coin is going. You obviously need to find out the speed of gravity, but I am sure the cop gets it way off.
Frolf is right you have to have a certifiaction and been trained with the laser and have to show it upon request. Another thing is that LASER can pick out a rabbit in six lanes of traffic and the beam of a laser is minuscal compared to that of a RADAR beam.
The cop does sound like a idiot and they are everywhere (and I'm in the profession) there are jackasses on every department. The jerk (cop) is right about radar/laser dectectors (most) of them ARE crap and even if the thing did go off ITS TO LATE you've been had. I've seen MANY demostrations of radar/laser dectectors and YOU WOULDN'T BE impressed with their performance. even if they pay your ticket thats not the problem most the time its the insurance.
HE IS NOT required to show you the PRINTOUT (someone earlier said he was). THERE IS NO PRINTOUT to show you. ITs a speed on a LED screen thats it. That goes along with the same line of thinking that COPS cant lie to if they are undercover or something and that if you ask them if they are a cop they HAVE to tell you. Yeah right!!
ALso very good information from a few about being humble and such when you go to the hearing. Coming off with an attitude will do you NO good. And like someone else said if he doesnt show up they will drop IT. Doesnt happen alot but it is possible.
The cop does sound like a idiot and they are everywhere (and I'm in the profession) there are jackasses on every department. The jerk (cop) is right about radar/laser dectectors (most) of them ARE crap and even if the thing did go off ITS TO LATE you've been had. I've seen MANY demostrations of radar/laser dectectors and YOU WOULDN'T BE impressed with their performance. even if they pay your ticket thats not the problem most the time its the insurance.
HE IS NOT required to show you the PRINTOUT (someone earlier said he was). THERE IS NO PRINTOUT to show you. ITs a speed on a LED screen thats it. That goes along with the same line of thinking that COPS cant lie to if they are undercover or something and that if you ask them if they are a cop they HAVE to tell you. Yeah right!!
ALso very good information from a few about being humble and such when you go to the hearing. Coming off with an attitude will do you NO good. And like someone else said if he doesnt show up they will drop IT. Doesnt happen alot but it is possible.
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In CA, they do have to be certified, but they don't have to show you until they show up in court.
And yeah, there's no printout. Cop cars have lots of electronics now, but they aren't quite mobile Kinkos yet. Even if you ask to see the LED, there's a good chance he erased it the minute he got your speed. Here, the cop is supposed to visually estimate speed (and they get training and certification for that too) and the radar/laser is like backup. So, they can get you even if you do manage to get the radar/laser stuff tossed out.
And yeah, there's no printout. Cop cars have lots of electronics now, but they aren't quite mobile Kinkos yet. Even if you ask to see the LED, there's a good chance he erased it the minute he got your speed. Here, the cop is supposed to visually estimate speed (and they get training and certification for that too) and the radar/laser is like backup. So, they can get you even if you do manage to get the radar/laser stuff tossed out.
I find it surprising that so many people are saying no printers in their area.
I sure don’t consider Las Vegas as the center of technology but a lot of police here are very well equipped with integrated laptop devices and printers in cars. Even the motorcycle police are starting to issue computer generated and printed tickets.
For the motorcycle division, this works much the same way as say a delivery service. We have Sierra Springs water delivery at work and the delivery guy wears a small computer devise and printer to issue invoices for delivery. This is similar to the motorcycle police.
The cars are far better equipped. We work on a lot of these at work, mostly undercover-unmarked. They have printers that are a bit wider than a store receipt, looks a lot like a Circuit City receipt and the same type of paper.
I understand these systems track a LOT of information.
I sure don’t consider Las Vegas as the center of technology but a lot of police here are very well equipped with integrated laptop devices and printers in cars. Even the motorcycle police are starting to issue computer generated and printed tickets.
For the motorcycle division, this works much the same way as say a delivery service. We have Sierra Springs water delivery at work and the delivery guy wears a small computer devise and printer to issue invoices for delivery. This is similar to the motorcycle police.
The cars are far better equipped. We work on a lot of these at work, mostly undercover-unmarked. They have printers that are a bit wider than a store receipt, looks a lot like a Circuit City receipt and the same type of paper.
I understand these systems track a LOT of information.
You can request a printout of what he "clocked" me at, but he doesn't have to give it to me. The thing is, when I requested it, that is when he started to change his story. Personally, I think he was completely full of shit. I was in the right lane of a 35 zone...how could I be going 62mph? And how did he estimate 62mph and not 60mph with his eyes? How did he estimate my speed at all...I mean, I was approaching him. It's not like I passed by him or something like that...how could he tell the speed of a bunch of headlights approaching him, especially when he is sitting in his cruiser with his back turned towards oncoming traffic? This guy either really did get me on laser or he is full of shit.
I really wish I knew exactly how fast I was going. I am unsure of my own speed because I had pretty much just merged onto the highway. And it was during rush hour so traffic was really hectic and I was trying to pay attention to the traffic flowing around me rather than my stupid speed.
I have 2 points on my license already, I don't want ANOTHER speeding ticket for 6 points. That will raise my insurance and I will be really pissed off because I don't think I was even going 62mph (which is 27mph over the limit, which is a 6-pointer in NY state) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really wish I knew exactly how fast I was going. I am unsure of my own speed because I had pretty much just merged onto the highway. And it was during rush hour so traffic was really hectic and I was trying to pay attention to the traffic flowing around me rather than my stupid speed.
I have 2 points on my license already, I don't want ANOTHER speeding ticket for 6 points. That will raise my insurance and I will be really pissed off because I don't think I was even going 62mph (which is 27mph over the limit, which is a 6-pointer in NY state) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MrE - I would def try to fight it. 6 points is a bit much and I really don't think there is anyway you could have been going 62 on the HHP at rushhour. That road is usually pretty busy and I dont think that the traffic would have been moving fast enough for you to be doing 62, especially in the right lane.
![[:)]](/images/smilies/smile.png "Smile [:)]")
That's EXACTLY what I am thinking. I mean, don't get me wrong, I can be absolutely psychotic with my car if I want to be (I will not go into detail, though), but I really don't think I was going freaking 62mph in a 35 zone. I mean, it is a 3-lane highway that turns into a 50 zone, but it is a 35 zone there because of the curves in the road (once it straightens out, it becomes a 50 zone). Aside from the curves, it was rush hour and the streets were wet (due to snow melting) and I never ever push my car under these conditions...I just cannot believe that I was going 62...honestly, I don't even think I was going 50. I keep thinking about this stupid ticket and the more I think about it, the more frustrated I get ...when the cop pulled me over, he was so certain that I was going 62mph that I thought I was doing it, too. But as I review everything that was going on at that time, I just cannot believe I was going nearly that fast.
A word of advice:
My friend was recently pulled over for running a red light. He maintains to this day that the light was yellow as he went through.
He was faced with pleading innocent or $50 fine/3 points on license. Feeling he was innocent he pleaded such, and listen to the punishment that Georgia handed down to him:
- Must pay the DOT $60 a month for a year
- Must take Defensive Driving
- Must attend a MADD meeting (he did not have any drinks, nor did the officer test him or question him regarding this)
He has a parole officer, with whom he must check in once a week, until the above are completed. If he leaves the state before they are completed, he goes to jail for a year. He also still gets the 3 points on his license, and in Georgia if you get 4 in year you are suspended for a year.
All of this for RUNNING A RED LIGHT. With crap like this going on, you better have a strong case to support you.
After hearing of his situation, there is no way I am going to fight my "driving too fast for conditions" ticket after I hit a patch of oil and lost control. The fact is that there is literally no way to win that argument on my side: of COURSE I was driving too fast, I got in an ACCIDENT. But people should not have to drive around every curve expecting to hit a patch of oil. I'll gladly take the $50 fine and 3 points when faced with the hypocrisy my friend experienced.
My friend was recently pulled over for running a red light. He maintains to this day that the light was yellow as he went through.
He was faced with pleading innocent or $50 fine/3 points on license. Feeling he was innocent he pleaded such, and listen to the punishment that Georgia handed down to him:
- Must pay the DOT $60 a month for a year
- Must take Defensive Driving
- Must attend a MADD meeting (he did not have any drinks, nor did the officer test him or question him regarding this)
He has a parole officer, with whom he must check in once a week, until the above are completed. If he leaves the state before they are completed, he goes to jail for a year. He also still gets the 3 points on his license, and in Georgia if you get 4 in year you are suspended for a year.
All of this for RUNNING A RED LIGHT. With crap like this going on, you better have a strong case to support you.
After hearing of his situation, there is no way I am going to fight my "driving too fast for conditions" ticket after I hit a patch of oil and lost control. The fact is that there is literally no way to win that argument on my side: of COURSE I was driving too fast, I got in an ACCIDENT. But people should not have to drive around every curve expecting to hit a patch of oil. I'll gladly take the $50 fine and 3 points when faced with the hypocrisy my friend experienced.
![[rofl]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_rofl.gif "ROFL [rofl]"){kind=icon}
In California, as long as the front of your car made it past the line before red, then you're good to go.
Course everyone says they made it through. When I was a traffic court DA, I saw tons of those red light camera photos. Everyone always says they made it through. It's not even close in a lot of cases. The camera doesn't lie. All yellow lights aren't the same. When you try and push it, you often don't make it even when you think you do.
Course everyone says they made it through. When I was a traffic court DA, I saw tons of those red light camera photos. Everyone always says they made it through. It's not even close in a lot of cases. The camera doesn't lie. All yellow lights aren't the same. When you try and push it, you often don't make it even when you think you do.
Which part of the henry hudson were you on? after the traffic lights like about 57th street when u start going towards the bronx or earlier, because i can tell you right now before 57th street its impossible to do more than 50, too much traffic and the traffic lights mellow out the traffic making it slow as it is.. Even above 57th street i doubt ud be going more than 60...
And since when do NYC police cops pull over people?![[8]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_8ball.gif "Retarded [8]")
And since when do NYC police cops pull over people?
My last ticket was from a jerk cop. He pulled me over in a church parking lot as I was taking my son to boy scouts. I played Mr. Humble with him but he insisted I made a left turn after a light changed red (My son agrees it was green and not even changing and the cop followed me through the same light) and said I was 55 in a 35 zone. (I was at 40, but not 55). I found out that this same cop gave my wife's boss a ticket while he was pulling into the hospital to deliver a baby (he's an OBGYN and the ticket was for 35 in a 25). I called an attorney and all it took was a phone call to get the ticket dropped because the cop had a reputation.
man, i got one of those stupid "driving too fast for conditions." the only thing that constitutes that is if you lose control. think it's a stupid charge..why should i have to look out around every corner for ice, or an oily patch? it's the county's streets. they're liable. i fought my ticket, but i found the most reputable lawyer. my case was dead last on the date of my trial. i stepped up with my lawyer, i introduced myself, my lawyer did the same. after that my lawyer proceded to say abuncha things i couldn't begin to comprehend. the judge goes "ok." i look up at my laywer confused as hell. "ok?", i say. he just shrugs. the judge says i have to pay a 100 dollar "processing fee" and we thank her and leave. i ask my lawyer what happened in there. he says "well it was dismissed because the accident wasn't involving any other drivers." "i payed you 250 bucks to say i didn't hit anybody?" *sigh* anyway, this guy's so good i've used him 3 times two dismissed, one deferred. although the real point of this post is not to promote my lawyer, it does have one moral. cops are servants of the county, put in place to "earn" money for the institution they work for. the judge didn't care how innocent i was. she didn't care if ran a red light, went 25 over, and failed to signal (which, i was charged for once). all she wants is money. for a 100 "processing" fee, you can practically get away with murder in this state.
P.S.-if anybody lives in washington state and the name of the best traffic lawyer in the business, let me know.
two dismissed, one deferred. although the real point of this post is not to promote my lawyer, it does have one moral. cops are servants of the county, put in place to "earn" money for the institution they work for. the judge didn't care how innocent i was. she didn't care if ran a red light, went 25 over, and failed to signal (which, i was charged for once). all she wants is money. for a 100 "processing" fee, you can practically get away with murder in this state. P.S.-if anybody lives in washington state and the name of the best traffic lawyer in the business, let me know.