Any tips for contesting a speeding ticket?

[Jefe]

If in fact you were speeding then you are screwed. Unless you can prove that you didn't see the speed limit sign (such as a tree, object, etc. was blocking it and take a pic) but chances of that are slim to none.

[Mattthemaster]

I go to court for an 88mph in a 70mph next Tuesday... no idea what I'm going to say/do. I just hope they pity me enough to cut off any amount of money; I'll consider that a victory.

Was it a DeLorean? You could claim a faulty Flux Capacitor. If you were really driving 88 MPH, you would have traveled back in time to November 5, 1955, erego the cop couldn't have stopped you to give you a ticket. I'd use that defense.

Can't believe no one commented on this gem.

[Kazen]

Depends on the judge. I got a ticket for going 52 in a 50 before, went to court and the judge made the fine $0 (was only $35 to start with) but i still got a point on my license.

[MisterBob]

Depends on the judge. I got a ticket for going 52 in a 50 before, went to court and the judge made the fine $0 (was only $35 to start with) but i still got a point on my license.

That point is far worse than the fine lol.

If you just go to court, assuming this is your only infraction, youll prolly get the point value lowered. In some states (At least NY), you can take a Defensive Driving Course to remove a few points from your license. This only works once every 3 years though.

[Plow]

If your concern is future insurance prices, get a diversion.

If you can't figure out how, call your DA(district attourney) and ask them.

It'll cost a little more than just paying the ticket, but it won't go on your record which means it'll save you a lot more on insurance.

I've gotten 5-6 tickets in about 10 years of driving, the only one that's actually on my record is an illegal left turn lol. Thank the lord for diversions, I probably wouldn't be able to get insurance period if not for them.


(The other option is, as previously mentioned, either get a lawyer or figure out what you need to say yourself to get it reduced to less than 5mph over, which again won't go on your record.)

[BerenTebogo]

Depends on the judge. I got a ticket for going 52 in a 50 before, went to court and the judge made the fine $0 (was only $35 to start with) but i still got a point on my license.

That point is far worse than the fine lol.

If you just go to court, assuming this is your only infraction, youll prolly get the point value lowered. In some states (At least NY), you can take a Defensive Driving Course to remove a few points from your license. This only works once every 3 years though.

You know bob, I actually just got a ticket in NY about a month ago (im from MA, cop probably figured easy pickings)

Was doing like 89 in a 65 or something, cop put it as 85, which was cool I guess (my first 3 years of having my license I got like 4-5 tickets, haven't gotten any since then til now) so having experience with tickets, including out of state tickets (RI / FL) I've gotta say this...

NY has the most fucked up ticket system ever in my opinion. In MA RI and FL you get a little thing that says 'show up xx/xx/xx or pay xxx$ and bend over' and you either show up or pay.

The whole NY 'plead guilty or not guilty by mail if you cannot show up' (obviously I'm not driving 3 hours to go to court and probably get pulled over again) confuses the shit out of me. I sent it back 'guilty' on Jan 23rd (date to be in by was the 25th) and have recieved no confirmation / fine / acknowledgement of any sort.

Is this normal? I mean if the charges got dismissed / plea got lost somewhere in west bumfuck mass. / etc I have no way of knowing. Is there an average turn-around time for plea -> fine conversions that I am unaware of or is this just upstate new york at its finest?

[MikedeeFenrir]

Depends on the judge. I got a ticket for going 52 in a 50 before, went to court and the judge made the fine $0 (was only $35 to start with) but i still got a point on my license.

That point is far worse than the fine lol.

If you just go to court, assuming this is your only infraction, youll prolly get the point value lowered. In some states (At least NY), you can take a Defensive Driving Course to remove a few points from your license. This only works once every 3 years though.

You know bob, I actually just got a ticket in NY about a month ago (im from MA, cop probably figured easy pickings)

Was doing like 89 in a 65 or something, cop put it as 85, which was cool I guess (my first 3 years of having my license I got like 4-5 tickets, haven't gotten any since then til now) so having experience with tickets, including out of state tickets (RI / FL) I've gotta say this...

NY has the most fucked up ticket system ever in my opinion. In MA RI and FL you get a little thing that says 'show up xx/xx/xx or pay xxx$ and bend over' and you either show up or pay.

The whole NY 'plead guilty or not guilty by mail if you cannot show up' (obviously I'm not driving 3 hours to go to court and probably get pulled over again) confuses the shit out of me. I sent it back 'guilty' on Jan 23rd (date to be in by was the 25th) and have recieved no confirmation / fine / acknowledgement of any sort.

Is this normal? I mean if the charges got dismissed / plea got lost somewhere in west bumfuck mass. / etc I have no way of knowing. Is there an average turn-around time for plea -> fine conversions that I am unaware of or is this just upstate new york at its finest?

It's how we get you to come back to NY bitch.

I don't mind NY's system. Considering the fact I got a 2 tickets @ 1 pull over. 1 was for 45 in 30 the other was going over double yellow (it as 4am and I was piss tired from work). So of course I pled not guilty. Go to court, wear my business clothes, talk to the officer. He said he'll drop the double yellow, and make the speeding a broken speedometer. I said ok (of course). Paid 50 bucks and went on my way.

I've gotten pulled over more than 15 times in NY. I've gotten 8 tickets. I'd say I'm doing alright.

[Norelco]

My friend got like 3 speeding tickets in a year, and he OWNS a radar detector. He calls it an "investment in getting there faster."

The 3rd time the judge saw him he said he didn't want to see him in court anymore and threatened him. I don't think he got a ticket since.

Cops can be real assholes if they want to. A friend of mine got pulled over and he's a bigger guy, so before the cop came up to the window he undid his seatbelt to reach over to his glove box to get out his registration and insurance information. When the cop pulled over he accused my friend of not wearing his seatbelt and proceeded to ticket him for that on top of speeding.

[MikedeeFenrir]

Cops can be real assholes if they want to. A friend of mine got pulled over and he's a bigger guy, so before the cop came up to the window he undid his seatbelt to reach over to his glove box to get out his registration and insurance information. When the cop pulled over he accused my friend of not wearing his seatbelt and proceeded to ticket him for that on top of speeding.

Your friend is a moron. Never, EVER, reach anywhere in your car when you first get pulled over. This is what you should do, it's a kiss ass move but good one.

* Turn off our car, put on your hazards
* Roll down your window, and put your hands @11 & 1 o'clock of the wheel
* Cop will ask what you did, up to you if you want to lie.
* When he asks for registration say "It's in my glove box, I'm going to get it ok sir?" He'll say ok.
* Do same with D.L.
* Don't stare behind you when he leaves. Look @ your rear view mirror without moving your head. Kind of like, look ahead but have eyes on cop.
* When cop returns have window lowered for him.
* If your lucky he'll let you go.

This worked wonders for me. Out of the 4 times I've gotten pulled over last year I never got a ticket. One was dumb, he said I was on the cell phone when I left it at home. We laughed.

Just remember: The cop does not know if your some kind of sick bastard or murder. He/she is just as scared as you are. Also, don't speak slang, like yo. They hate that.

[MisterBob]

Depends on the judge. I got a ticket for going 52 in a 50 before, went to court and the judge made the fine $0 (was only $35 to start with) but i still got a point on my license.

That point is far worse than the fine lol.

If you just go to court, assuming this is your only infraction, youll prolly get the point value lowered. In some states (At least NY), you can take a Defensive Driving Course to remove a few points from your license. This only works once every 3 years though.

You know bob, I actually just got a ticket in NY about a month ago (im from MA, cop probably figured easy pickings)

Was doing like 89 in a 65 or something, cop put it as 85, which was cool I guess (my first 3 years of having my license I got like 4-5 tickets, haven't gotten any since then til now) so having experience with tickets, including out of state tickets (RI / FL) I've gotta say this...

NY has the most fucked up ticket system ever in my opinion. In MA RI and FL you get a little thing that says 'show up xx/xx/xx or pay xxx$ and bend over' and you either show up or pay.

The whole NY 'plead guilty or not guilty by mail if you cannot show up' (obviously I'm not driving 3 hours to go to court and probably get pulled over again) confuses the shit out of me. I sent it back 'guilty' on Jan 23rd (date to be in by was the 25th) and have recieved no confirmation / fine / acknowledgement of any sort.

Is this normal? I mean if the charges got dismissed / plea got lost somewhere in west bumfuck mass. / etc I have no way of knowing. Is there an average turn-around time for plea -> fine conversions that I am unaware of or is this just upstate new york at its finest?

That's normal, the bureaucracy here is pretty hilarious. Also, NY does have a habit of losing tickets. If they lost it, you just get off scott free. If you're really worried, just call the DMV.

[Quixon]

The whole NY 'plead guilty or not guilty by mail if you cannot show up' (obviously I'm not driving 3 hours to go to court and probably get pulled over again) confuses the shit out of me. I sent it back 'guilty' on Jan 23rd (date to be in by was the 25th) and have recieved no confirmation / fine / acknowledgement of any sort.

I wouldn't doubt that you haven't gotten anything back yet haha. New York DMV, local traffic courts, etc. are slower than shit.

It took me almost a full year to get a court date for a 70 in a 55mph zone ticket after i pled not guilty. By that time, the cop had transfered to to city and didn't show up lol.

[Vertabreaker]

Cops can be real assholes if they want to. A friend of mine got pulled over and he's a bigger guy, so before the cop came up to the window he undid his seatbelt to reach over to his glove box to get out his registration and insurance information. When the cop pulled over he accused my friend of not wearing his seatbelt and proceeded to ticket him for that on top of speeding.

Your friend is a moron. Never, EVER, reach anywhere in your car when you first get pulled over. This is what you should do, it's a kiss ass move but good one.

* Turn off our car, put on your hazards
* Roll down your window, and put your hands @11 & 1 o'clock of the wheel
* Cop will ask what you did, up to you if you want to lie.
* When he asks for registration say "It's in my glove box, I'm going to get it ok sir?" He'll say ok.
* Do same with D.L.
* Don't stare behind you when he leaves. Look @ your rear view mirror without moving your head. Kind of like, look ahead but have eyes on cop.
* When cop returns have window lowered for him.
* If your lucky he'll let you go.

This worked wonders for me. Out of the 4 times I've gotten pulled over last year I never got a ticket. One was dumb, he said I was on the cell phone when I left it at home. We laughed.

Just remember: The cop does not know if your some kind of sick bastard or murder. He/she is just as scared as you are. Also, don't speak slang, like yo. They hate that.

Also, another helpfull hint, if it's nighttime, make sure your interior light is on. It will keep the cop at ease so he's not walking up to a car that he can't see inside of.

[Raineer]

You lucky guys must live in states without quotas. Around Kansas City you're getting a ticket because they only run radar when they have to, in order to get their quota so they can go home.

[Vertabreaker]

You lucky guys must live in states without quotas. Around Kansas City you're getting a ticket because they only run radar when they have to, in order to get their quota so they can go home.

NJ is the same way.

[MikedeeFenrir]

Depends on the judge. I got a ticket for going 52 in a 50 before, went to court and the judge made the fine $0 (was only $35 to start with) but i still got a point on my license.

That point is far worse than the fine lol.

If you just go to court, assuming this is your only infraction, youll prolly get the point value lowered. In some states (At least NY), you can take a Defensive Driving Course to remove a few points from your license. This only works once every 3 years though.

You know bob, I actually just got a ticket in NY about a month ago (im from MA, cop probably figured easy pickings)

Was doing like 89 in a 65 or something, cop put it as 85, which was cool I guess (my first 3 years of having my license I got like 4-5 tickets, haven't gotten any since then til now) so having experience with tickets, including out of state tickets (RI / FL) I've gotta say this...

NY has the most fucked up ticket system ever in my opinion. In MA RI and FL you get a little thing that says 'show up xx/xx/xx or pay xxx$ and bend over' and you either show up or pay.

The whole NY 'plead guilty or not guilty by mail if you cannot show up' (obviously I'm not driving 3 hours to go to court and probably get pulled over again) confuses the shit out of me. I sent it back 'guilty' on Jan 23rd (date to be in by was the 25th) and have recieved no confirmation / fine / acknowledgement of any sort.

Is this normal? I mean if the charges got dismissed / plea got lost somewhere in west bumfuck mass. / etc I have no way of knowing. Is there an average turn-around time for plea -> fine conversions that I am unaware of or is this just upstate new york at its finest?

That's normal, the bureaucracy here is pretty hilarious. Also, NY does have a habit of losing tickets. If they lost it, you just get off scott free. If you're really worried, just call the DMV.

'fraid not.

1992 my father got pulled over for speeding in my mother's monte carlo (she hugged a tree with it in '95). 1999 my fater recieves in the mail, a letter stating he has to go to court for a 7 yeard old ticket. What was funny is NY said he lost everything, and his lisences is now suspended. Long story short, the ticket went through still and he never lost his liscense.

[Daydreamer]

The first time I got a ticket I showed up in court and right before the sessions for the day started they said "Everyone who is here for a first time violation and would like to take a defensive driving class please come here now"

I didn't have to pay the ticket. It didn't go on my record, and the only thing I had to pay were court costs (which is a crazy like 115$ in Alabama) and 25$ for the class.

But it didn't go on my record, and I didn't have to pay the 200+$ ticket.

Sucks living in 'bama. We have some of the highest speeding tickets in North America.[/list]

[BerenTebogo]

Man, New York sounds like they really got themselves figured out.

Oh well, I'll see what happens, thanks mike and bob.

I've done the defensive driving BS before, when I was like 18 or something for doing a lot in a not-a-lot zone. Was boring as hell but worth it, got like 4 strikes taken off (cop went RIPSHIT was like 'speeding, reckless driving, following too closely, blah')

all I want out of this one is either the ability to spend the 250$ im holding aside for the ticket, or to stop holding the 250$ im holding for the ticket and stop worrying about it. The premium sucks but I do not have the time to go play Phoenix Wright in east greenbush NY so I'll suck it up if I have to.

[Azkarin]

For only 15 miles over you are probably going to pay just as much if you get a lawyer in his fees. Best option is just to go through looking nice and be respectful. Won't cost that much anyways. I'm guessing 150-200 dollars.