I was on the freeway, and I passed one of those Sheriff Dept. SUV's, I didn't think they pulled anyone over for some reason. He just slid in behind me and pulled me over, but he didn't use a radar gun, so I was wondering if I should risk going to court to see if the cop doesn't show up. Do I have to plead Not Guilty to find out if the cop is there in court? I just don't want to pay and have my insurance rates go up...
2006-08-07 12:14:44 · 13 answers · asked by Jesse B 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
Officers that drive the SUV's do pull people over for speeding the same as an officer that drives the car. I do. If the officer that wrote you the ticket didn't use a radar gun that's ok with the state you live in. On my dashboard I have 2 different gages that tell me my speed so when I match the speed of someone in front of me I can tell how fast they were going and make sure I'm not looking at a bad gage. One is the regular speedometer that every car has and the other is digital, much easier to read when matching a speed. If you really have your heart set on it you can take it to court and fight it but it will most likely be wasting your time, energy, and it's not likely that you'll come out on top. If I pull someone over or make an arrest and that person appears in court, I'm required to make an appearance so most likely the officer that pulled you over (if the law is the same where you live) will have to make an appearance if you do decide to fight the citation. It's very easy for you to say "I wasn't speeding" but it is hard for you to prove. You can't call yourself a dignified person and go in and lie about speeding, just makes you seem greedy if you're willing to lie for protecting your insurance rate. If the officer pulled you over then he had his reason. I'm quite sure he didn't just say to himself "How can I make this guy's day hell?" He must have had a reason and it just isn't worth your time to deny it. Best of luck to you whatever you decide to do.
2006-08-07 12:41:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
First of all, you should contact a lawyer in that jurisdiction. I am NOT a lawyer, but I have some experience with this.
Paying the ticket is the same as pleading guilty. Pleading guilty to a traffic offense will result in points being reduced from your license. May not mean much now, but an accumulation of points can result in your license being suspended - and that is a problem.
To save money, you can contact the prosecutor or District Attorney in that jurisdiction and ask to plead guilty to a lesser offense (defective equipment or a lesser speeding charge that will not have points assessed against your license.). Or, appear in court, plead no contest and ask that the sentence be suspended or the charge dismissed if you complete a defensive driving course (costs $$$) or complete a period of time with no further traffic convictions (6 months to a year are standard).
A traffic ticket is essentally the same as any other criminal complaint and an attorney will negotiate a "plea bargain" for a reasonable fee - or you can try it on your own.
Regardless of your choice, I don't recommend pleading guilty to any charge without careful consideration and legal represenation.
2006-08-07 12:23:02 · answer #2 · answered by shomechely 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You don't mention what state you are in. In most states radar is not required to support a speeding ticket, it is just supplemental evidence. You can also be ticketed if your speed is documented by visual observations, road clocking or other means. Also, in most areas, police always show up for a court challenge, and it will be your word against his.
If this is your first ticket in a while, check out the possibility of attending traffic school to keep your record clear... also permitted in most states.
2006-08-07 12:22:33 · answer #3 · answered by Fogjazz49-Retired 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well hoss it don't matter if you was speeding or not,the cop says your speeding that means you was speeding.All he got to do is tell the judge he got you on radar how can you prove he didn't.Just pay the fine and get use to being f*cked by the police,it's part of life.
2006-08-07 13:16:29 · answer #4 · answered by Desperado 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are very wealthy and can come to court with a high dollar lawyer you might beat the ticket, but for the less than rich, you will just have to pay the ticket
2006-08-07 12:37:22 · answer #5 · answered by » mickdotcom « 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can not.What they do is follow you and compare your speed to thiers.It is perfectly legal.But always pleed not legal to any ticket you get.This is common sense, but do not request a copy of the disposition(I think that is what it is called.but where it says request a copy, do not request copy of anything).This angers the cops.It is more paperwork for him.The cop will usually not show up for court(because he still got you for hi quota) and if they do he will give you a lesser charge before you talk to the judge.Just accept it.This is how the system goes.Do this everytime you get any traffic ticket.This is what everybody does.TRUST ME
2006-08-07 12:24:39 · answer #6 · answered by Mitchell B 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would either pay or go to court and talk to the prosecutor and try to plea the charge or fee down. If you try to fight it the judge will ask you what the speed limit was and how fast you were driving. If you say it was higher than the speed limit, than you admitted to charge, And you will tick off the judge for wasting his/her time.
2006-08-07 14:26:13 · answer #7 · answered by dpjejj 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can go to court and if the cop shows up, you can ask for an extension...you can do this several times...It would probably be cheaper to pay it than to hire a lawyer...
2006-08-07 12:21:09 · answer #8 · answered by Snowman 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Simple; if you were speeding, which is what I'm assuming, pay the ticket and drive more slowly in the future.
If you weren't speeding, then fight it.
2006-08-07 13:43:23 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In all your babbling about what happened, you never included the most important information necessary when determining whether to pay; were you speeding?
2006-08-07 13:53:54 · answer #10 · answered by harrison 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋