Literally 3 blocks from my house, I got stopped for going 32 in a 25 mph. I didn't ask to see the radar (probably should have) and told him I was a resident of the neighborhood and always drives very cafrefully.
I had speeding ticket problems in the past but have been clean for 7-8 years now. I always just paid them in the past, The one time I did try to fight it I had to pay anyway (this was in PA when I was going to school there).
I drive like an old lady generally now b/c I was sick of getting tickets in the past. This is so upsetting I've been so good for so long now...AND he gave it to me the day before my 31st birthday....Thanks Officer Poophead!
2007-07-11 03:59:04 · 12 answers · asked by Lebron 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
I just wanted to thank everyone for all their responses so far.
It's been a crap day and y'all don't realize how much better I feel after seeing so many honest responses already. (from the officers too)
This is a great community and am thankful for it's creation and all the people who ask and respond and make it what it is.
2007-07-11 06:31:26 · update #1
For INSURANCE purposes, it is NEVER better to plead guilty and pay the fine. It will save you hundreds of dollars in insurance fees in the long run if you get an attorney to handle this for you. 99% of the time, an attorney can get the charges dropped and it will not affect your insurance rates.
If the situation is exactly as you stated, then it shouldn't cost you more than $100 to have an attorney represent you. It would cost you that much to plead guilty and pay the fine + the court cost, then your insurance payments could DOUBLE, and that stays on your insurance record for 3 years.
2007-07-11 04:40:44 · answer #1 · answered by Let me steer you 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't blame the officer because you were speeding.
Look at it his way. 32 in a 25 (7 over) is around 22% faster then the speed limit. 80 in a 65 (15 over, most people understand when they get a ticket for that) is only 19% faster then the speed limit.
Anyways, you can take it to court and fight it. But I'm not sure what your case would be. You don't seem to be arguing that you weren't actually speeding. So the only thing I can think of is your argument would be that you are normally a safe driver and you made a mistake. The judge might take pity on you and reduce your fine. Maybe not. Just say you are sorry and hope for the best. Also consider getting a lawyer. It might cost more in the short run (the fine is going to be more, plus lawyer costs). But they can usually plead it down to defective equipment and it will not effect your insurance
BTW, the officer doesn't have to show you the radar. It means nothing. Especially if he didn't lock it in (not required). So asking him for that is only going to bug him. It not only questions his integrity, it is an officer safety issue. There are some bad apples out there. But I have never met an officer that has lied about a speeding ticket. No real need to. I probably write 1-2 speeding tickets a shift (I prefer to focus on other things). But if I really wanted to, I guarantee that I could find 12-15 people doing 10+ over and issue citations...easily. Anyways, bottom line, he doesn't have to show you the radar and he's not going to, even if you ask.
2007-07-11 05:20:52 · answer #2 · answered by Kenneth C 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nj Speeding Ticket
2016-10-05 09:22:06 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If this is all you have on your record, then it probably won't hurt you.
If you go to court and plead not guilty, there is a small chance the officer won't show up and you will be dismissed.
I know in Texas, you can request to take Defensive Driving if you have not done so in 2 years. It also gives you a discount on your insurance.
Other than that, I have heard that there are lawyers that you can hire that will almost always get the ticket dismissed, but you end up paying more for the fees.
32 in a 25... You should have gotten a warning at most. Did something happen in the neighborhood recently? Someone hit a pedestrian or something?
Most officers understand that people will drift above and below the speed limit just because it's a manually operated machine. They can tell the difference between speeding and drifting above the speed limit.
2007-07-11 04:09:03 · answer #4 · answered by Chef 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's always interesting to see some of the responses to questions like these.
One that always gets me laughing is how people seem to think you can't write a ticket for anything less than 10mph over the limit.
You can feasibly be written for 1mph over the limit however most "sane" officers realize that's a bit crazy.
My own "threshold" as is MOST officers is 5mph over in a residential area and 10mph over on an interstate.
It's also a misconception that the officer has to show you the radar reading. This is not required because the officers observations are the evidence...not the radar. The officer testifies in court...not the radar. The officer, based upon his experience, will know if you appear to be speeding at which time the radar will "verify" that observation.
It's unfortunate that after so long you've accidentally misjudged your speed, however, your best bet is to either pay the fine or appear in court and request a driver education course instead of points and fine.
As for your Officer "Poophead"...you may want to consider that he/she was only doing the job they're sworn to do without prejudice. I would suggest paying a bit more attention to your speedometer!
Best wishes....and.......Happy Birthday!
2007-07-11 04:11:12 · answer #5 · answered by KC V ™ 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Unfortunately, if this happened during the month of July, I think you are out of luck. NJ instituted a "drive safely" campaign in July of 2007, with the purpose of trying to reverse the bad press from our own Governor's accident. So, they are being really harsh on people that fight the tickets. I would pay it, and take it as a lesson. At least there aren't any points!
Sorry, but Happy Birthday!
2007-07-11 04:08:23 · answer #6 · answered by GidgetK 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
32 in a 25 huh? Well I'm in NJ and I usually give a leeway of 10 mph residential and 15 mph highway but anyways, speeding is speeding. I would go to court and talk to the prosecutor. They may be able to downgrade the summons.
Well whatever happens use it as a learning experience....and happy birthday.
2007-07-12 15:57:52 · answer #7 · answered by weapon_30 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on how strict the police officer is. You usually won't get a ticket until you've reached 10 miles above the speed limit.
2007-07-11 04:02:18 · answer #8 · answered by Yahoo Man 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Plead not guilty and go to court. You can most likely make a good plea for them to at least lower the fine.
2007-07-11 04:02:04 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Contact me via e-mail, and I'll tell you some extremely useful info. to help in this situation. I hesitate to give it to the whole world here. I am not a lawyer, but I'm extremely creative.
2007-07-11 04:10:36 · answer #10 · answered by Dennis B 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋