Speeding ticket in Rappahannock

[Anonymous]

I live in nova, but was driving through Rappahannock on a mini vacation. The “town” limit drops to 25 with barely any notice and I got a ticket for going 44 in a 25. Under 20 so not reckless driving. I don’t mind paying the ticket, but I’m wondering if there is a class I can do or hire a lawyer to avoid points/increase in car insurance. I’ve never had a ticket before, so have a clean driving record. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in nova, but was driving through Rappahannock on a mini vacation. The “town” limit drops to 25 with barely any notice and I got a ticket for going 44 in a 25. Under 20 so not reckless driving. I don’t mind paying the ticket, but I’m wondering if there is a class I can do or hire a lawyer to avoid points/increase in car insurance. I’ve never had a ticket before, so have a clean driving record. Thanks!

Unlikely.

This is very typical of these small towns in Va(really anywhere). You have the same thing rolling into Front Royal on 55 - it drops from 50 or 55 down to 35 and then 25 and you go down this giant hill into the main part of Front Royal... you have to sit on the brakes or you risk getting going to fast and they often camp out there and get speeders.

This one ticket won't have much impact on your insurance if that's all there is negative so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[Anonymous]

OP here, that was exactly my experience. The cop was clearly just sitting there, waiting at the bottom of the hill. Thanks for the reply!

[Anonymous]

I’ve done the same thing. They setup that Speed trap on purpose even though no one is really speeding. I view it as a donation to the poor trumpers out there that need the tax income.

[Anonymous]

Aren't there classes you can take now to lower the points/insurance hike? I remember 15 years ago buying the video at Blockbuster, watching it and taking a test.

[Anonymous]

I was pulled over by VSP in PWC within the past couple of years (81 in a 65 IIRC), so not all of my experience will apply to your situation, but I hired an attorney who had me provide a copy of my clean driving record (requested online from the DMV for a small fee) and complete a course on www.urbantrafficschool.com (driver improvement + court purposes + the jurisdiction in VA). The course was under $40.

The attorney got everything dismissed; I don’t think I even had to pay court fees. The attorney’s fee was slightly higher than the ticket + court fees would have been, but I kept all of the positive points on my DL, it wasn’t reported to my insurance, and I didn’t have to make the trek to the courthouse which was a distance for me. I just have to keep my driving record clean for a year from the court date.

Due to the locality, I would look for an attorney who is local to that area (i.e., one who has an in with the local DA and judge). They may give you a free consultation like mine did. Mine explained the process and told me that I could probably chance it and do it all myself. Coming from a family of lawyers but not being one myself, I preferred not to chance it.

In these cases, it’s all about connections. You can handle it yourself, but it’s easier to hire someone who knows the court/is known to the court and knows how to play the game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was pulled over by VSP in PWC within the past couple of years (81 in a 65 IIRC), so not all of my experience will apply to your situation, but I hired an attorney who had me provide a copy of my clean driving record (requested online from the DMV for a small fee) and complete a course on www.urbantrafficschool.com (driver improvement + court purposes + the jurisdiction in VA). The course was under $40.

The attorney got everything dismissed; I don’t think I even had to pay court fees. The attorney’s fee was slightly higher than the ticket + court fees would have been, but I kept all of the positive points on my DL, it wasn’t reported to my insurance, and I didn’t have to make the trek to the courthouse which was a distance for me. I just have to keep my driving record clean for a year from the court date.

Due to the locality, I would look for an attorney who is local to that area (i.e., one who has an in with the local DA and judge). They may give you a free consultation like mine did. Mine explained the process and told me that I could probably chance it and do it all myself. Coming from a family of lawyers but not being one myself, I preferred not to chance it.

In these cases, it’s all about connections. You can handle it yourself, but it’s easier to hire someone who knows the court/is known to the court and knows how to play the game.

Not worth it IMHO. Just pay the ticket and be done with it. The impact on points/insurance is minimal. If the judge ends up reducing the penalty (vs. dismissing the case against you) you are stuck paying that fine plus court fees plus attorney fees, not to mention the value of your time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in nova, but was driving through Rappahannock on a mini vacation. The “town” limit drops to 25 with barely any notice and I got a ticket for going 44 in a 25. Under 20 so not reckless driving. I don’t mind paying the ticket, but I’m wondering if there is a class I can do or hire a lawyer to avoid points/increase in car insurance. I’ve never had a ticket before, so have a clean driving record. Thanks!

A lot depends on the local courts. The Clerk of the Court may be able to tell you flat out whether taking a course carries any weight. In some jurisdictions, you will only see a judge if you plead not guilty (and so the judge then presides at the trial). Your local attorney will likely work with a staff prosecutor and use that connection to get your charge reduced. Instead of 19 over you might be hoping for 14 over. It’s a small reduction in fine and points. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve done the same thing. They setup that Speed trap on purpose even though no one is really speeding. I view it as a donation to the poor trumpers out there that need the tax income.

?? OP was "really speeding."

[Anonymous]

You can take a safe driving class. This gives you 5 good points I believe. You can either take the class and just pay the ticket, or take the class then go to court, show remorse and proof you took the class and see if they will lower the fine. The 5 good points though should prevent your insurance increasing.

[Anonymous]

You know your own insurance situation. If getting hammered on rates is a possibility (for instance, if in addition to your ticket you have fast, expensive cars and 4 teenagers in the house), then hiring a lawyer who's in that jurisdiction and knows the local ins and outs may be worth it.

[Anonymous]

I’m wondering if OP was stopped because she’s a POC, and the “speeding” reason was just a pretext for stopping and harassing a woman or minority? Most of these podunk small town police departments are staffed entirely with racist men who prey on people passing through, pulling them over and issuing bogus fines and tickets.




Details, OP?

[Anonymous]

OP, try asking on Reddit - I think the Nova subreddit has a lot of people in similar situations who might be able to provide advice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve done the same thing. They setup that Speed trap on purpose even though no one is really speeding. I view it as a donation to the poor trumpers out there that need the tax income.

Why do imbeciles like you need to make everything political?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve done the same thing. They setup that Speed trap on purpose even though no one is really speeding. I view it as a donation to the poor trumpers out there that need the tax income.

Why do imbeciles like you need to make everything political?

Sounds like you’re the imbecile, since you can’t seem to figure out you’re persona nongrata here.