Teen VA speeding ticket: how to handle?

[Anonymous]

DS is 17 and got a speeding ticket for going 44 in a 25 mph zone (his first traffic violation). We've doled out punishment at home. But not sure how to handle the ticket. We can pay ($200+ from his summer job paycheck) and be done, I think. He could go to court and I have no idea what could happen. From the DMV website, it seems like he'll get 6 points and that he must take a driver improvement training course within 90 days of the conviction. I'm actually fine with that (and something we had considered insisting upon anyway). But it seems so random in that I just happened upon this on the DMV website; how would he have been informed that he had to take the course?
So my question is really what advantage/disadvantages are the to showing up for the court date?
Anyone know how many points will get an under 18 driver a suspended license?
Does anyone know about how/when the driver improvement clinic is required?

[Anonymous]

For your insurances sake you better get that fixed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For your insurances sake you better get that fixed.

YES. You need to figure out what the insurance will be now.

[Anonymous]

44/25 says to me your teen was going faster and the officer gave the kid a break issuing a speeding ticket instead of a reckless driving ticket. If your teen has an otherwise good driving record they may be eligible for a program offered to juveniles to keep their traffic records clear. Most local jurisdictions have them, but the requirements vary from county to county. Some require just a traffic school. Some require parent attendance at a traffic school with the child. Some require community service. Some judges require a kid to ride the bus to school for a quarter, etc. There is also potentially a fine and court costs. You can also retain a lawyer to go with you to deal with the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For your insurances sake you better get that fixed.

So have him take the driver improvement course and go to court? I don't know how to "fix" it as best as I can. This happened in Fairfax County.
DS has an otherwise clean record. Who knows what actually happened, but I don't think the officer was doing DS any favors (as a pp suggested) as this stretch of road is all 35mph and oddly goes to 25 for a bit. It's a known speed trap location but a new road to DS (who took a wrong turn in a fork in the road . . . ). The officer also didn't offer to show the speed on radar (is that required or a myth?) and DS called me right after the ticket was issued and said the officer said he was going 40 mph but when DS got home and I read the ticket, it said 44 (DS said no one ever said 44). All of this is not good for anything, but just background to why I think the officer wasn't doing any favors.

[Anonymous]

He should definitely have to pay the ticket. And he should try to become smarter - why did he earn SOOOO little over the summer?! I went back to check that I hadn't missed a third zero.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He should definitely have to pay the ticket. And he should try to become smarter - why did he earn SOOOO little over the summer?! I went back to check that I hadn't missed a third zero.

Yes, as I said, he's paying the fine out of the money he earned this summer (he's earned much more than the estimated $200 cost of the ticket). My question is more dealing with advantages/disadvantages to going to court (versus just paying the fine by mail) from anyone who knows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For your insurances sake you better get that fixed.

So have him take the driver improvement course and go to court? I don't know how to "fix" it as best as I can. This happened in Fairfax County.
DS has an otherwise clean record. Who knows what actually happened, but I don't think the officer was doing DS any favors (as a pp suggested) as this stretch of road is all 35mph and oddly goes to 25 for a bit. It's a known speed trap location but a new road to DS (who took a wrong turn in a fork in the road . . . ). The officer also didn't offer to show the speed on radar (is that required or a myth?) and DS called me right after the ticket was issued and said the officer said he was going 40 mph but when DS got home and I read the ticket, it said 44 (DS said no one ever said 44). All of this is not good for anything, but just background to why I think the officer wasn't doing any favors.

If all of these things are true and you have time, go to court about the ticket. My experience in traffic court (in DC and TX) has been that they just want you out, so it's not hard to get tickets reduced/revoked. If the officer was misleading or giving false info, your son is a new driver and there's some course he can take that will lessen the impact of the ticket.

[Anonymous]

44 must be right on the line of being a regular ticket and reckless driving. Either DS was really speeding and the officer cut him a break. Or he wasn't going that fast but close and the officer wanted to teach him a lesson while helping fill the county coffers.

[Anonymous]

Shouldn't the speed DS was traveling have been an uncontroverted fact? I mean did the officer detect the speed on radar or just guess? VA cops can cite for reckless driving or simple speeding if 20+ mph or over -- that's in their discretion. Anyway, if it was 44, that's simple speeding by law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He should definitely have to pay the ticket. And he should try to become smarter - why did he earn SOOOO little over the summer?! I went back to check that I hadn't missed a third zero.

Yes, as I said, he's paying the fine out of the money he earned this summer (he's earned much more than the estimated $200 cost of the ticket). My question is more dealing with advantages/disadvantages to going to court (versus just paying the fine by mail) from anyone who knows.

I apologize - I thought you were saying he earned a little over $200 for the summer and you were paying the ticket for him.

[Anonymous]

You might call around and be able to have a lawyer handle for a small fee--I mean, the points are going to be expensive down the road and that is why I would be concerned.

I think if you go to court alone, it's difficult for you to negotiate points---some judges will do it, others will only reduce the ticket

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You might call around and be able to have a lawyer handle for a small fee--I mean, the points are going to be expensive down the road and that is why I would be concerned.

I think if you go to court alone, it's difficult for you to negotiate points---some judges will do it, others will only reduce the ticket

From what I've read on the internet in the last 12 hours (the sum total of my speeding ticket knowledge) is that the judge/court has nothing to do with the points assigned (that's applied by DMV after they get the notice of conviction from the court). I have no idea how you would get a "44/25" charge reduced. But it seems it is the top (worst) demerit value of 6 points that will be assessed by DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS is 17 and got a speeding ticket for going 44 in a 25 mph zone (his first traffic violation). We've doled out punishment at home. But not sure how to handle the ticket. We can pay ($200+ from his summer job paycheck) and be done, I think. He could go to court and I have no idea what could happen. From the DMV website, it seems like he'll get 6 points and that he must take a driver improvement training course within 90 days of the conviction. I'm actually fine with that (and something we had considered insisting upon anyway). But it seems so random in that I just happened upon this on the DMV website; how would he have been informed that he had to take the course?
So my question is really what advantage/disadvantages are the to showing up for the court date?
Anyone know how many points will get an under 18 driver a suspended license?
Does anyone know about how/when the driver improvement clinic is required?

I am not sure about VA, but in MD, the training course was mandatory. Your DS will likely get a letter soon about the course. There is a lag time between when the ticket is resolved and when the letters go out.

The point information is on the DMV website. Honestly I cannot remember the number of points, but it was the equivalent of 2 moving violations within the porvisional period.

It might be worth going to court to try to get the points reduced. As PP said, some judges will do it and some will not. The risk is that if you catch a judge on a bad day, they may not reduce the ticket and may even charge a court cost fine. I also agree with a prior PP that the officer probably did your son a favor. If your son had been ticketed for going 45+MPH, that is a reckless driving AND a speeding violation (suspension of license). Interesting that he was ticketed for 19MPH over.

[Anonymous]

Not sure how FFX works but usually if you go to the court date there is a chance to see the prosecutor (and often citing officer) where you can work something out if the officer is willing.

For ex., here see if they'll agree to 34/25 to get you into a lower category (IIRC) for points &c. DMV does the points, not the court. It won't work in this case but there are some violations where you can substitute a plea to a county code violation (not state DMV code) that will avoid the points.