Worth disputing a speeding ticket?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is proof. The police officer said so. If your DH has clean record he can go to court ask for leniency.

Will the ticket go on his record or is it just a fine? If it’s just a fine, might be cheaper just to pay it.

The cop wasn’t using a radar detector. There isn’t any physical evidence.

I assume it will go on his record. Don’t all in-person speeding tickets?

Most likely outcome is go to court, plead no contest and judge offers to have you just pay a fine and not issue points. This would be an optimal outcome.

If he pleads not guilty and the cop testifies he will likely lose and suffer the maximum consequence.

[Anonymous]

Get a traffic ticket lawyer. Worth the cost because otherwise you’ll pay anyway with a rise in insurance premiums.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always go to court. I have a pretty clean record, so I say I’m guilty but I’d appreciate it if I could take a class rather than have points on my license. They always agree, and sometimes they’ll just reduce the charge to a non-moving violation with no points and skip the class. And sometimes

If you appear somewhat normal, can speak coherently and you are polite they will usually be nice to you. Going to court is great people watching, an amazing parade of dysfunctional and weird people. I think judges appreciate it when someone is easy to deal with.

You have a “pretty clean record” but end up in court often enough that they “always” agree?

Something doesn’t compute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's a chance the officer might not show up in court, so might be worth a shot.

This is a silly myth. They show up in Fairfax County.

OP, I’d still show up and contest it. Be earnest. He doesn’t have solid proof.

[Anonymous]

If the cop car was calibrated as required (I’d want that proof) it only shows HE was doing 70. There’s no solid proof anyone else was, they’re just guessing. If I’m charged with 70, you need to prove I was doing 70, not "around 70". Id fight it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was this his first time driving that section so he didn’t know the speed changes? 68 is still more than 20% over the speed limit. I’m not sure I’d be too sympathetic to someone going 20% over and arguing over 2 mph.

I believe the penalty brackets are 1-9 over, 10-19 over, and 20 over. So arguing two MPH won’t lower you to a different tier. But you should remind him 5 mph more and it’d be a reckless.

68 is perfectly fine in that section. I go faster there myself.

I’ll have to see if I can google the penalty brackets. Thanks - that was helpful.

I mean, if it’s perfectly fine, why did you get a ticket? If it’s perfectly fine just go use that argument with the judge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the cop car was calibrated as required (I’d want that proof) it only shows HE was doing 70. There’s no solid proof anyone else was, they’re just guessing. If I’m charged with 70, you need to prove I was doing 70, not "around 70". Id fight it.

This. This would be an easy dismissal by the PA and wouldn't make it to a jury trial because the city knows it would lose.

Hardly anyone fights smaller tickets and just "roll over" and submit, so cops get used to issuing tickets that are not legit. It gets worse in a jurisdiction the more they get away with it.

Stand up for yourself against bullies and laws.