Speeding Ticket - Going to Court

[everyyard]

here are my thoughts: if you didn't break the law and the officer says you did then you should consider contesting it. if you DID break the law then you should pay the fine. That is just the risk you accept by speeding. Well, that and traffic accidents...

[Senolcyc]

not an urban legend at all...know this as a fact.

No doubt it has in fact happened on extremely rare occasions. The urban legend is "all you have to do is go to court and fight it, man, because the fuzz never shows up and you get out of the ticket. Power to the people, man. Now pass me that joint, man..."

[Cyforce]

I've fought two tickets won once. the speeding ticket that I beat the prosecutor tried to bully me. Said the ticket was written for 10 over when I was actually going faster. If I fought it they'd switch it to the higher speed. Crossed examined the officer and his discontent of the situation showed and the judge tossed it.

[RayShimley]

I've fought two tickets won once. the speeding ticket that I beat the prosecutor tried to bully me. Said the ticket was written for 10 over when I was actually going faster. If I fought it they'd switch it to the higher speed. Crossed examined the officer and his discontent of the situation showed and the judge tossed it.

I would like to see them prove this. What evidence could they possibly present? Even if the cop had cooperated with the prosecution, HE was the one who wrote the ticket for 10 over.

[RayShimley]

Pay your damn ticket.

Stuff like this pisses me off and is a prime example of people refusing to own up to their own actions in today's society.



You were going to fight what? Not having a front plate? Here's an idea, put your front plate on your car.

How in the world do you even get 8 warnings?

Speeding?
Expired license?
Expired plates?
No insurance?
Tinted windows?


Sounds like the officer actually did you a favor by writing you 8 warnings and only ticketing you for no front plates.

This is total BS in my opinion. Does he not have a right to have his day in court if he wants it? If they don't want people to show up in court, then quit charging court fees to people who just mail in their checks. Problem solved.

['Clones Fan]

I am not sure if this is exactly the same situation, but I got ticketed for going 10 over. I went to the Courthouse and Filed a Continuance of Dismissal. I wasn't sure why, but the cop who gave me the ticket told me to do it. (He said he felt bad because his boss had him working a speed trap and he didn't think it was fair).

Long story short, I got out of it. I have since used the same trick on about 8 parking tickets and it has worked every time.

Granted, this was in St. Paul and I was always wearing a suit and tie and everyone else in the room looked like he was in a gang.

[cyclonekoch]

No doubt it has in fact happened on extremely rare occasions. The urban legend is "all you have to do is go to court and fight it, man, because the fuzz never shows up and you get out of the ticket. Power to the people, man. Now pass me that joint, man..."

Take it for what it's worth, but...it's not a 'rare occasion' type of thing and it's not an urban legend.

It doesn't have anything to do with the office showing up or not showing up. The initial court date is to give you the opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty. If you plead not guilty...another 'trial date' is set and you would come back.

It's really a simple money issue. The county isn't going to spend the money to move forward with these issues. It takes an awful big ticket to offset the cost to take something like this to court.

[alarson]

Just pay it. It sounds like you admit you were speeding. The bummer of it is even if you weren't speeding there's no way you can actually prove you weren't. It's just your word against the officer's and...good luck with that.

A similar type of situation happened with me, albeit it had nothing to do with traffic. I recently switched to Sprint from Verizon. I have been with Verizon for 7 years and have not once been over my minutes. I have 900 minutes per month, and going off my statements I haven't even used over 600 since 2008. Now, guess what happened with the last bill I received? I magically used 200 minutes ABOVE my 900 minute limit. I was livid. Unfortunately, there's no way I can prove I didn't use the minutes they are charging me for. I can file a fraud claim, but again I have no way of proving my case. Just like in a speeding case even if you weren't speeding you pretty much have no way of defending yourself.

You can get detailed information on your calls (when, who to, how long), get that and see if there are any calls you dont remember making.

[colbycheese]

A few days ago I received a speeding ticket for going 14mph over the speed limit. I can either pay the fine, or show up in court in a few months to contest the ticket. If I contest the ticket, my only hope is that the officer that gave me the ticket does not show up to provide testimony. If he does, my case would almost certainly be lost.

Does anyone have any experience going to court to contest a speeding ticket? If so, what is the likelihood that the officer that gave me the ticket actually shows up to testify?

I've never had a ticket (knock on wood), nor have I ever been to court. However, I know that if you get a ticket, then request the officers radar calibration for that day, you might get off in court if they forgot to calibrate it before the measured your speed (calibrations can effect it by about 3 mph so I've heard). If you're a student, go to student legal services (for free) and see what they say. They might even represent you and get you off (for free).

If you go to court and get it reduced to 9mph you won't get a point on your insurance.

Lastly, cops almost always show up. A Story county deputy friend of mine told me that if they write a ticket and it gets thrown out in court it shows up on the deputy's employment record. I'd imagine its a similar situation for police and troopers. That's enough encouragement for them to show up I'd say.

[Wesley]

Just pay it. It sounds like you admit you were speeding. The bummer of it is even if you weren't speeding there's no way you can actually prove you weren't. It's just your word against the officer's and...good luck with that.

A similar type of situation happened with me, albeit it had nothing to do with traffic. I recently switched to Sprint from Verizon. I have been with Verizon for 7 years and have not once been over my minutes. I have 900 minutes per month, and going off my statements I haven't even used over 600 since 2008. Now, guess what happened with the last bill I received? I magically used 200 minutes ABOVE my 900 minute limit. I was livid. Unfortunately, there's no way I can prove I didn't use the minutes they are charging me for. I can file a fraud claim, but again I have no way of proving my case. Just like in a speeding case even if you weren't speeding you pretty much have no way of defending yourself.

Did Verizon then call you up and ask if you wanted to switch to a more expensive plan to save $20?

[M3MEPLEASE]

This is total BS in my opinion. Does he not have a right to have his day in court if he wants it? If they don't want people to show up in court, then quit charging court fees to people who just mail in their checks. Problem solved.

Whats total BS?

I never said he didn't or shouldn't have the right to go court. I stated he should just own up to his actions. The OP admitted he was guilty, plain and simple. Now unless you think the officer made an error or you are innocent, then pay your damn ticket. Like I said, a lot of people refuse to be held responsible for their actions this day in age and its pathetic.

[CYdTracked]

Unless you have some good proof that you weren't speeding or something factored into why you were it's pointless to contest. The time you take off work just to contest it is going to cost you so you are better off just paying the ticket and moving on.

The only way you go into something like that is if you can get them on some kind of technicality like the location on the ticket is incorrect, you asked to see the radar reading and the officer denied you, something with the speed limit sign like a tree branch was obstructing the view or the posted speed limit in the opposite direction wasn't the same as the one in the direction you were going, you were going down a steep incline. Basically anything that you could provide some kind of actual evidence that would by enough to shoot a hole in the "case" that might get the ticket thrown out on some kind of legal technicality.

[iowaboy]

A few days ago I received a speeding ticket for going 14mph over the speed limit. I can either pay the fine, or show up in court in a few months to contest the ticket. If I contest the ticket, my only hope is that the officer that gave me the ticket does not show up to provide testimony. If he does, my case would almost certainly be lost.

Does anyone have any experience going to court to contest a speeding ticket? If so, what is the likelihood that the officer that gave me the ticket actually shows up to testify?

Go to the courthouse and ask for items of discovery. That would be all the information stating their case involving the incident. When you do that the county attorney's office will assume you are in fact going to court. Sometimes when you ask for that stuff they assume you are no rookie and they may just bail out.

Find out how you were timed, Lazer, Radar, Following you etc. Then find out what make and model the equipment was, and find out when was the last time it was calibrated and ask for documents to back up the information.

Many times an officer will NOT show up as it is an inconvenience to them. hang in there.

PS Try and slow down!

[iowaboy]

Like others have said, you're just going to stand in line and get to say guilty or not guilty. If you say not guilty, the cop will be notified and he will show up.

just pay it.

Not true. Many times the Cop will not show up.

[CloneLawman]

Go to the courthouse and ask for items of discovery. That would be all the information stating their case involving the incident. When you do that the county attorney's office will assume you are in fact going to court. Sometimes when you ask for that stuff they assume you are no rookie and they may just bail out.

Find out how you were timed, Lazer, Radar, Following you etc. Then find out what make and model the equipment was, and find out when was the last time it was calibrated and ask for documents to back up the information.

Many times an officer will NOT show up as it is an inconvenience to them. hang in there.

PS Try and slow down!

Most clerks will only have the ticket. If you have questions about the underlying circumstances they will direct you to the prosecutor. Since there is no right to formal discovery under the Rules of Criminal Procedure, you are unlikely to have anyone provide you with documents backing up calibration of the radar unit or evidencing the officer's training to use radar.. Those would be items to address with questions at trial.

Your best chance (barring an officer who admits at trial he didn't follow proper calibration and usage procedures) is still to have it set for trial and hope the officer doesn't show,

An entirely different approach would be to try contacting the prosecutor and seeing if they'll work something out with you. In the more populous counties this is well nigh impossible as the prosecutors don't want to piddle with traffic, but there are some counties where you can speak with them.