hello fellow s2k owners
i just got a speeding ticket... argh
going 75 on a 65 zone on 210 freeway (so cali).. at around 9 30 pm..
pretty much no one else on the freeway near me.. and the cop decided to pull me over.

what really bothers me is that cops break the law all the time. and sometimes i'd zoom by a cop at 75 on a busy freeway when everyone else's zooming by the cops at 75 and the cop won't pull anybody over. but i guess it's the end of the month and cops need to give out their tickets??

it's not really enforcing law but it's like making money by enforcing laws...

er.. anyway... is there any way to beat the ticket or something somehow..?
i reallllly can't afford to pay the ticket....

i've read about the ticketassassin stuff but i wana hear from people that have actually done it..

thanks for your help in advance

-Justin

 

i dont think theres a way to fight the ticket. but a measly 10 mph over is a bit extreme to get pulled over. but if you were the only one on the road at the time it seems like he just had nothing to do. and when its busy on the freeway with a bunch of people, cops dont pull people over becuase everyone is going with the flow of traffic.

 

Trial by Decleration.. I just won the same ticket a month ago. You are basically hoping the CHP officer doesn't turn in their info.

 

Could you tell me exactly how you did it?

 

Exactly go to court no matter what. Sometimes the cop does not show up. Find out how he caught you (lazer, radar) and when you get to court ask to see the maintenance ticket that the gun was calibrated and ask if the officer using the gun has a marksman badge..., I tried that one and as it ends up the cop was a guy that trains other cops to shoot. He was a marksman. Judge liked the attempt so much though she cut my fine in half. Worth a try, but for sure even if you don't have a defence go to court and say it was only 10 miles over and you were under the impression that they give you 10 miles per hour grace...,

 

Yes, take it to court just to inconvenience the officer, but don't go in with a cocky attitude. Be a s nice as you can be and see if you can at least bargain with the offer to lower the fine.

Oh yeah, stop speeding....

 

I'm not familiar with California law, but there are two options.... here in VA at least.

#1) Pay it off, bight the bullet.
#2) Go to court, plead "No Contest" even though you probably said something incriminating to the cop already which is an admission of guilt in most places. Tell the judge you're really really sorry, temporary lapse in judgment, ask to have judgment deferred and be placed on driving probation for a period of six months at which time the court could choose to drop the ticket if you don't get another one in the interim. This only works if you have a clean driving record, this is what people pay $500 for a lawyer for. Look up local and state laws, figure out what the EXACT wording is and how you have or have not broken that law. Also look for a "first offender's clause" something saying that you can be put on probation or something.


I can't speak for Cali specifically, but the quota thing is a misconception. And yeah they need a way to pay for stuff, cop cars require tickets and fines to pay for them. Don't get caught again, and NEVER ADMIT TO ANYTHING, stay silent before saying, "I think I was doing x speed officer" If X is anything above the speed limit.

 

Not sure how it is in CA either but here in TX I hire an attorney for all my tickets.

 

Nolo Contendre, or No Contest does not get you out of the penalty for getting the ticket....the fine OR the points. If California works like every other state I know of, the state has the OPTION of assigning points or not, regardless of whether or not the judge accepts the plea. Pleading Nolo is an official admittance that you committed the crime, it means you do not contest the facts of the case, but argue that the circumstances made it acceptable. If you go that way, you probably should have been on your way to the hospital or rushing home to your house burning down. Since you didn't tell that to the officer, you can give up on that one.

The most dependable way I know of to "beat" a ticket is:

1. Go to your hearing and plead "Not Guilty". The officer won't be there, he doesn't have to be.
2. Set up a court date to have your case heard in front of an actual judge.
3. Call the prosecutor's office with your case number and find out who is prosecuting the case.
4. Call the prosecutor and ask them if you could settle on a reduction of charges.
5. Go to court, plead guilty to the reduced charges, pay a smaller fine, and don't get points assessed.

This ONLY works if you don't have a driving record that will cause the prosecutor to want to teach you a lesson. It also only works if the officer agrees to it, which means if you were an a$$ to him then I wouldn't even bother. They DO remember because they usually review the tapes before coming to court.

If you can't get a hold of the prosecutor pre-trial, show up and find out who it is before your case is called up.


Keep one thing in mind here....you ARE guilty. Getting out of a ticket completely is a fluke and you shouldn't bet that it will happen, because it probably won't. You are better off being polite and respectful and depending on the court's mercy. If tickets were easy to get out of, I assure you there wouldn't be so many people paying them.

 

let me preface this by saying i agree with the above post. also, i do feel your pain - 10 over is usually ignored and it sucks that you got a ticket.

but seriously...

its usually only around $100 ... and then you've got the chance of increased insurance. that realllllly shouldn't be too much of a strain on your budget, and if it is...you can't afford a speeding ticket, don't speed. you know you'll get caught eventually...