Speeding ticket?

**4XGore** · 01-14-2007, 05:41 PM

Does anyone know if it is best to contest a ticket or pay the fine and if you do contest and the officer does show and you are found guilty is the fine more or the same? And anything else anyone knows on this subject would be great.
Details, 81 in a 60

to my advantage ( I hope) there was another vehicle right next to me and I was driving a VW Jetta Diesel.
What chance do I stand to fight this? It's only my second ticket and the last one was 11 years ago. I don't really want to pay 183 bones for this and I don't want it on my record.
Any advice would be great

**Grewe02** · 01-14-2007, 05:45 PM

If the cop doesn't show, you win.

If the cop does show, you lose. Pay the fine. Pay the court fees. Go home with a sore pooper

Vertical Norm · 01-14-2007, 05:45 PM

don't contest it.
it'll end up costing you more in one way or another even if you win. you'll have to pay for gas to get there you'll not be at work, legal fees, etc. etc. etc. if it was a lot more than maybe but only 183 isn't worth the hassle.
take traffic school and you can get the points off your license and taking traffic (in Fl not sure about other states) actually reduces the cost of your ticket.

i've known a lot of people who truly honestly didn't do what they got a ticket for and contested it and i know of only one who won his case and it did infact cost him more than paying the ticket. for him it was principal to get back at the pig.

Vertical Norm · 01-14-2007, 05:48 PM

oh and to answer that other question.. a friend of mine had a ticket for some massive amount like 500 or so (added up tickets he hadn't paid) and some of them were BS so he took it to court and lost.... not only did he have to pay the 500 but he lost his license for a year, a charge he wouldn't have had to deal with had he just paid the tickets and not taken it to court.

Neener Neener · 01-14-2007, 05:59 PM

Pay it. The cops almost always show up. You'll have to pay the speeding fine PLUS court costs, so you'll just lose more money.

benbenben · 01-14-2007, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neener Neener

Pay it. The cops almost always show up. You'll have to pay the speeding fine PLUS court costs, so you'll just lose more money.

They get overtime to show up.

Big_Black_YJ · 01-14-2007, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grewe02

If the cop doesn't show, you win.

If the cop does show, you lose. Pay the fine. Pay the court fees. Go home with a sore pooper

as far as i know that's just an urban legend

any time i've ever been to court, and the cop doesn't show they just reschedule the date.

got_4_lo · 01-14-2007, 06:35 PM

you're a *****. man up to your fualts and pay the stupid fine.

you have no reason why you should have been speeding. "The guy next to me was doing it, too" is not a valid reason.

wait til MrBlain gets here.

**Jeepsterboy101** · 01-14-2007, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by got_4_lo

you're a *****. man up to your fualts and pay the stupid fine.

you have no reason why you should have been speeding. "The guy next to me was doing it, too" is not a valid reason.

wait til MrBlain gets here.

No reason to call him a *****. Its not like you have never gone over the speed limit before.

EDIT: Forgot to say....***** !

mdoug445 · 01-14-2007, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by got_4_lo

you're a *****. man up to your fualts and pay the stupid fine.

you have no reason why you should have been speeding. "The guy next to me was doing it, too" is not a valid reason.

wait til MrBlain gets here.

how do you know he had no reason to speed?

its just a speeding ticket, who cares. whats the big deal? i see you live in LA...im sure youve NEVER sped. i just got back from LA and they drive like maniacs there. true, i do not see what the car next to him and him driving a TDI jetta have to do with it but still.

just pay the fine and go on, itll be easier.

**ionakana** · 01-14-2007, 06:52 PM

don't just go pay the fine, sometimes it's worth it to go in front of the judge even if you are going to plead guilty.

I went to court to argue because I have a company vehicle and need to keep my record clean. When the judge came out he said that anyone other than a DUI or wreck who wanted to plead guilty would have their ticket reduced to a non-moving violation which means it would not be reported on you record. I changed my mind, plead gulity and paid the fine. You never know, he might reduce the speeding ticket if he's in a good mood.

**Ubie** · 01-14-2007, 07:16 PM

I know from firsthand experience that if the cop doesn't show then you win, at least in PA.

Also in NY and PA you have to pay court costs if you actually go to court or not. I say fight it, if only to try and plead it down.

Wolfman01 · 01-14-2007, 07:18 PM

Well I've batted a thousand so far on fighting tickets. I don't know about WA, but in TX, it's all about the money. Since I have a CDL, I cannot do the class or deferred adjudification. Since they nixed this for CDL's, I've challenged every ticket and have won every time. One was thrown out by the DA since the cop was being an *******, and the rest were thrown out by letters in the mail.

3Rotts · 01-14-2007, 07:33 PM

I would pay it and be done with it. In VA your ticket would be Reckless Driving and you would have to go to court regardless.

Do the crime-pay the fine and move on.

yarosig · 01-14-2007, 08:16 PM

My friend got like 3 tickets. Kept rescheduling the court dates so the third time the cop didn't show and the charges were dropped.

01-14-2007, 07:16 PM	#12
Ubie Wha? Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Yonder Posts: 191 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	I know from firsthand experience that if the cop doesn't show then you win, at least in PA. Also in NY and PA you have to pay court costs if you actually go to court or not. I say fight it, if only to try and plead it down. __________________ Stock Jeep Club #26 -------------------- *

01-14-2007, 07:18 PM	#13
Wolfman01 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Paradise, TX Posts: 97 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	Well I've batted a thousand so far on fighting tickets. I don't know about WA, but in TX, it's all about the money. Since I have a CDL, I cannot do the class or deferred adjudification. Since they nixed this for CDL's, I've challenged every ticket and have won every time. One was thrown out by the DA since the cop was being an *******, and the rest were thrown out by letters in the mail. __________________ 1994 Safari Sarengeti 37' DP RV (92K) 1995 Daihatsu Hijet (82K Km's) 1997 Ford F150 (164K) 1998 Jeep Cherokee SE (154k) 2006 Chevy Aveo LS (28k)

01-14-2007, 08:16 PM	#15
yarosig Registered User Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 434 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	My friend got like 3 tickets. Kept rescheduling the court dates so the third time the cop didn't show and the charges were dropped. __________________ 93YJ, 95 I-6 H.O, 4" RC Lift, 33x12.5 Pro Comp Mud Terrains on 15x8 Series 51 RoCk CrAwLeRs, MM SE9500 winch, TJ Bushwackers, 4.10 gears, Magnaflow Exhaust, CV shaft, flat belly