Advice before my court appointment tomorrow morning? (1 Viewer)

[Scott Wong]

Thanks, Michael...

 

[Christ Reynolds]

sort of. i realize that some of the cops that drive down my street too fast are dealing with police matters. but according to how many cops speed down my street, i'd have to live in downtown detroit on washington dc for all this crime to be happening. in other words, there cannot possibly be all this crime happening in this town. that's how i know i am at least partially correct. i know i am correct because on at least one occasion, i was nearly pinned against a guard rail by a police cruiser coming down my street. (there is a guard rail because of a dangerous drop-off behind it). had i not jumped 3 feet in the air out of the way and over the guard rail, the cruiser would have likely broken both of my legs. i then watched him drive down to the local restaurant at the bottom of the hill and pick up his food.

i'm not trying to take a shot at the cops here, i just wanted to prove my point. our whole neighborhood feels the same way about speeders on our street. of course, nobody else on this forum knows what happens in my area, so it would seem as if i'm making unsubstantiated assumptions. anyway, who brought up the cops in the first place?

take any more pictures of that car? i love german cars, i used to have a 2000 jetta (only the 2.slow motor) but it was still fun to drive. if i had that car, i'd be starting a thread called "can you be thrown in jail for too many speeding tickets?"

CJ

 

[Jason L.]

Scott,

Quit your whining and take your punishment like a man. Stop blaming others for what YOU did.

200,000+ people died, and millions more were changed forever in Southeast Asia - and you're throwing a pity party for yourself because of 2 measly tickets. Suck it up.

 

[Cees Alons]

Scott,

Can't help you about that court matter, but one observation:
Unless you're driving 300 miles or more, you'll be amazed how little time is gained by driving 5-25 mph faster. Those "moments" are short! Compute it for some of the distances you normally drive and take into account other causes of having to slow down here and there. You may really be surprised!

Which also proves that your life isn't that miserable after all.


Cees

 

[Kirk Gunn]

Outlook reminder set for a "Speeding saga update".

You are in a tough position. Your only hope is to get a good lawyer, imho. good=expensive. Pay a lawyer and hope he actually IS good, or pay the fines, increases in insurance, etc....

 

[Scott Wong]

What the...?? I don't remember blaming anyone for what I've done. I don't remember making excuses. I've already admitted that I was in the wrong. Not sure why contesting the citations is really *that* big of a deal. I honestly don't expect any help from the judge... but at this point, I may as well continue and see if anything comes from this. Sheeeesh. Go take a pill or something.

 

[Philip_G]

Has anyone pointed out that your boost gauge is showing an inch of vac when the engine isn't running? that isn't good

 

[Scott Wong]

heh heh... I managed to do that... well, my (2) 10-inch subs managed to somehow 'uncalibrate' the needle on my boost gauge after I obtained my new MTX sub amp. There isn't a vac leak and I'm definitely not losing any boost pressure. I had my car on a dyno last fall and confirmed the boost was holding consistently and accurately. It's the gauge that isn't calibrated quite right. heh heh. I had the gauges installed prior to hooking up the stereo... the boost gauge and panel were purchased brand new and initially it was at absolute zero. But VDO gauges aren't exactly 'top of the line' by any means... I'm gonna be changing out the gauges once I afford the Cobalt series.

 

[DaveHo]

Some of you people need to get off your high horses.

Speed in itself is a pretty worthless gauge of danger. Sometimes speeding is part of the equation, but the real threats are those yapping on phone, tailgating, cutting people off, etc. In general those not paying attention and driving aggressively. But how many of these people do you see receive citations? My guess is very few. Why? Well because it's easier to generate revenue sitting around a bend or hiding behind a bush, sign, etc with a radar gun. It really is mostly about money and very little to do with safety. If you don't believe that, well I feel sorry for you.

I say fight the tickets, maybe you'll get lucky maybe you won't.

-Dave

 

[AjayM]

Repeat after me;

Get a lawyer - Get a lawyer - Get a lawyer - Get a lawyer - Get a lawyer - Get a lawyer - Get a lawyer - Get a lawyer

In the past I've usually paid anywhere from $100-200 for a traffic attorney (this was a few years ago though) and then whatever he comes up with from the DA, which usually is the cost of the ticket plus some minor court fees, but most importantly, no points on my record. You don't need some high priced super-attorney here, just look in the phonebook for a lawfirm that specializes in traffic sitations, the usual deal is that you don't have to pay them unless they can get the points wiped off the record.

If you don't want to get one, then you basically have to go before the judge, who is not going to "pity" you at all (he's heard every "sob" story before, yours will be no different). So unless you can come up with some kind of good defense (subpoena records about the radar gun, etc), all that going to court is going to do is cost you more money.

Andrew

 

[Scott Wong]

Again, my point exactly. At this stage in the game, what do I have to lose? Absolutely nothing.

Thanks, Dave...

 

[Shayne Lebrun]

I'll say this:

By pleading 'not guilty,' you've just invited The Shaft(tm) to be applied to you when you're found guilty (and my bet is: you will be, unless the officer in question doesn't show up.)

This might also cause your second speeding cite to come into play. "Not speeding? Really? Then why was there a second one two weeks later?"

 

[Ted Lee]

now *that* is a tangent...

btw, when you went the first time, did the judge know about the second ticket?

 

[Scott Wong]

I've still yet to get a straight answer about this. Let's say I am found guilty... and you're right, I probably will be. What else is going to be tacked onto these citations?? Are they going to start fudging the numbers of the fines and increase them simply because I chose to contest the citations? That doesn't seem right to me. i.e., each citation I have right now would cost me $130.00 per ticket. flate fee. You're saying by going to court on March 15th... these same fee amounts are not going to be applicable?? How so? The judge is gonna walk out and say I'm guilty and then mouth off to me and say "Let's just make them each an even $200.00 simply because you've chosen to contest them..."

I was thinking in a worst case scenario - The judge comes out and laughs at me and says "No, I'm not doing anything for you"... or something of that nature... but then I would simply pay the fees of the tickets... they go on my record... case closed. Am I sent to jail simply because I'm contesting these tickets? Are you shitting me? Well, what then? The fine increases? And how so and on what conditions? I've already lost then. If any of this is the case, I'll stop my chances right now... pay the $260.00 that I owe the state ($130.00 x 2) and just be done with it. I'll take my chances in court if the fines stay the same... but the way some of you guys are talking... it's going to be a lot more money. And don't understand how so...?

 

[Scott Wong]

Ted:

I simply spoke with the prosecutor yesterday. I didn't go before the judge. I am scheduled for that on 03/15. But I did make the prosecutor aware of my second citation. He ddn't even have any information in front of him on it because I had gotten it not that long ago.

I am thinking I might need to call the number on my citation, advise them of my court appt. on 03/15 for the first one, and then see if they can toss my second citation into the mix just so I get both of them taken care of at the same time in front of the same judge.

*shrug* I don't really know though.

 

[Elinor]

>"You're saying by going to court on March 15th... these same fee amounts are not going to be applicable?? How so? The judge is gonna walk out and say I'm guilty and then mouth off to me and say "Let's just make them each an even $200.00 simply because you've chosen to contest them..."

I've had a few tickets. I have fought most. The one mistake I made was pleading "not guilty" one time. I got the full number of points, the full fine, AND court costs. Every time I pled "guilty" the points and fines were reduced.

These guys do this every day. It's not a game. If you plead "not guilty" you dam well better have evidence to present that you were not guilty. THAT'S why they nail you harder when you plead not guilty then make some lameass defense like "Gee, I just don't think I was going that fast".

I'd seriously seriously consider pleading guilty when you go back. Sit in court and watch what happens to the others.

 

[Joe Szott]

Wow, what speeding courts do you guys go to? I've been in ones in CA and CO, it is much more like arbitration adn much less like the Perry Mason-esqe stuff I'm reading here. I don't know the MN laws, but usually if there is a point of contention on the ticket and the officer doesn't show up to dispute it, the ticket is dropped completely.

I believe you said that ticket #1 seemed very high speed for how fast you thought you were going? Well, I'm sure you glanced at youe speed when you saw the flashing red lights, so how fast were you going? If it was 65 and the ticket was for 79, tell the judge that and say the officer's equipment must be off. Maybe it gets dropped, maybe it doesn't. If it doesn't, go to traffic school to get that point removed from your license (or more importantly insurance.)

Then come back for the second ticket. You haven't remarked on whether you were guilty of that one or not, so I'm assuming you were speeding and just got caught Get the traffic attorney for that one if you want to avoid the point. Or if the 1st ticket was dropped, then don't get the attorney and resign yourself to traffic school to lose the point.

Otherwise man, just slow down a bit. Having a decked out little car is sweet and all, but it attracts tickets like a sponge. You can plead all you want to a cop, but if I pulled you over and saw all those gauges and stuff on your dash, I would assume you are a total speed demon who is finally getting caught.

Good luck...

 

[Elinor]

You're lucky Joe. In MD, it's not Perry Mason-esque ... it's more like the Soviet Union. No joke. There is no option to go to traffic school. You don't barter. You pray.

 

[Joe Szott]

Wow, you'd think the cold would make them a little nicer up there

Maybe the attorney is a good idea then, let the pro handle the system for you.

 

[AjayM]

That's probably because it never went in front of a judge, your first appearance is usually in front of a magistrate. Plead not-guilty and get a court date you will go before a judge where you get to play Perry Mason for a day. Most of the time it shouldn't get to that, and most larger jurisdictions will put you in front of that magistrate to save "court time" (basically they negotiate so they get the fines and you get no/reduced points).

And as outlined, if you are found guilty you will have to pay COURT FEEs. That number can range depending on where you are at, but it wouldn't suprise me to see an additional $150-300 or so tacked onto the fines, plus all the points.

Did I mention yet that you should get a lawyer like right now? If you walk into this situation without actually doing anything you are going to walk out very upset. They won't throw you in jail, but if the judge get's the feeling you're wasting his time he's likely to impose the maximum penalties on you (you can look up whatever they are for where you live), plus court costs. Get a traffic attorney.