Best way to beat a ticket?????

[boatsnblondes]

For all you LE types, I need your best advice, whats the best way to beat a speeding ticket. I got called in emergency a couple of weeks ago, a fellow engineer got sick on the train and needed to be relieved, so I got called on my off day to run down and releive him at Merced, problem was, I was needed in 30 minutes and I was 45 away. So i took off and made a run for it, was clocked at 91 in a 65 on the 99 southbound. Guilty?? Of course. BUT, that said, do I stand a chance with these money hungry take no prisoner type judges?? Oh, and I know youve heard this a gazillion times, but I never speed, and to prove it, my last speeding ticket was so long ago, I can't remember. thanks for the help....:idea:
Oh, and BTW, I may or may not be eligable for traffic school, I got popped by the CHP last October up here for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. My wife swears I did. I would have fought it like hell, but I still lived in SoCal at the time and did not want to commute back and forth.

[BRSTQUEST]

You can always tell them they are wastes of public resources and you want to see their records...And if they are a "union" judge they should be able to do 5 cases a minute, 3 if they are a new judge...Maybe yellowboat can tell you what the problem is with EVERY judge...
Or since you did it, you can ask for second offenders traffic school which is 16 hours not 8 like first offenders.....But I bet the first choice is way more productive

[Makinitdrip]

You can always tell them they are wastes of public resources and you want to see their records...And if they are a "union" judge they should be able to do 5 cases a minute, 3 if they are a new judge...Maybe yellowboat can tell you what the problem is with EVERY judge...
Or since you did it, you can ask for second offenders traffic school which is 16 hours not 8 like first offenders.....But I bet the first choice is way more productive
brstquest.. YOU CRACK ME UP. As far as the ticket goes....you are fighting a losing battle. best suggestion is fight it and hope the officer doesnt show. worst case is the judge may lower the fine and give you payments

[acatitude]

2nd best way is to slow down:D

[YeLLowBoaT]

2nd best way is to slow down:D
Some one beat me too it. :)

[shockwaveharry]

Since we may have the attention of our LE buddies, I have a little problem too.
After many, many years without a ticket, I bought this car
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/shockwaveharry/Cars035-1.jpg
and promptly collected two tickets! One was a CHP bike with radar, 68 in a 50, plates not properly displayed and made me roll the windows up so he could add the tint violation in there too. Very polite but no mercy. The other was a CHP cruiser that paced me at a legit 95. I was just as straight up with him as I was with the CHP on the bike and this officer decided to drop my violation to 79 in a 65. very cool. I can do traffic school for one and I can fight the other. the decision is obvious, but I hate to fight the officer who cut me the break, ya know? Any advise would be appreciated.
FYI saw a motor CHP on the 105 pointing a radar gun at traffic, 3 cruisers lined up behind him waiting to make the nab!

[acatitude]

Since we may have the attention of our LE buddies, I have a little problem too.
After many, many years without a ticket, I bought this car
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/shockwaveharry/Cars035-1.jpg
and promptly collected two tickets! One was a CHP bike with radar, 68 in a 50, plates not properly displayed and made me roll the windows up so he could add the tint violation in there too. Very polite but no mercy. The other was a CHP cruiser that paced me at a legit 95. I was just as straight up with him as I was with the CHP on the bike and this officer decided to drop my violation to 79 in a 65. very cool. I can do traffic school for one and I can fight the other. the decision is obvious, but I hate to fight the officer who cut me the break, ya know? Any advise would be appreciated.
FYI saw a motor CHP on the 105 pointing a radar gun at traffic, 3 cruisers lined up behind him waiting to make the nab!
you could always trade it in for a jetta:) :)

[shockwaveharry]

you could always trade it in for a jetta:) :)
Had a Jetta TDI, 90MPH at will and the cops never gave me a second look! The X is driving it now, think I should see if she wants to trade???

[BRSTQUEST]

No jetta.....then you will get cited for beeing a homo!!!!! I hear the vast majority of rear end collisions happen in jettas!!!!

[Kachina26]

Why would you rush? Get there when you get there. What are you, a company man?

[djunkie]

I think your Phucked!!!! Suck it up and pay the penalties.

[Boatcop]

Guilty with an explanation. Bring your boss or dispatcher and have them testify that it was a bonafide emergency and you had to get in quickly to keep the Nation's vital rail lines moving.
Then if he doesn't buy it call him a communist and that he's helping the terrorists win. (j/k) :D

[KreatinKaos]

A few dozen donuts might help some :devil:

[HocusPocus]

you have already admitted your guilty, just suck it up and pay your fines. i could see speeding if it was a life and death kind of emergency, but just to get to work??

[Cas]

or maybe he's a boater and you can make him a deal on a MSD BOX:D :idea:
now that's pretty damned funny! :D

[HM]

When the judge says the speed limit was 65, just cut him off and say "What ever!!!"
and then play this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=526-NSHy7B0

[CBadDad]

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/shockwaveharry/Cars035-1.jpg
If its a factory tint, you should be able to wiggle outta that. Maybe from there, you can prove to the judge the the Chippy was just an a$$hole and you can at least get the fines reduced. Otherwise, if I got a speeding ticket for doing 95, I'd be ROTFLMAO. Shit I got three more gears at 95mph.
Seriously though, in the future I'd suggest you save the accelerator pedal for a track day. I've had my P-car for over two years now and no tickets. I save haulin' ass for the track. They are a blast. Give it a shot. I bet Corvette even does Driver Education and Performance Driving School. You'll love it.

[DaddyMack]

I don't know about Cali... but usually here.. speeding is dropped to a parking ticket as long as the fine is paid.

[Baja Big Dog]

What is all this crap, I must be gettin old, if you think for a minute that the judge will take your story into concideration you are smokin crack, he dont care!. His wages and the wages of the fine people that have jobs in law enforcement are paid by you speeding to get to a point 45 minutes away in 30 minutes.
Suck it up and pay the piper.
OH yea to all of you "you shouldnt have been speeding in the first place" can kiss all of :sqeyes: our asses......there aint one of you guys that drive to the river that do 70MPH on I40, most dont even do 80, and thats towin a boat!!!!

[Propster]

The only time I have ever gotten off on a ticket was to take it to court and supena the officer. If he shows, you pay the fine, if he doesn't you get off.
You could always get an EMT card for next time ;) I know this chick that is an Emergency Medical Technition (EMT). She constantly speeds in her Saab 900 turbo. She gets pulled over all the time and gets off when she shows the officer her EMT card and says she is going to an emergency at the hospital.
Cops and EMT's have a special bond. Most cops take care of their EMT's and would not even take the chance of busting her. Bad karma. What if she is the EMT on duty if he is shot or has a serious injury. Would he prefer to have her say, "that is the nice cop that let me off" or "that's the freaking bastard that gave me a big ticket"!

[Benjhamina]

Here is the best way in CA. Cops don't like going to court so they set it up so that all their tickets can be handled the same day at court so all you have to do is call the court and tell them you can't make it on your original date and have it changed. There is less chance the officer will show up that day and you can get out of them that way. If the cop shows your paying regardless though. If you are worried about the $ you can always beg the judge to reduce the fine also but if you got pulled over doing 95 mph in a Viper I doubt that is going to happen.
Any truth to this Boat Cop?

[ratso]

For all you LE types, I need your best advice, whats the best way to beat a speeding ticket. I got called in emergency a couple of weeks ago, a fellow engineer got sick on the train and needed to be relieved, so I got called on my off day to run down and releive him at Merced, problem was, I was needed in 30 minutes and I was 45 away. So i took off and made a run for it, was clocked at 91 in a 65 on the 99 southbound. Guilty?? Of course. BUT, that said, do I stand a chance with these money hungry take no prisoner type judges?? Oh, and I know youve heard this a gazillion times, but I never speed, and to prove it, my last speeding ticket was so long ago, I can't remember. thanks for the help....:idea:
Oh, and BTW, I may or may not be eligable for traffic school, I got popped by the CHP last October up here for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign. My wife swears I did. I would have fought it like hell, but I still lived in SoCal at the time and did not want to commute back and forth.
So, what you are saying, is you were late anyway...http://***boat.com/ubb/graemlins/idea_2.gif

[Boatcop]

Here is the best way in CA. Cops don't like going to court so they set it up so that all their tickets can be handled the same day at court so all you have to do is call the court and tell them you can't make it on your original date and have it changed. There is less chance the officer will show up that day and you can get out of them that way. If the cop shows your paying regardless though. If you are worried about the $ you can always beg the judge to reduce the fine also but if you got pulled over doing 95 mph in a Viper I doubt that is going to happen.
Any truth to this Boat Cop?
Nope.
A ticket is merely a notice to appear. You can appear at any time on or before the date on the citation and plead Guilty (pay the fine) or Not Guilty. If you plead Guilty, Done Deal. If you plead Not Guilty, a court date will be set and the Officer will be sent a Subpeona to appear.
The way you described it, officers would have to show up at court for every ticket they write, regardless of whether the violater is going to plead guilty or not. Just doesn't happen that way.
The fine is usually no more or no less if you plead Not Guilty and set a court date, and then plead guilty on the court date. It's a crap shoot on whether the officer appears or not. Mostly they do. Sometimes they don't. If they don't, it's dismissed (but MAY be refiled if it's beyond the Officer's control that they missed it, and the charge is serious enough.)
I've had a few Officers miss court dates. But only once. The first time is an ass-chewing. They don't want to find out what happens the second time.

[little rowe boat]

.
Cops and EMT's have a special bond. Most cops take care of their EMT's and would not even take the chance of busting her. Bad karma. What if she is the EMT on duty if he is shot or has a serious injury. Would he prefer to have her say, "that is the nice cop that let me off" or "that's the freaking bastard that gave me a big ticket"!
Not here in Calif. Cops could give a rats ass what you are, unless you are another LEO.

[centerhill condor]

I had prepaid legal for years. they did a good job until I abused their services. Sold the blackbird and don't get those fat triple digit tickets anymore. I never ran but sometimes I wouldn't see the officers lights in time to pull over fast enough.

[shockwaveharry]

It's been my experience (in my youth, that is) that the motor officers live to write tickets and show up in court. With a cop in a cruiser, you have a fair chance that he might not show if you plead not guilty. There in lies my dilema. I'd love to plead in the radar ticket but he'll show for sure. I'd hate to reward the other officer for his understanding by calling him a liar in front of a judge. I guess I'll just pay.

[Partycattin]

brstquest.. YOU CRACK ME UP. As far as the ticket goes....you are fighting a losing battle. best suggestion is fight it and hope the officer doesnt show. worst case is the judge may lower the fine and give you payments
Had a friend that would call the officers station on the day or court and pretend to be an employee of the courthouse. Would tell the station that the person pleaded guilty and that the officer did not need to appear. Then the friend would appear but not officer. Balsy, but worked a couple times for him.

[Wet Dream]

Had a friend that would call the officers station on the day or court and pretend to be an employee of the courthouse. Would tell the station that the person pleaded guilty and that the officer did not need to appear. Then the friend would appear but not officer. Balsy, but worked a couple times for him.
Now thats brilliant!! :D

[boatsnblondes]

I also read somewhere that if you plead guilty, and OVERPAY the fine, the court has to send you a refund. NEVER cash that check. As long as it is outstanding, they can not close out the case, and can not report it to the DMV...any truth to that???
Also, second ofenders school sounds like a plan, if I could talk the judge into it....what are the criteria for that???
The reason I am SO interested in this, is because I have a federal engineers license, and it is linked to my CDL, so I need to stay clean on the rails and on the road as well....thanks for all the tips..well, most of them...

[Mattman]

We get paid 3 hours of overtime to show up in court on traffic violations no matter what. If I'm in Court 3 minutes or 3 hours, we still get paid for the 3 hours. So, please, please, please fight those tickets. What do you think pays for all of my gas in the boat and to and from Havasu?

[squirt'nmyload]

i got a speeding ticket when i was 17, deceided to fight it, and the cop didn't show....charge was dropped.....since then i've had a few traffic tickets and now i just pay them because i am guilty of it...i just can't get myself to go to court and say i wasn't doing something that i know i did.

[totenhosen]

I also read somewhere that if you plead guilty, and OVERPAY the fine, the court has to send you a refund. NEVER cash that check. As long as it is outstanding, they can not close out the case, and can not report it to the DMV...any truth to that???
Purely a myth. Look it up on snopes.com
I now certain judges in Pasadena will not allow you to have the option of traffic school if you decide to fight your ticket. Also Pasadena cops will get chewed out or written up if they do not show up for court dates for tickets they write. Not sure how other agencies operate.

[OCMerrill]

The last time I fought a ticket was years ago. It was back when riding in a truck bed had just become illegal.
We were coming back from Snow Summit. I was driving my friends Toyota 4x4 because we blew a clutch master cylinder. Only I could shift without the clutch (lots of bobtail seat time) so I got the driving chore. I got lit up for peeps riding in the bed and for doing 62 in a 55.
Now the "passengers in an open truck bed" law was a January 1 new deal and this was on the 7th. The CHP said he could not care less if the law was 2 min old. Its not like the DMV sends out mailers on new driving laws as they change, I had no idea about it either. My friends were also cited for being in the bed.
So...to court we go...
Just before the Judge came into the courtroom the bailiff clearly stated...plead guilty and the Judge will try and reduce the fine depending on the offence. Plead innocent and you will pay the full amount if found guilty later on.
My cite was a two point and $435. When the judge asked how I plead and I said guilty and then blurted out the truck bed law was new...yada yada.
I paid the $435 :mad: but...the judge made it a one pointer so I kind of won a little.
Point of the story...plead your case. It’s your only defense. If given the chance to say anything then do tell….