Well, they got me.

[blitzcraig]

47 in a 30, 2 points, $90 . Coming down a steep hill and then over a bridge with no cars/people in sight. I'm a very cautious rider, I don't know how this happened. Guess I just wasn't paying attention and I'm guilty as charged. Two Harley cops were sitting in the shadows with those speed detecting binocular things. He didn't say much, and neither did I. I was hoping they would see/ask that I had never gotten a ticket before and cut me some slack. But nope. I guess I am thankful it wasn't a few mph more because I think if you are 20 mph over in Maryland you get reckless driving too and then you are really in some hot water. The main thing I am worried about are the points. I have two options: go to court and take the gamble the judge will go easy on me because it's my first offense and also perhaps the cop won't show up. Or I can plead guilty with an explanation. I don't know how that really works though. I'll pay the fine, but please no points! Ugh. Just had to rant (at myself). :spank:

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Welcome to the club!

 

[Mancolt]

Fight it!

I've had several tickets, some I've fought, and some I've plead guilty to. There is no reason to plead guilty. It doesn't seem to help your cause at all. Worst case scenario if you fight it is you get the same fine/points you would if you plead guilty. But there's always a chance they'll knock it down some or throw it out. Always fight a ticket...some of my friends that are cops told me this.

[rant]
I tried to bite my tongue, but this stuff just pisses me off. I have ZERO respect for cops that only do traffic/highway duty and ticket motorists. It's just another tax, and they're just another IRS agent. IMO, it does nothing to make the roads safer, but it does raise revenue for whatever city or county they work for. If the situation was exactly as you describe it, who exactly were they protecting by ticketing you? The other drivers (that weren't around)? I'd be willing to bet those cops have gone way more than 17 above the speed limit without their lights/sirens on. [/rant]

 

[abacall]

Definitely fight it. Wit ha clean record they will at least bring it down some. Last time I fought a ticket it was knocked down to a seat belt violation. Pay the $$, but no points.

 

[REO Scorpio]

Fight it!

I've had several tickets, some I've fought, and some I've plead guilty to. There is no reason to plead guilty. It doesn't seem to help your cause at all. Worst case scenario if you fight it is you get the same fine/points you would if you plead guilty. But there's always a chance they'll knock it down some or throw it out. Always fight a ticket...some of my friends that are cops told me this.

[rant]
I tried to bite my tongue, but this stuff just pisses me off. I have ZERO respect for cops that only do traffic/highway duty and ticket motorists. It's just another tax, and they're just another IRS agent. IMO, it does nothing to make the roads safer, but it does raise revenue for whatever city or county they work for. If the situation was exactly as you describe it, who exactly were they protecting by ticketing you? The other drivers (that weren't around)? I'd be willing to bet those cops have gone way more than 17 above the speed limit without their lights/sirens on. [/rant]

I agree with your perception of traffic tickets and their purpose. Many times they have no impact on safety. They tried to put up a few video cameras at lights in my area, some were removed after it was proven they actually increased accidents because people were slamming on their brakes when they saw it.

However, at least in Illinois, if you go to court for a violation and are still found guilty, you are then obligated to pay additional court fees. For example, the $95 ticket I recieved on Sunday will be $285 if I go to court, fight it, and lose.

Scorpio

 

[blitzcraig]

Thanks guys, I'll definitely fight it. I really don't think I was going that fast and yes I do have a squeaky clean record. And I mean come on, set up a speed trap at the bottom of a freaking hill leading into a wide open straightaway?? That's cold, man. Ice cold.

 

[Mancolt]

However, at least in Illinois, if you go to court for a violation and are still found guilty, you are then obligated to pay additional court fees. For example, the $95 ticket I recieved on Sunday will be $285 if I go to court, fight it, and lose.

Scorpio

It's been awhile (fortunately and knock on wood) since my last ticket. I'm not sure if it's the case in PA too that you have to pay court fees of that amount. Glad you brought that up though, because that is a significant difference in cost.

The 1 ticket I vividly remember fighting...I was sitting in the courtroom for 2 hours waiting, my case got called, the prosecutor came over and said we'll drop it down from a 29mph over (I was 16 at the time no less) to 10mph over with no points. He said, "Is that okay with you?" I was so excited I probably screamed. Anyways, it took all of 2 minutes after I was finally called up. $190 court costs for that is absurd. Oh, and I didn't have a lawyer with me. Just my mom and me.

 

[brufz6]

This is my advice to you. Plead not guilty and take a hearing. Once you arrive before the hearing seek out the officer. Tell him you were definately speeding and request if he could change the vehicle code section he cited you with a section where the fine is the same but no points are issued. That is your BEST chance. I am a police officer and if I issued anyone a ticket and as long as they did not give me a hard time, I had no problem changing the section so no points were issued.

 

[deeptekkie]

47 in a 30, 2 points, $90 . Coming down a steep hill and then over a bridge with no cars/people in sight. I'm a very cautious rider, I don't know how this happened. Guess I just wasn't paying attention and I'm guilty as charged. Two Harley cops were sitting in the shadows with those speed detecting binocular things. He didn't say much, and neither did I. I was hoping they would see/ask that I had never gotten a ticket before and cut me some slack. But nope. I guess I am thankful it wasn't a few mph more because I think if you are 20 mph over in Maryland you get reckless driving too and then you are really in some hot water. The main thing I am worried about are the points. I have two options: go to court and take the gamble the judge will go easy on me because it's my first offense and also perhaps the cop won't show up. Or I can plead guilty with an explanation. I don't know how that really works though. I'll pay the fine, but please no points! Ugh. Just had to rant (at myself). :spank:

The comfort is: As long as your insurance company doesn't jump on it and raise your rates, the points go away after a while. My worst two speeding tickets were 110 in a 55 and 115 mph in a 55. I would question your's though, (especially from fellow bikers and the fact that you didn't think you were going that fast! Often the last calibration date of the unit comes into play). Good luck!

 

[blitzcraig]

Thanks, I will check that out. My next door neighbor is a county cop and I'll see what he says too (these were county cops also). I wish I had said more to him like 'this is the first time I've been pulled over' or something to that effect, but he didn't even really give me the chance. Just told me I was going 17 over, walked across the street where his bike was and wrote up the ticket, then just came back over and gave it to me and that was that. I do see on the ticket that he wrote down my license info as having class C, but no class M also (which I do have and it's on my license). Wonder if that's any kind of technicality.

 

[blitzcraig]

The comfort is: As long as your insurance company doesn't jump on it and raise your rates, the points go away after a while. My worst two speeding tickets were 110 in a 55 and 115 mph in a 55. I would question your's though, (especially from fellow bikers and the fact that you didn't think you were going that fast! Often the last calibration date of the unit comes into play). Good luck!

Well I just paid the whole year (because Progressive has a pay-in-full discount) through April 2011. So I'm hoping worst case scenario, if they make the points stand, I wont have to deal with it for almost a year. Sigh (again).

 

[Tailgate]

Just blow the whole thing off. It will go away. Better yet, rip up the ticket into tiny, little pieces of confetti and just throw it all up in the air. You'll feel better about the whole business. Afterwards, when you regain your senses, it will be too late and you'll really be in trouble. (btw, doesn't your state offer traffic school if you're convicted with points?)

 

[blitzcraig]

(btw, doesn't your state offer traffic school if you're convicted with points?)

Not that I know of. But if they do I'd be all over it if it avoids $/points. I may also bring up the fact that I took the MSF course.

 

[REO Scorpio]

I'm glad I live in Illinois. We really don't have a true "points" system. They really only come in to play if you get three citations in a year. Then points are used by the Secretary of State to determine how long your DL will be suspended for. Besides that, they are never used.

Do you guys also have supervision? https://www.dupagecase.com/Clerk/images/plea_and_supervision.pdf

So, my ticket was the $95 mark ( 2nd page) but if I don't get another in 90 days it goes away (not totally, as the record still exists with the county clerk). See also the increase to $285.

This is about the only thing Illinois' government does "right" as approximately 50% of our governors go to prison. :spank:

Scorpio

 

[Norbert]

Go to the MVA and get your clean driving record.
Use that in court. Present it to the judge.

I wish there was a way to "pre-pay" for speeding tickets.

Good luck!

 

[Norbert]

Not that I know of. But if they do I'd be all over it if it avoids $/points. I may also bring up the fact that I took the MSF course.

Maryland does not let you to go to a defensive driving school and have points taken off your license.
Many states do.
Maryland doesn't.
We suck over here.

 

[blitzcraig]

Go to the MVA and get your clean driving record.
Use that in court. Present it to the judge.

I wish there was a way to "pre-pay" for speeding tickets.

Good luck!

Dude that's a great idea, thanks! I was wondering how the judge would know for certain my record was clean like I will say it is. Maybe they have papers or something but this sounds like a good idea... I guess it's good to show you are putting as much effort into it as possible. Of course now I am going to get all these letters in the mail from ****ing lawyers telling me how a speeding ticket will make me burn in hell for eternity unless I hire them and pay them $1,000 to get out of a few hundred dollars worth of penalties.

 

[Norbert]

Dude that's a great idea, thanks! I was wondering how the judge would know for certain my record was clean like I will say it is. Maybe they have papers or something but this sounds like a good idea... I guess it's good to show you are putting as much effort into it as possible. Of course now I am going to get all these letters in the mail from ****ing lawyers telling me how a speeding ticket will make me burn in hell for eternity unless I hire them and pay them $1,000 to get out of a few hundred dollars worth of penalties.

Well if the points stick, you'll be paying higher insurance over the next 3 years.

Your points stay for 3 years, starting from your last infraction (meaning if you get another point right before they all are about to expire, you'll have to wait another 3 years of clean driving.)

Mine went up significantly. And it's still going up! WTF?

 

[RJ2112]

Thanks, I will check that out. My next door neighbor is a county cop and I'll see what he says too (these were county cops also). I wish I had said more to him like 'this is the first time I've been pulled over' or something to that effect, but he didn't even really give me the chance. Just told me I was going 17 over, walked across the street where his bike was and wrote up the ticket, then just came back over and gave it to me and that was that. I do see on the ticket that he wrote down my license info as having class C, but no class M also (which I do have and it's on my license). Wonder if that's any kind of technicality.

2 things to remember..... 1) you were speeding. 2) you were caught speeding.

If this is the only ticket you've had, I wouldn't get too wadded up over it. Showing up in court will often reduce the fine by some amount.... most states have traffic school, so you can remove that first offense and keep it off your record if you keep your nose clean for a year. If MD doesn't have such a program, I'd probably appear, to try and reduce the points/fine as much as possible.

People can forget, once in a while..... it's when the judge sees you 2, 3, 4 times that they get annoyed.

 

[Kazza]

You did the crime, you pay the fine!......


Sorry, my attempt at humour

17 miles over the limit is significant. If it was 6kms, fight it, but 17? You don't have a chance, IMO