Last night coming home from New Jersey on the Verrezano bridge I was about to go through a toll plaza when a cop pulled me over.He said I was going 80 mph in a 50 zone. This was completely false as I was going 55 and I had my mother, my grandmother, and my sister in the car. It was not humanly possible for me to approach the toll plaza doing 80 and expect to go through safely. The cop pulled me over 20 feet before the toll plaza. What is the best way to contest this ticket?
123942
For future reference, you need to find out how the officer knew how fast you were going.  If he got you on radar, ask to see the radar.  \nRemember that you have a right to face your accuser so that radar gun is your accuser, if it has been cleared then there is no evidence that you were truly going that fast.\n\nThis time I would go to court.  it might be nice to have some witmesses there, but you need to realize that most family member would lie to help out their son or grandson.\nBut there is a chance that the officer won't show up and in that case you again have a right to face your accuser, so most times the fine is droped or waived.  \n\nI would suggest dressing up for court, respect the Judge, he is the one who will deceide not the officer if the ticket will stand.\n\nGood luck
450786
My father was a cop and he told me some simple ways to avoid getting a ticket.  Here they are and I will keep it simple so everyone can do it:\n\n1)  Pull way over so the poor guy doesn't feel like he is going to get run over by being on the edge of traffic.\n\n2)  Be polite, you are not being singled out.  If you weren't doing anything wrong, you wouldn't of been pulled over.  Don't sass the cop.  Treat him with respect and use rank and name or call him Officer or Trooper.\n\n3)  Don't deny you were doing something wrong.  See #2.  If you deny you were doing something wrong it is akin to calling him a liar\n\n4)  Have your drivers license, insurance information, and registration ready when you are approached.  \n\n5)  Keep your hands in full view of the officer\n\n6)  At night turn on your inside cab light so he doesn't feel a threat of possible attack.\n\n7)  Keep him talking as long as you can while not abusing him or denying you are wrong.\n\n8)  Use your manners!  Show respect and dignity for law enforcement.  Remember it is their turf and you are on it, the officer has the power and you need gentle application of it.\n\n9)  Smile\n\n10)  Thank him for letting you off!
366762
You have to call or go to the court house within the city limits the ticket was issued. Tell them it is nine years old. They will have to some research but they will find it, and you can then get the ticket paid for and taken care of. I have done this before it is a pain in the ***
554729
It depends on your state, city and the judge. If you are trying to beat the ticket (assuming you are sure you were not speeding).., you're only hope is a slim one. Ask if the Radar Gun had been calibrated that day. \n\nSome judges may feel generous and ask the policeman to verify that the radar gun had been calibrated before use.\n\nFIRST OFF..., when you get pulled over watch the attitude and be cordial / nice. You ask the officer first thing, "Can I help you Officer"?  People are idiots when they start off harassing a cop. Cops are human. Be nice, generally speaking, they will be nice.  If I pick a verbal fight with you, you'll get an attitude - so you darn well better check the attitude because cops are no different than you and I in the mood department.\n\nIf the policeman says you were speeding - don't get worked up into a lather. Simply state something to the effect of.., "Officer, I am not calling you a liar, but I honestly do not think I was going that fast".\n\nYou work the conversation from there - BUT - keep your cool if he is adamant and not even going to let you off with a warning. Now days if you tick a policeman off by being rude - you can get hit with other citations - and they may even look your car over for lights being out, improper exhaust system, poor tire tread.., etc.\n\nThe most important advice I can give is just be "nice". Even if that fails - thank the Officer when you get the ticket or even if he lets you off the hook.\n\nPlease note that being nice does not guarantee he will skip giving you a ticket when he knows in his own mind you were speeding. But it certainly gives you that potential - because face it.., cops have a thankless Job. Not many appreciate what they put up with. Put yourself in the cop's shoes and imagine you putting up with thankless idiots who get ticked off because you are doing your job. Wouldnt you feel better if someone talked to you like you were human?\n\nLast word - its not always words that can irk a cop. I could say "Yes sir and no sir and thank you" all day long, but if I am giving him devil eyes all the while - silence can indeed speak louder than words. Actions - have to represent the words.
541881
I completely agree.. and have wondered that myself.. I had a bad year last year with getting speeding tickets.. I went from having a perfect driving record to getting 3 speeding tickets.. two for going  under 10 mph over the speed limit.. one was for 6 mph over and one was for 8 mph and one I wasn't even speeding and claimed I was going 15 over the speed limit.. I took that one to court and of course lost, because traffic court apparently is a joke.. anyways.. so I see all these cops speeding down the road, I now go the speed limit or under.. no more 5 over and they cruise past me.. I think they actually get aggravated that I'm going the speed limit when they are behind me.. alot of the cops I see speeding are ones that live in a different county (my county), then where they work, so you know they aren't on a call, they are just going to work.. what really upset me one day was this motorcycle cop was speeding past everyone, passing people left and right, it looked like he was in an emergency situation, only further down the road for him to pull off on the side of the interstate and whip out a radar gun.. I was so aggravated I wrote the city police dept and of course got the run around.. about police officers being responsible for their own speed.. blah blah... so yeah I don't think it's fair.. I think they need to obey the laws just like everyone else.
274837
I believe the process may be different from state to state. For example, if somebody driving a car with tags from Alberta (Canada) and gets pulled over and is cited by the Florida Highway Patrol for speeding, it's less than likely that the issue will be pursued after the court summons is sent from Florida to Alberta, which is quite a distance, around 3,500 miles. Conversely, if somebody from Montreal is pulled over from the New York Highway Patrol on I-87 (which is only about an hour's drive away), I've read somewhere that certain border states have treaties with border provinces to pursue the offender. \n\nPersonally, I had such an experience, and here's how it went down:\n\nI was living in a Southern state (say, maybe immediately north of South Carolina) and was driving to Montreal, Quebec, to visit some friends. Despite my radar detector use, a Pennsylvania State trooper, using instant-on radar (which pretty much renders your radar detector useless), nabbed me at 87 MPH in a 65 MPH zone. At the time, I had just obtained my driver's license from the afore-mentioned southern state, but I still also had my driver's licence from Quebec as it hadn't expired yet. On a whim, I gave the trooper my Canadian driver's licence, and he used that info to ticket me for $230. The trooper was actually pretty cool about it by telling me that "...if I didn't pay, they weren't gonna come chasing me all the way up there." Well, having little money (and no scrupules), I didn't pay the ticket, which was sent to my Dad's address in Canada. Six months later, an arrest warrant in my name was sent to my Dad's place, which was in effect for 24 months. For obvious reasons, I stayed the hell away from PA during that time, the arrest warrant expired, and my speeding ticket erased from the records of the PA State Police. Actually, I still kinda tighten up my PC muscles as I travel through PA to this day. Please don't tell on me! :)
88965
Just a note on your ticket. The speed gun they use does a print out. Request a viewing of it before you go to court on the ticket. I take it you are not going to just up and pay so be prepared by reading the fine print.\n\nI trust the police to a point. I used to have a pool hall and some cops liked the fact that the kids were all in one place and some didn't. Bottom line, they ended up costing me about 45G when they dug out a 111 year old city ordinance that said I had to close between 1 and 4 in the morning. I sold my share of the pool hall to my partner because after they did that, I couldn't make a living at it.\n\nI did have some trusted police though. It is important to know a few officers that can help you in times of trouble so get to know your city and county police on a social basis. \n\nOfficers are like every other human, they have the faults and frailties as well as boons and bounties (no pun intended LOL)\n\nI hope you get what you need to beat this ticket.\n\nGood Luck
543094
Can't speak for Ohio, but in Michigan going 26 miles an hour over the speed limit is either careless driving or reckless driving.  They both carry heavy fines and a lot of points on your license.  It's VERY rare in Michigan that someone goes to jail for careless or reckless driving unless there was an accident involved and someone got hurt.  \n\nWARNING:  I promise you that you WILL go to jail if you miss your court date, so don't miss it.  Your best bet is to show up for court, admit responsibility, and explain why you were going so fast.  If you didn't have good reason for speeding, be sure to tell the judge that you realize you shouldn't have been going that fast.  People who own up to their mistakes and take responsibility for them are more likely to get leniency from a judge.  It's the people who show no remorse or go in with an attitude that always end up getting punished to the fullest extent of the law.
584701
Perhaps someone can tell you for sure, but this is bound to be mere rumor and wishful thinking. I think you run the risk of writing a check for too much and having the city send the entire check back to you because it was inaccurate -- then you're in trouble because your payment is late. Once your payment is made -- even though you paid too much -- it's probably a done deal in the record books.\n\nJust pay the ticket, wait out the time that it's on your record, and drive safer in the future. Also, keep in mind that most people do get tickets at some point in their lives. It's not the end of the world.\n\nOne way to avoid points, in some circumstances, is to agree to take a course in safe driving through the state. Perhaps you can work that out, even though the ticket was in another state.
539663
By law it is illegal to go any faster then the posted speed limit.  Even if by 1 MPH.  Cops would be over burdened if they enforced this.  Most cops will let you go over the speed limit by a certain amount depending on how fast the speed limit is.  In a 65, you can go 75 with almost never getting pulled over. in a 55, 65.  But under 45 they somtimes pull you over for just 5-10 over.  In a 25, they dont like seeing you go faster then 4-5.\n\nIn short, the higher the posted speed limit, the more you can get away with speeding.\n\nHeres a little secret.  If you traveling on the interstate and a cop passes you at 65 or more and doesnt have his blues on he is breaking the law.  You can actually follow him at whatever speed he is going and he wont pull you over.
426422
$130 \n\nThe rule in Ohio is $110 for up to 10 MPH over, and $20 additional for every additional 1-10 mph.\n\nI wasn't able to phrase that too well. Here's a chart. Assuming you're in a 65 mph zone:\nSpeed  (MPH)                   Ticket cost ($)\n66-75                                 110\n76-85                                 130\n86-95                                 150
411107
If you have never been ticketed before, you could very possibly get away with attending a defensive driving school and not pay the fine. DONT count on this, this is the best possible senario. \n\nMake sure you go to court on your date, and plead guilty and the judge will probably ask you if you can pay it that day. Tell him that you can pay some of it, but not all of it and he will probably give you a date to have it paid in full. \n\nAnother option would to be to call the county clerk's office (the number is on the back of the ticket) and ask their advice before your court date. They could have another option for you. \n\nI have personal experience because I have received a couple of tickets myself. I think the most it will cost you is $150 but I am guessing on the high end. The most I have paid for one was $125 and that was to keep it off my record so it was more expensive than usual. \n\nYou won't go to jail over a speeding ticket as long as you show up for court and you finish paying your fine as it is arranged. \n\nGood luck. The judge will probably go easy on you if this is your first. Just get it taken care of!
414358
Do the parking laws in your area exclude holidays from "rush hour"?\n\nIf they do, you can get the ticket dismissed.  \n\nWhere I live, the signs specify "excluding weekends and holidays"\n\nGo to where you were parked, and take photos to prove there are no signs, and bring it with you to court.\n\nFYI, if you don't pay ticket in Chicago in the time allotted, the fine doubles the amount of the ticket.  You had better find a way to make sure you have $50 just in case you lose, because if you can't afford $50, you sure can't afford $100.
412787
I've tried answering this question on many,very many occassions. Dont know if theres a good answer much less a "right" or "wrong" one.  But the percentage of traffic cases won against an officer are near NONE. \n\nThe only chance is to be able to succesfully challenge the defice that was used to clock your brothers speed. There are faults in these devices, but the best challenge is the recent callibration or lack of. \n\nOn the other hand let me add, the number one reason people dont fight speeding tickets is that it is MUCH more expensive to fight than to pay. The average ticket is much less than the average attorney and I might add "Average" wont cut it in this case. \n\nThe number TWO reason people dont fight traffic tickets, well, because they are guilty of the charge and their time is more valuable than the cost of the fine. \n\nWishing your brother "Good LUck" \n\nPeace Out
488820
Look speeding in a school zone is really bad. I do not have any idea of your driving history. But if this is the first offense you have, here is what I would recommend. Go and get yourself a good traffic lawyer.  You can tell him all the details.  Hopefully he can negoitate the speeding to a violation less than 10 miles an hour and you pay the full fine. Lots of times this is what happens, if you do not do this you are looking at a four point violation, and very high insurance for at least three years.  There is no way to get this thrown out totally.  It just doesn't work like that. Normally your attorney will negotiate to have it reduced and you pay the full fine.
672096
Contact the folks at city hall.  They can either tell you if you do have an outstanding ticket or give you a good contact at the responsible agency.  Hope it helps.
373719
Depends on how much the ticket is.  Seems like you have a good case, weather or not you can tell your side to the judge. Sometimes, you talk to a person before the court and they make recommendations.  If you want to fight, write your facts down before hand and go for it. Otherwise, if it's not too much $$, write it and the experience off. Sorry, to hear your situation, doesn't sound fair from your side.  Best of luck