- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee boards
Update: I just read on the Internet you should try to have a meeting with the police officer that ticketed you to see if he will drop it. Has anyone done this? I just called and left a message but I'm pretty nervous!
I've gotten 3 tickets, each time I've used a lawyer. My record is clean as a whistle :0)
I think that is definitely a first step. I am an attorney... I have never dealt with traffic tickets but from the way other cases work I would imagine this is generally worked out because lawyers are BUSY. In order for you to lose your license there has to be a court date and a prosecutor. These people are busy and they don't want to waste their time on some girl who sped in MO when they've got 49 drunks and criminals to deal with before lunch. Usually the lawyer (that you would hire) will just call up the prosecutor and be like: Hey-- she knows she id wrong lets not waste the court's time. She'll plead to a NMV and we can all be done with this today.
i'm sorry to be controversial, but maybe you should accept the points on your license, and when the suspension is over, try not to speed again.
my FI just got out of a speeding ticket, but he didn't use a lawyer. he just went down to the courthouse and said he was going to contest it, they set a court date, he showed up, the cop did not, he didn't have to pay!
I used to work in a traffic court. You set up your court date and meet with the police officer before court starts. I've only had one ticket in my life (it was with the court I worked at, ironically) and I met with the police officer beforehand. He had my information and knew that I never had tickets/points, my license was clean, etc. He reduced running a red light to a seatbelt ticket and I paid $200 or somesuch thing. My friends did similar things with like tickets.
In your case though, I would probably try to get a lawyer. They are not going to reduce your ticket so easily if you already have 8 points on your license. In fact, even with a lawyer, they might not do it. If you bring a lawyer, he/she and you talk to the police officer before court and then the lawyer might possibly talk to the judge.
How severe was the speeding ticket? Like XXmph in a XXmph zone? This could have bearing on the chance of it getting lowered as well.
And agree with OttawaBride, if your police officer does not show up, they USUALLY drop the ticket. But I wouldn't rely on it because it happens less often than you think.
I don't know about your state, but in CO, you can just go to the court and plead 'guilty' to a lower charge with a lower point value. Instead of having a multiple point violation for speeding, I had a one point violation for an unsafe vehicle. It probably won't help your insurance rates though because they usually know that the plead downs happen.
Yes, an attorney would be very helpful if you can afford one. It's not rocket science so you certainly don't need to hire a top-notch expensive attorney. They should be able to negotiate a deal for you depending on your circumstances. At the very least, show up to fight it yourself.
I got an attorney after a speeding ticket, he set up the court date, and I just showed up. When I got there, he came over and introduced himself to me (it was the first time we met) and told me what to do (say present when my name was called), and then sit and wait. Well, my cop didn't show up, so I got to go home. The only cost was the cost of the attorney. But, attorneys will probably start to send you letters telling you they can contest your ticket. Or at least that's how I hired mine.
When I got a ticket, my BF's dad told me that the police chief told him to tell me to get in contact with the commonwealth's attorney, to see if I could get it settled beforehand.
Not only was the secretary a ..., the CA never called me back.
An officer didn't show up for one person's ticket, and they just told him to hold on while they found out where the officer was. :/
I thought about it, especially since he wrote down the wrong location of where he pulled me over. But I got the ticket about 4 hours from where I live and it seemed like a bigger hassle than it was worth, especially when I found out it wouldn't do anything to my insurance. Good luck!
Soon2bMrsMcC: You are not being controversial, I think I shouldn't speed, either! But honestly, it was the last day of the month and there were TONS of cops out trying to meet their quotas - it was ridiculously obvious. I got caught going 45 in a 30 that most people go at least 45 if not 50 on. Not an excuse, I know, but please don't get the wrong idea that I am this dangerous driver. My other 8 points on my license are from a rear-ender accident in which the person ahead of me was at fault, but with rear-enders, the person behind is always at fault, and another speeding ticket in which I would have been able to take driving school and get off my record if I was a MO resident.
That's for all the advice, everyone. I think I will get a lawyer. This morning, I called the cop that pulled me over and left a message asking to discuss my ticket in hopes he'd dismiss it, but I am starting talking with him could be a mistake if my case goes to court. Thoughts?
@Danielle: Your case is going to go to court either way unless you just plead guilty, pay the fines and take the points. If you want the ticket lowered, then you'll have to plead not guilty and go to court. I think it's okay that you called the officer. Just don't ask for deposition unless your lawyer requires one. Cops HATE writing them and you'll start off on the wrong foot.
I am hoping the 30 was not a school zone because in that case you would be in trouble. 45 in a 30 is sort of major, but maybe they could even lower the speed a bit for less points if you can't reduce it to a non-moving violation. Or they may even be able to lower it to another lower-point moving violation.
Good luck.
You must log in to post.
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| ellisrobertson | 24 |
| fishbone | 21 |
| MsPanda | 14 |
| ladyartichoke | 14 |
| aduarte3201 | 14 |
| mypinkshoes | 12 |
| pengoala | 11 |
 sylvia.riggle |
11 |
| Brielle | 10 |
| likelimeade | 10 |
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| mandypop | 2 |
| MissAsB | 1 |
| claireos | 1 |
| thursdayschild | 1 |
| likelimeade | 1 |
| Andr0meda | 1 |
| juliejaye | 1 |
| foreignbride | 1 |
| RayKay | 1 |
| Handful | 1 |
I got a speeding ticket yesterday. Yeah, awesome. Because of an accident I got in about a year ago, I already have 8 points on my license. This ticket will make it 12 and I will most likely get my license suspended for up to a year. Not only that, but my car insurance will skyrocket.
I want to take defensive driving school but because I have a TN driver's license and the ticket was in MO, I can't. I spent hours yesterday calling both states to see how I could work it out, and the bottom line is this - the only way I won't get the points on my TN license is if MO dismisses the case, but in MO when you take driving school, it still goes on your record - so it wouldn't do anything as far as the points.
So now I have to figure out what to do. Someone at work told me that a lawyer can easily reduce a speeding ticket to a non-moving violation, but I feel like - I was clearly speeding, how are they going to do that? He assured me that it is done all the time. I don't like sounding like I'm taking the easy way out or trying to get out of the consequences of my actions, but I have to explore all my options.
So anyone been in this situation before or know anything about this?