Just pay the $25 and be done with it. It's hardly worth your time to contest it...

 

 

This is exactly what i did ask here (in Spain) when i got a bad speed ticket...only, they found the record and they double the fine and took my driving licence for a month...

Anyway, this speed trap iussue, if taken to high court, is, on my opinion, an easy morning breakfast to digest...the matter is: who does tell me that a speed trap keeps 'calibrated' beetwin two years calibrations? who can guarantee that a machine exposed to heat/cold/salt/wet (and vandals) can keep its accuracy for even more then a day after the techinical service?

NOBODY!

Thus, nobody can be 100% sure what the speed trap registrates when you pass is reliable and enough to prove your offence.

But of course you need time to start a battle like this and by the time you'd start it i had my driving licence back and the only thing i cared of was start driving again

 

didnt VA just jack all the fines through the roof?

 

I read a lot of peoples responses and I think most of you are throwing stones in your glass house....thanks. With Corvette friends like this I don't need any enemies. I was just looking for some shoulders to cry on. Some posts act as if this is my first ticket ever. It's not. I know how to act to officers. I realize that they are just doing their job. I also was not late for anything and still made it to work on time despite being pulled over. Get off your high horses people.


One thing I didn't mention that there were three or four cars around me that were doing the same speed I was. The only reason he came after me is that I was the only car that turned right at the next road and the others went straight. It took him over two miles to catch up with me and that is after I turned and was doing 50 in a 45 zone. He must have been one shy of his quota and had an extra day to get it. I am going to get a lawyer and fight this one.

 

Don't pay them a damn dime if you can get out of it. I see the rich get out of more BS so whats good for the goose.....
Maybe G.W. Bush can pardon someone thats not one of his cronnies for a change
In N.Y. after the hefty fine, insurance hike, the state sends a bill for an additional $300. just for getting a ticket, it is anymore like a Peoples Republic and its the poor and middle class getting shafted!

 

Anyone who would suggest paying a lawyer to get out of the ticket doesn't have their thinking cap on. My wife's sister was in an accident once where the other person fled the scene, so SHE got the ticket. She and her husband challenged the ticket, hired a lawyer, former police officer and accident re-creation specialist, all to go into the court room and explain how she couldn't have been at fault.

The ticket was $80, and IF the insurance company happened to do a vehicle lookup (which they would only do if she was late paying the bill), her insurance MIGHT have gone up $50 a year for the next 3 years. The total amount of money this ticket would have cost her in the worst case scenario was $280 over 3 years, and was most likely would only have been the $80 for the ticket.

The cost of the lawyer and parade of experts was more than $3,000.

Not too bright.

 

My god give the guy a break!!! He's asking for legal advice and you guys are giving him a hard time!!! But last month same thing happened out in Tenn. (speeding and reckless driving) but no ticket and over $20,000 damage to two cars!!! Nobody gave him a hard time, Whats up???

 

I don't know US laws but here in canada you could void a fine just having a typo in your name,Time and place.

Sometime if your lisence is not in danger,sometime is better to pay because the officer who arrested you will have to go to court and it's like loosing the face in front of other and i bet, if he have the chance to get you he will.

 

Virginia fines are very steep - that ticket will cost at least $1050 the
1st year and perhaps more in subsequent years. That new law, though, is weak and likely those "abusive driving fees" will be overturned by the Virginia court. Warning to all: Virginia does not mess around - get convicted for DUI and it could be a week in jail.

I agree with trying to go to driving school , pay the fine, don't get another ticket for a year, and maybe they will wipe it away. Good luck.

 

Sorry Den !
Typo error won't work in your favor !
You want to try it ?
I'll be waiting for ya ! Hehehehehe !

There are few critical things on a ticket that will "QUASH" it if the judge sees the mistake... Name time and place won't do it !
The judge will confirm with the officer and the violator during the court session...

Salute
Phil

 

[/QUOTE]One thing I didn't mention that there were three or four cars around me that were doing the same speed I was. The only reason he came after me is that I was the only car that turned right at the next road and the others went straight. It took him over two miles to catch up with me and that is after I turned and was doing 50 in a 45 zone. He must have been one shy of his quota and had an extra day to get it. I am going to get a lawyer and fight this one.[/QUOTE]

Unfortunately you were the one vehicle the officer decided to go after.
Being an officer for 18yrs, I will admit that when one vehicle turns away, I become suspicious because often we police officers will think that there's something to hide.... A curious officer is a good officer.

The fact that there was some vehicles around you at the time of the clock, if you decide to challenge the ticket, have the officer confirm to the court that he's sure that the radar reading he obtained was in fact your vehicle. If the officer is "sloppy" with his notes taken at the time and doesn't express himself properly when giving evidence, the judge will give you the benefit of the doubt....

Radar equipment IS very accurate. Units have to be tested before and after the incident to confirm that the equipment is working properly.

ALSO, police officers like in any other proffessions do make mistake !

Your call and best of luck.

Phil

 

Now thats a "PROFESSIONAL" reply...........

 

Just because you turned onto a different road and crossed a county line means nothing. You could have a chance if the officer misses court, but more often than not they make the court dates. I know VA is like $1000-$1500 for a speeding ticket, but you need to decide if the time spent away from work is worth all the hassle. I think I would try going to court, but I would need more info on Va laws before deciding.

 

One thing I didn't mention that there were three or four cars around me that were doing the same speed I was. The only reason he came after me is that I was the only car that turned right at the next road and the others went straight. It took him over two miles to catch up with me and that is after I turned and was doing 50 in a 45 zone. He must have been one shy of his quota and had an extra day to get it. I am going to get a lawyer and fight this one.[/QUOTE]

Unfortunately you were the one vehicle the officer decided to go after.
Being an officer for 18yrs, I will admit that when one vehicle turns away, I become suspicious because often we police officers will think that there's something to hide.... A curious officer is a good officer.

The fact that there was some vehicles around you at the time of the clock, if you decide to challenge the ticket, have the officer confirm to the court that he's sure that the radar reading he obtained was in fact your vehicle. If the officer is "sloppy" with his notes taken at the time and doesn't express himself properly when giving evidence, the judge will give you the benefit of the doubt....

Radar equipment IS very accurate. Units have to be tested before and after the incident to confirm that the equipment is working properly.

ALSO, police officers like in any other proffessions do make mistake !

Your call and best of luck.

Phil[/QUOTE]

I thought this was an exceptionally lucid, honest and forthright answer coming from this gentleman, who chose to broach the subject squarely as an officer and a forum member just like any other. Sounds like good advice.

 

I just said what i've been told. I only had one speeding ticket in 25 years of driving.

 

if its like in NC you should start getting little postcards and letters from different lawyers in the mail. best thing to do is ask around the county courthouse, look in the "yellow pages" and call a couple lawyers that handle that sorta offense. they'll get you off and it won't cost you an "arm and leg". i've kept up with some of your laws there in Va and i know your Governor is going to rescind some of them, especially your DUI laws. not sure about your traffic laws tho. go search out a lawyer and don't feel bad, we've all had tickets.

 

Hey Den !

Not offended at all by your reply.
Didn't mean to be talking "smack" either !

I've been challenged many times in the courthouse by violators who thought they would initimidate me by showing me the "TYPO" error.
I tried warning them to think of a better deffence before OUR case came up....
Guess what !
The judge asked me If I recognized the driver that was sitting behind the wheel at the time of the offence. I showed the court that he was now sitting in front of me.
Then I explained to the court that the driver's licence he showed me that day was in fact valid and it belonged to the same party(defendant) sitting in front of me....
It went downhill from there....

GENTS !
Before being a police officer, I was a driver that owned an SS Chevelle.
I was suspended because of loosing tooo many demerit points !
I know what it feels like and DAMN its frustrating.
With time, I learned.

When a violator tells me that I should of stopped the other ones...
I simply reply: "I can only deal with one at a time....."

We all have rights and you can exercise them. If you wish to contest, by all means go for it !
The officer will be well prepared and SO MUST YOU !
BUT THEN AGAIN, WE OFFICERS DO MAKE MISTAKES !

Here in Canada, Ottawa Ontario, prior to the court. Violators can approach the officer(if they wish) and discuss further. The discussion is CALMED down and the officer can agree to a certain deal

Any officers not showing up for court are dealt with the internal discipline. And this is costly ! Officers loose accumulated hours !

Again, didn't want to sound like challenging you. But if ya wanted to test the "rhumors", I could of made arrangements for us both to see what happens Believe me sir, you would of been on tin ice !

SALUTE SIR

To all of you, drive smart and speed when OFF public roads...

Phil

 

While I don't know VA laws, as a general rule,

1. He doesn't have to pull you over within any certain distance. He could follow you 10 miles and pull you over

2. An error on the ticket will not get it thrown out in court. Atleast not if it was made in "good faith" by the officer.

IF you were to fight it, maybe if RT 609 has a different speed limit and he didn't remember that you were actually on a different road.


Your best bet is to contact the court and see what different options the state offers. usually, first time offenders can pay a fee (fine) and not get any more tickets in a certain time frame and it will never go on your record. Depends on VA laws but I think they got pretty strict on traffic and the fines to pay for road work recently so you may be out of luck.

 

I think radar detectors are illegal in VA. Besides, from my experience as a police officer, if the officer is using radar properly, by the time your detector goes off, it's too late. Most radar is activated when you observe a vehicle at a high rate of speed and you then activate it to verify. You could get a warning if he activated it on cars ahead of you but chances are they are speeding and he will be busy with them by the time you get up there.