speeding ticket... now what?
 

Happened today, and has a humorous (not for me though!) twist to it...

Officer was in a speed trap on a highway (65MPH limit). I passed the patrol car going about 90MPH, and looked at the speed trap location just to be safe.... and ofcourse hit the brakes VERY hard after i saw the cop. My radar detector (a pretty high quality one) Valentine One radar detector, received 0 alerts from Laser or X/K/KA band. So I decided to be slick, and I thought immediately, "let me take the next highway exit, even if I don't see him following me". Ofcourse, he slowly starts pulling out of his location, turns his headlights (not siren) on (but gets jammed a bit by the oncoming traffic).... I get stuck in the middle and right lanes behind typical idiots driving 10MPH below the limit during rush hour, and I reach the HOLY GRAIL, the exit... WHEN OFCOURSE the split second I take the exit lane, the cop JUST ARRIVES behind me and tails my ass.

So I drive another two blocks, and then when there's a shoulder, the cop flips his siren on and I pull over immediately. So he asks me if I knew what I did wrong. (Now from what I read on a very reliable website, it says to admit everything, be polite and passively beg). So I go "yeah I saw you on the highway, I know I was speeding, I apologize, I just started going fast and didn't even notice it." Then he goes, yeah you were doing 83 in a 65, which struck me as WAY OFF (and just a random guess in my opinion by the officer), since unfortunately my speed at the time was much closer to 90MPH and my radar didn't go off at all. And he mentions "You also tried to take the first exit so I couldn't follow you, huh?". To this I said, I live in XXXX town (town was only two exits away actually).

Officer then returns and mentions that radar detectors are illegal (which I am 99% sure they are legal in the state of New Jersey), and mentioned he would "give me a break on writing a radar detector ticket, but not on the speeding ticket". He then hands me the speeding ticket, writing and saying to call the court, come in, and that "perhaps something could be worked out".

As I pull away, I notice the officer hasn't moved for the minute that I was putting my license/etc. away, so I assumed he wanted to see if I would pull a U-turn to get nack on the highway, which would suggest I was trying to outrun him. So I headed straight (the opposite) way, the one smart thing I think I did all day.

So, do I:
1. Go to court with a lawyer to fight the ticket? (Leaning towards this because New Jersey has the highest auto insurance rates in the country).
2. Go to court alone and admit the mistake, pleading for a lesser penalty?
3. Go to court alone and be aggressive, claiming the officer should bring a report of his radar scan of my car, and that he claimed a radar detector was illegal, which lessens the judge's view of the officer's trust/knowledge?

Note, I have never received a traffic ticket, never had any points on my insurance, and have never committed a felony.

pay the fine and goto traffic school

I would bet he didn't have his radar on from your story. I know a few lawyers who would eat this up. Would cost you more $ in some cases, but no points or insurance hikes.

two excellent answers. unfortunately they conflict with each other :(

If you've never received a ticket before more than likely this one will get dissmissed. Most states do that. :2 cents:

Forgot to add...go to the court, obviously on the date specified.

With a lawyer or without? And if without a lawyer, be passive or aggressive?

Thanks for your advice. :)

You were caught speeding - guilty as charged. If you fight it your just another idiot clogging up the system. Pay the ticket, go to traffic school and get over it.

Best deal is go to court and plead not guilty they will then give you another court date. Then go to that court date and then tell them you need an attorney....then go to the next court date and request a trial by jury....by this time they will cut you a deal.....


your tax dollars at work!!

:warning and he cut you a break on the radar detector..

Didnt work for me, hired an attorney about a ticket I got literally more than one year ago, it got delayed so many times, I must have been in court like 5-6 times before finally getting my guilty is charged verdict. $250 in fines and 5 points.

where in jersey was this and what road?

and i dont think radar detectors are illegal.

also, i heard you can ask for a print out of the speed from the radar detector. just to make sure they arent lying.

Best thing to do to keep it off you record

You go to court for a speeding ticket ? here you just pay it at the bank ... very weird system

Here we have some miniwans taking the photos and send the owner the ticket, we dont even talk with the police office.
The owner then have to phone the police and tell who is on the picture and then he get the ticket. Then just pay it in the bank.

I got busted for speeding twice in 24 hours. 3 point penalty each time and £120 in fines.

When I bought my new car my insurance went from $800 a year to almost $5000 a year :(

I have another two years of high insurance premiums to look forward to as a result of getting these damn points !!

You deserve 5 years in jail !
You did 18 Mph speeding man. Some of the worst crimes you can do :1orglaugh

Plead guilty, pay the small fine and go to traffic school to reduce the points down to a parking ticket.

You were right about one thing radar dectors are not illegal in NJ even on commercial vehicles. Only state that completly outlaws them is virginia.

Go to court. IF he doesnt show, it gets thrown out. Read the ticket very closely for any oversites like date, time, & location. If you were elsewhere you can get it thrown out on this basis (but you have to prove it). A buddy of mine just got out of one like this. Finally, go to traffic school. Make sure to ask for the citation to be dropped if you go to school. YOU MUST FOLLOW UP ON THIS! I worked in the insurance biz for a few years and I saw a ton of tickets that weren't supposed to be there. Courts are a government blockhole of paperwork and these things are right there with chain letters as far as importance goes.

Your biggest mistake was not asking to see the radar detector. I know around here, policy is to leave your speed on there until after the traffic stop is taken care of in case you deny it. The proof is right there on the radar.

Had you done that, you could have gone into court saying you were not doing 83 and that he refused to prove it.

Try to fight it.The cop might not show up

radar detectors are infact illegal in jersey they can issue you a ticket for having one. where did you get the ticket on the GSP? if a trooper handed you the ticket good luck getting it reduced they're stubborn pricks in court when it comes to fighting a ticket from a trooper if it was a town cop goto court and fight it you'll most likely get it reduced it always worked for me one of my family members is a supervisior on the GSP thats the only reason i got out of my ticket it got an 84 in a 65 down in holmdel a few months back i got it reduced to careless driving $100 fine $30 court fee no points :thumbsup

You *were* speeding, you got caught.

Why is this a difficult question, seriously? :)

Pay the man.

they don't even have to use the radar detector they can tell when your doing more than the speed limit thats why he said 83 and it wasn't on point at 90 or whatever and it will hold up in court

down here in Florida a ticket lawyer only cost $69. Usually they get you off with no points, maybe just some court costs if anything but being your first offense I bet they'd just get it dropped for you. Open your phone book and give a few lawyers a call see what they say.