Speeding Ticket

[dschae1]

It's been many years since I received one, but alas, my luck ran out tonight on a dark street in my home town of Plano. I got tagged for 45 in a 30. I have read the info that came with the ticket and I know I can mail in my "no contest or guilty" plea and take a driving course and pay the fine + fees, but wondered about my other options.

Has anybody fought a ticket, hired one of the lawyers you hear on the radio, actually gone to traffic court...etc?

Is it worth it? Anybody care to share your victory or waste of time stories?

My gut tells me to pay the fine and take the driving class and move on with life.

What say you fellow photographers...Thanks.

[Ahh!]

David,
In all my cases, I was going as fast as alledged. I have taken every option except fighting it. My rates have not gone up, and I sleep at night.

[brad]

If you really don't speed that often, asking for deferred adjudication is probably your best bet... you pay a small fine and if you don't get another ticket for some period of time, its dismissed. No muss, no fuss.... but if you get another ticket, they'll fine you again for the original ticket as well as the new one.

[CaptainTom]

Unless you are in jeopardy of losing your license I'd advise to pay up and take the course. If you get no more tix in a specified time period there will be no "marks" on your license.

[dschae1]

I'm pretty sure I was only going 30 tops (wink)

I remember being in traffic court in the late 70's and the judge was hearing a case. He asked the guy if he was going the alleged speed (like 80 in a 55)...No Sir, came the answer...then the judge asked, well, how fast do you think you were going? The guy said maybe 70...but certainly not 80! And without missing a beat the judge picked up and slammed down the gavel saying I find you guilty of speeding 70 in a 55...Bailiff, see this man out, next case.

I learned something that day!

[SCone]

Take defensive driving, deferred adjudication can come back to bite you big-time since you live in Plano and you'd not be able to get another ticket for 90 days. A friend used DA years ago and got nailed shortly after and had to pay BOTH tickets. With defensive driving you'll also get a discount on your insurance.

[49884]

I agree with Brad, I'm doing the get a lawyer and fight it thing right now, it's been about 8 months and still no resolution. Had I gone with deferred adjudication it would have been long gone by now.

[dschae1]

This sounds like a dumb question in my mind as I type...but, I'm gonna ask it anyway.

Is a lawyer more expensive than just paying the fine and taking the course? 8 months time, I hope your not being billed monthly for services!

[Ahh!]

Guess I'm no saint. That may come as a shock around here. I did the probation this last time around, since I am getting every possible discount on my insurance and the DDC and money reminds me to slow down. If you want to buy a D3, you drive slower and save on tickets!

[Ahh!]

Originally Posted by dschae1

This sounds like a dumb question...

Before they answer, my bet is with yours...

[bondarnes]

I have used lawyers on a couple of cases that were for speeding way out of town. In both instances the lawyer and the fine cost about 50% more than just pleading and paying it, but the lawyers got it knocked down to a non-moving citation in both instances.

[Ahh!]

Originally Posted by bondarnes

...cases that were for speeding...got it knocked down to a non-moving citation...

Holding still too quickly?!!

[SCone]

Remember, the State of Texas is a "points state" which means if you get too many tickets within a given period of time, you get to also pay an annual "surcharge"

Could be $100 up to $2000 depending on the points you have.

A typical ticket is 2 points, if an accident is involved, you get three. You'll get to pay $100 a year extra when you reach six points and $25 for each additional point after six... for three years!

Get a DUI and wow, now you get to spend the big money.

[dbphotos]

If you have no tickets, just pay and take the class online and it won't show up on your record. If you have tickets, take Brad's advice and ask for deferred adjudication. You'll still pay the fine in either case, but no points on your record and both scenarios will cost less than an attorney. You can do anything an attorney can do in traffic court if you know how to ask the right quetsions.

[Patti Edens]

I only went the lawyer route once - the one time I really wasn't speeding. All the times I was speeding, it just didn't feel right to plead not guilty or "wiggle" out on a technicality. If I was speeding as charged, I just took defensive driving when I could or paid the ticket when I couldn't.

But on the one time, it was the principal of the thing plus my sister knew a lawyer that took care of traffic tickets so I didn't have to pay him. When it was over and done with, I thanked him and he said, "any time", but I never took advantage of his services again because I couldn't honestly say I wasn't speeding, not that it would matter to him.

He did this for a living and knew all the tricks in the book. In my case, the court the ticket went to was in a small town and he knew that when an attorney asked to have the ticket moved to a different court, the clerks would use a rubber stamp to put the judge's name on the paperwork instead of having the judge sign it. That's not legal, so the ticket automatically gets thrown out when the attorney points it out to the new court. Pretty simple. Took a few days and the ticket just disappeared and I never had to go to court.

He had a million other loopholes in his bag of tricks. Some take longer than others, but these guys are pretty darn effective. As soon as a court learns and changes their ways on one technicality, the attorneys come up with a new one.