SirDrums

This is an update to the post about me speeding ticket:
https://mustangforums.com/forum/2005...-my-stang.html

(Since I last posted about my ticket the speed limit was raised on that road to 70... 2 weeks after I was pulled over.)

Went to court today about my ticket to see if the court would cut me any slack and send to me to drivers school to save on my insurance.

To make a long story short, they reduced the fine by, get this, 15 dollars and said I did not qualify for drivers school.

When i asked why the DA told me that it is the judges policy that if you ever had a ticket before in your life that he will not allow drivers school.

I told them that the last ticket I had was when I was 19 (I am now 33) and I didn't even know drivers school existed then. They said that it doesn't matter what happened in the past, his policy is his policy..

grrrr....

so I took my 15 dollar break and went down to the clerks office where she took my money and when I looked at the reciept I saw they charged me a 7 dollar 'conveniece fee.

So I went to court, sat there for 3 hours just to save 8 dollars....

So I got in my 'stang drove to work in the rain and while in the part of the construction zone that is still 55. I had 3 18 wheelers blow by me at 70+ blinding me with the water coming off their trucks....

Talk about feeling like s*&^

MustangFirstCar

That is such crap man. Odd though, around my area cops are just too damned lazy to show up for the court date unless you are especially disrespectful. I'm surprised your cop even showed up.

Roy_R

Get a lawyer next time....fight scum with scum!

Entaille

moral of the story; pay a lawyer to do it for you next time, not only are they much more likely to succeed, but you don't have to go to court. their fees are typically reasonable and for most minor offenses, their success rate is extremely high.

I had a 15 over ticket. I paid 200 for a lawyer, spent maybe a total of 10 minutes of my personal time, via email contact and forwarding a mail message. it was changed to a non moving violation (flagged talking on cell phone while driving). out the door cost was 300$, and I get to keep my record clear with no insurance concerns.

I wouldn't stress a single ticket too much, your insurance rates may or may not be impacted by a single ticket - just don't get another one.

SirDrums

The police officeres were not there. The judge announced that they don't have to be at this hearing.

Entaille

I'm not sure if this is a state deal or what - but every 7 years (at least in WA), you are able to burn a deferral on an incident like this. essentially, they reduce the financial penalty, give you a ticket, keep it off of your record so long as you can go 12 months without doing it again.

Ford_Dude

So you were denied the right to face your accuser?

In your shoes I would have brought up that right and requested that ether the charges be dropped or that I'd be finding a lawyer to go after him for ignorning the law.

btw in TX you can take Defensive driving eaver 18 months in place of paying a ticket and have the knock on your record removed, but if you've taken Defensive driving for any reason in the past 18 months then you can't take it again to clear the ticket, and you can take Defensive driving every 12 months to lower insurance rates.

mph07alloy

The police don't have to be there unless it's set for a trial where there will actually be testimony. If SirDrums stood in front of the judge and gave a not guilty plea, then at that point it would have been set for probably a bench trial at a later date. At the bench trial the the officer would be required to appear to present his evidence, then the offender would have to attempt to prove himself not guilty. (then at the end the judge will say he believes the officers testimony over a regular nobody and rules against the speeder and then you're still stuck with a fine anyway)

outceltj

I hired a lawyer for my ticket and it was turned into a non moving violation (horn not working). It was a bit expensive.

Ford_Dude

ya it would be a annoying but then if the cop fails to appear then you're scott free

I normally just pay it at the clerk and don't bother seeing the judge