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[murphy]

I've been a cop for a while and written many tickets, every one that I have reduced at the roadside was brought to court... that's why I don't reduce them at the roadside anymore.

I can let you know that I don't take it personally if I cut someone a break and they contest the ticket, in fact I don't know anyone on the job who does.

Generally, the only times there would be an issue is if there was some type of confrontation involved, you were doing something that could cause or did cause someone injury, or you have a terrible record.

Always go to court, never just pay... even if you are guilty.

The prosecutors look good when they get convictions, they do that by going to trial and wining or by cutting deals, the latter being the easy way out for everyone involved.

Good luck.

[Jock]

Tommy,

It may be a long shot but what county in Georgia?

Jock

[Bubba]

Well Tommy I guess we will share the same cell.   I GOT BUSTED TODAY 48 in a 25    I still don't believe I was going that fast 35 maybe but NOT 48. I don't know what that officer was shootin but I'm perdy sure it wasn't me...   Called the Police Dept and they said for $80.00 and defensive driving class another $35.00 that it would not go on my record. So Saturday I get to go play with all the Teenagers from 9:00am to 4:00pm and its suppose to be 60º
here so no riding. 

You started it so its your fault.. 

~bubba~

[h-d mikey]

Well Tommy I guess we will share the same cell.   I GOT BUSTED TODAY 48 in a 25    I still don't believe I was going that fast 35 maybe but NOT 48. I don't know what that officer was shootin but I'm perdy sure it wasn't me...   Called the Police Dept and they said for $80.00 and defensive driving class another $35.00 that it would not go on my record. So Saturday I get to go play with all the Teenagers from 9:00am to 4:00pm and its suppose to be 60º
here so no riding. 

You started it so its your fault.. 


~bubba~

bubba,

Let me know where your defensive driving class is going to be and I will come in and do some teaching on HOW NOT TO GET BUSTED 010, while driving 48 in a 25 HOOOO I mean 35 I,am sorry.

Sorry that they got you,

h-d mikey

[IRyde]

I can't speak for GA but myself in WA have found a new friend!!  A traffic attorney.  He has gotten me off 4 tickets this year.  Ones for speeding being the easiest.  There are 1001 ways to pick on those radar guns.  Calibration, training, operation error, quality of unit etc..

Each representation cost me 300-400 bucks but with 7 vehicles I am ahead of the three years of insurance increases.

BTW:  how did I meet this guy you may ask?  My insurance agent!!  No lie!!

Just a thought.

[Talon]

Not that I would know, but if you have a good driving record up to this point, you might contact the local DA's office and talk to them. I know someone, not me. that got a 21 over the limit changed to 1 one point defective vehicle ticket with a 90 day probation. If another moving violation ticket in 90 days I would be back in court and get the 21 over back on my record with full fines. They did charge $125, and had to still go to court, but cheap compared to the alternative.

[mr_magoo]

Go to court you have nothing to lose.

[VAZHOG]

No tickets since '91 just means that you haven't been caught - you got caught- write the check and move on (more slowly) Yeah you get points but you don't have any now and I will use VA as an example if you don't get caught with a 12 month period they don't add up to a point that your Insurance is affected unless you are within the age of 16-35 then it doesn't matter what points you have you pay more for insurance because of higher risk (no fear).

[napalm]

Go to court and explain how hard the HD Gauges are to see when you are going that fast!!!!  You can go to court and hope the officer does not post, in Maryland it is then thrown out!!  Good Luck.

napalm

[murphy]

I just got a call from a family friend who needed some advice on a ticket he got recently, he was of the "just pay" frame of mind as well.

Seems that he had three tickets over a two month period where points were assigned, he never thought it was that big of a deal because he is a man of means.

We have discovered that his licence has accumulated 9 demerit points.

A frame of reference is a Careless Driving conviction, it is the most serious charge we have here that is non criminal, and it is assigned 6 points.

His insurance rates will increase by 200%, he has two teenagers that are also listed on the policy so it was already high…. and now because he is considered a high risk individual his rates for home and health could increase as well.

The MTO (your DMV) is currently in the process of arranging for him to come in for an interview, and based on his response, or if he’s convicted for any other offences, he is looking at an up to six month suspension.

The biggest problem here is not so much what has happened, but what can happen in the future.

If there is a legitimate crash that he is genuinely responsible for, he’s screwed.

I don’t know anyone who has been involved in an accident who could predict that they were going to be in an accident!

Most officers who have access will look at your previous convictions to assist in determining if you should get a break at the roadside.

If you have previous speed related convictions and you’re stopped for speeding we can even toss you in jail for repetition of the offence.

The purpose for the issuance of fines and the assignment of points is three fold, to act as a deterrent, to flag bad drivers, and to give us some tools to work with discretion wise.

Tickets and their ramifications should not be taken lightly.

By the way, most states and provinces have reciprocal agreements now, for example if you get a speeding ticket in Ontario the points will get assigned to your NY drivers licence.

Go to court… the worst that can happen is that you retain the same penalty that was assigned originally.

[cuthbertss]

Every good police officer will look at your previous convictions to assist in determining if you should get a break at the roadside.

Do you guys have the technology to do this on the side of the road

we certainly dont

[murphy]

Our cars have a direct link into the Ministry of Transportation records relating to drivers licenses and vehicles.

We can tell when, where, and what you got convictions for, even the past addresses that you have resided at since being licensed.

This is for Ontario, but I have obtained similar info from NCIC which is the American version of our CPIC.

[cuthbertss]

Our cars have a direct link into the Ministry of Transportation records relating to drivers licenses and vehicles.

We can tell when, where, and what you got convictions for, even the past addresses that you have resided at since being licensed.

This is for Ontario, but I have obtained similar info from NCIC which is the American version of our CPIC.

we have to have our dispatchers request that....  takes too long...

typically we wont do it, unless there is the possibility of a Driving Under Suspension with a Prior alcohol conviction...
(CRS 42-2-138 1(d) 1...automatic 10,000 bond

[cuthbertss]

interesting try..

Radar Wins Speed Test Against GPS
A Sonoma County, Calif., judge has ruled a speeding case supported by an officer's radar cannot be thrown out. The speeder's GPS system allegedly recorded a speed contradictory to the radar reading, but the judge ruled radar more reliable.

Roger Rude, a retired Sonoma County sheriff's lieutenant, brought the case to fight a ticket his stepson Shaun Malone received for going 62 mph in a 45 mph zone. Rude had installed a GPS system in the car to track his stepson's speeds. Rude alleged Malone never was speeding based on the GPS tracker.

The court ruled against the GPS data, holding that radar data is more reliable.

JB Harper, Radar Systems Engineer for Decatur Electronics, the manufacturer of the radar that clocked Malone, said radar is a time-tested speed assessment tool.

"Decatur radar has been catching speeders for more than 50 years," he said. "Radar reads a speed at the speed of light rather than calculating geographic and time differences between two separate readings as is done in a GPS system."

Officials with the Petaluma Police Department, which issued the ticket, agreed. Petaluma Police Capt. Dave Sears said GPS is a valuable tool but is not as accurate for tracking speed as radar.

For more information about Decatur, visit www.DecaturRadar.com

[Chief]

I was pulled over a couple of years ago for doing 70ish in a 55 and was able to change the ticket into a warning by stating that the cruise was set based on my GPS reading. The nice officer then proceeded to educate me, the interested listener, that those GPS's were not very reliable and shouldn't be used for setting the cruise.

I thanked him and rode on.

P.S. When my GPS says 71, my speedo reads 75. I, however, kept that nugget of information to myself.