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+--- Thread: yay speeding tickets! (/showthread.php?tid=7406)
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yay speeding tickets! - REED - 06-22-2008
so yeah - I made it 5 months w/o getting pulled over - not as long as I was hoping. I got nabbed on the falls church/arlington border, right were the speed limit changes from 25 - 30. He cited me at 48 in a 25. I've never gotten a ticket in VA so excuse my ignorance - he said he was cutting me a break, but I don't really see how. Did he have to actually cite me for reckless or does the fact that I was 23 over mean its reckless regardless?
I feel like I should take it to court in hopes of getting dropped down - any suggestions? I heard somewhere about an online driver improvement course you can take that the judges usually like to see.
major bummer
- Sijray21 - 06-22-2008
The ticket should say, Speeding-Reckless if it's indeed a reckless.
otherwise you'll be charged with a speeding violation. a reckless violation is ridiculously expensive (although they've put away with the really ridiculous 'tax').
Anything over 20mph in VA is reckless OR anything over 80mph is classified as reckless, but i'm not sure in your case.
sorry man
this link will have the driving school and some legal help.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.speedingticketcentral.com/Virginia-speeding-ticket.html">http://www.speedingticketcentral.com/Vi ... icket.html</a><!-- m -->
- HAULN-SS - 06-22-2008
wreckless on a non-highway is 25, at least thats what i was told when I got a "break" for citing me 24 over one time.
- REED - 06-22-2008
Sijray21 Wrote:The ticket should say, Speeding-Reckless if it's indeed a reckless.
otherwise you'll be charged with a speeding violation. a reckless violation is ridiculously expensive (although they've put away with the really ridiculous 'tax').
Anything over 20mph in VA is reckless OR anything over 80mph is reckless.
sorry man
this link will have the driving school and some legal help.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.speedingticketcentral.com/Virginia-speeding-ticket.html">http://www.speedingticketcentral.com/Vi ... icket.html</a><!-- m -->
thanks for the link
so the way I'm seeing it - I was only charged with speeding, not reckless even though I was more than 20 over. So i guess that was the "break" he was giving me.
- Ginger0 - 06-22-2008
Sijray21 Wrote:Anything over 20mph in VA is reckless OR anything over 80mph is classified as reckless, but i'm not sure in your case.
Anything 20 over, and the officer is granted discretion to cite you as reckless, solely based on your speed. He can cite you for reckless for other reasons without beign 20 over, as well; however, you don't have to be doing anything other than going too fast to get it.
In your case, he 'cut you a break' by not citing you as reckless - which is horse manure. He probably cut himself a break so that you wouln't have to come to court (which you have to do if it's reckless). If you went, and told the judge that it was right at a speed limit change, and you were unfamiliar with the area, the ticket would most likely be reduced to regular speeding... and the judge would be annoyed with the officer for employing a 'dirty' tactic to nab you.
You could try and fight it, but it's pretty black and white. A lawyer could talk to the officer before court and see if he would be willing to lower, and/or drop the charge as a nice guy (hey, happened to me once
), but if that doesn't happen, it's unlikely that the judge will grant you any leeway. In my experience, judges kind of roll their eyes when defendents try to plead in speeding instances of clear guilty (read: 40 in a 20, vice 38 in a 35). Sorry about your luck.. I got nabbed for inspection on my bike the other week. Oh well, 'eh?
- REED - 06-22-2008
hmm yeah I see you point - my court date isn't until august (of course its conveniently in the way of the Rock & Roll 1/2 marathon) so I have some time to mull my options
on a positive note being stopped made me realize my inspection was up this month
- JackoliciousLegs - 06-22-2008
That suucks man. Ugh... how much was it for?
- Ole - 06-22-2008
I would take it court. Call me if you really want to know why.
- Mike - 06-22-2008
Ole Wrote:I would take it court. Call me if you really want to know why.
i'd just pay it. he did the crime, he didn't get slammed with a reckless... just pay for being naughty.
- Goodspeed - 06-22-2008
Mike Wrote:Ole Wrote:I would take it court. Call me if you really want to know why.
i'd just pay it. he did the crime, he didn't get slammed with a reckless... just pay for being naughty.
x2. This is what I did when I deserved a reckless but the cop let me go w/o one...I showed up, apologized, shook the cop's hand and the judge knocked about 40 dollars off the cost for my behavior.
- Sijray21 - 06-23-2008
REED Wrote:hmm yeah I see you point - my court date isn't until august (of course its conveniently in the way of the Rock & Roll 1/2 marathon) so I have some time to mull my options
on a positive note being stopped made me realize my inspection was up this month
ask for an extension, then show up for court - they'll likely reduce the fine and there is a chance the cop may not show with an extension
- CaptainHenreh - 06-23-2008
Sijray21 Wrote:REED Wrote:hmm yeah I see you point - my court date isn't until august (of course its conveniently in the way of the Rock & Roll 1/2 marathon) so I have some time to mull my options
on a positive note being stopped made me realize my inspection was up this month
ask for an extension, then show up for court - they'll likely reduce the fine and there is a chance the cop may not show with an extension
This is sneaky, and by no means guaranteed to work. Go to court and ask to take a driver improvement course. Why no one ever suggests it is beyond me, but if it isn't reckless, there's a good chance you can get out of it altogether if you ask to take the course, especially if you already have a good record.
- Mike - 06-23-2008
CaptainHenreh Wrote:Sijray21 Wrote:REED Wrote:hmm yeah I see you point - my court date isn't until august (of course its conveniently in the way of the Rock & Roll 1/2 marathon) so I have some time to mull my options
on a positive note being stopped made me realize my inspection was up this month
ask for an extension, then show up for court - they'll likely reduce the fine and there is a chance the cop may not show with an extension
This is sneaky, and by no means guaranteed to work. Go to court and ask to take a driver improvement course. Why no one ever suggests it is beyond me, but if it isn't reckless, there's a good chance you can get out of it altogether if you ask to take the course, especially if you already have a good record.
I took an online course BEFORE headng to court once. The judge reduced the fine, and the course itself dropped my points by a good number.
Did this from work: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.idrivesafely.com/">http://www.idrivesafely.com/</a><!-- m -->
- WRXtranceformed - 06-23-2008
I've heard some story where you if you mail in a payment for the ticket that's $.01 over the cost of the fine, they'll cut you a check for the overpayment and can't close out the case until that check is cashed. So you just dont cash it and the ticket doesn't show on your record. It sounds like BS to me but have any of you ever tried it or known someone who tried it?
- Mike - 06-23-2008
WRXtranceformed Wrote:It sounds like BS to me but have any of you ever tried it or known someone who tried it?
then check it! <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/ticket.asp">http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/ticket.asp</a><!-- m -->
- Kaan - 06-23-2008
WRXtranceformed Wrote:I've heard some story where you if you mail in a payment for the ticket that's $.01 over the cost of the fine, they'll cut you a check for the overpayment and can't close out the case until that check is cashed. So you just dont cash it and the ticket doesn't show on your record. It sounds like BS to me but have any of you ever tried it or known someone who tried it?
that no longer works
the rampant use of computers has screwed that way of getting out of points.
- John - 06-23-2008
Sijray21 Wrote:ask for an extension, then show up for court - they'll likely reduce the fine and there is a chance the cop may not show with an extension
It's my understanding that about 3 years ago Virginia amended state law to give the officer two chances to appear in court - so this age old technique may be a futile attempt...
- Kaan - 06-23-2008
well i know for a fact if you need to postpone the court date, they just ask the officer what his next court date is to increase the chance the officer will be there
- Sijray21 - 06-23-2008
John Wrote:Sijray21 Wrote:ask for an extension, then show up for court - they'll likely reduce the fine and there is a chance the cop may not show with an extension
It's my understanding that about 3 years ago Virginia amended state law to give the officer two chances to appear in court - so this age old technique may be a futile attempt...
yeah, i just figured it worked since he had somethings planned for that week/end
it's never actually worked for me, but i should've had a lawyer present or taken a driving course when i got my reckless when i was 18.
i paid a hefty fine, suffered through insurance premiums, and was forced to take the driving class (issued by the judge). it ended up costing me quite a bit for quite a while. i try to make a concious effort to remain under the reckless realm...most of the time...
- Evan - 06-23-2008
yeah i got busted for a bullshit 18 over last week in a revenue generation speed trap on the road I live off of. Fuck those assholes.