Speeding Ticket from HELL

jeffers_clipse · 01-20-2006

Got my first speed violation in my gsx last night doing something I NEVER do on this highway. I was just headin to town, (I live about 15 miles from the town of windom where I work and hang out with my friends) and there was an open stretch of road no cars or anything, so like an idiot, in a 60 mph zone I just romped on the go pedal in 5th and pulled cuz this car never seizes to amaze me even in stock form, I saw a set of headlights come over the hill so I immediately slowed down and then I realized it was an officer, so I just kept on slowing down cuz I saw him turn around. I pulled over before he even had his cherries on cuz I knew I was screwed. I was goin fast, but I didn't realize how fast as I never looked at my speedo. He came to my window asked for my id and insurance and asks me how fast I was going, I said I honestly didn't know and he informed me 96. At this point my heart sinks because i was 4mph from losing my license right there. I just felt like an idiot for opening it up when I knew it wasn't the time or the place. he let me off with an 84 in a 60 which normally wouldn't be bad, but fines are double in minnesota's new 60mph zones, leaving me with a $282 fine. So much for my nearly spotless record I guess, especially since I pay my own insurance and car payment every month. Oh well, crap happens, and all I can do is learn from it now.

My big question now is, is it worth goin to court about it, cuz I've been told to always take tickets to court even if you're guilty as sin. This ticket especially as I noticed he didn't put what mile marker it occurred at, or my speed, he left both blank. Now if you've read my novel here, any help or advice would be great. The money isn't really that big of an issue, it'll just delay me getting my timing belt replaced, but i'd like to get this off my record if at all possible for work reasons.

Onefast99gsx · 01-20-2006

You'd be wasting your time if you went to court. Going to court would be if you had a legimate reason to do 96mph in the first place. Did you have a reason to go 96? Probably not. Not to be a dink, but you deserved the ticket at that speed. Last summer I did that crap with some 60-90mph pulls to try and figure my setup out. I was on a nearly extinct stretch of road here in WI. I always told myself if i got caught, that I deserved it. Not this summer though. Anything that fast will be at the track. Your insurance is probably gonna sky rocket.

MATCHBX · 01-20-2006

You could go in and see what you can plead it down to. If you've never had anything on your record, and the judge is feeling good, he may just have you pay a reduced fine. He might also do the "as long as you don't get another one in a year" sentence where you pay a certain fine and it doesn't go on your record unless you get another ticket within a year. And if you do get another ticket, he might have it where you would pay the full amount for the first ticket. Sometimes it's worth just going in there and seeing what the judge can do. You aren't making excuses for what you did, you're just telling them that you understand you did wrong and that you don't intend to do it again. What's the worst that they will do to you, make you pay the original fine?

They may even have something where you go to a class and it gets erased or something. I can't remember if they still do that or not, but it's worth a try if you are afraid of what will happen to your insurance. But by all means, DO NOT tell your insurance company. If they find it, they find it. You are not obligated to tell them. And some insurance agents give you one "freebie" because shit happens. Mine is that way. Although I have more than one ticket on my record (not speeds either) and my rates steadily drop.

s1ngletracker · 01-20-2006

so why is the ticket double? I dont get that. Thats an INSANE price for a simple speeding ticket. I f'ing hate minnesota.

CVD · 01-20-2006

You can go to court and will most likely get it reduced. You will NOT get it dropped. In MN you must be going less than 15mph over the speed limit in order to just pay the fine and keep it off your record. Over that and it is beyond their control. The only other way to keep it off your record is to plead not guilty and win.

CDeutsch · 01-20-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by s1ngletracker

so why is the ticket double? I dont get that. Thats an INSANE price for a simple speeding ticket. I f'ing hate minnesota.

I agree. That's outrageous! It makes me want to punch the next politician I see in the throat.

FattyBoomBatty · 01-20-2006

it's to stop people from speeding. the larger/worse the consequences, the fewer there will be people who speed and end up hurting someone.

you have to do 0-99mph races now, btw, if you are going to race, that way, if you get caught, you won;t loose your liscence.

x-pride · 01-20-2006

Wow, I did not know that MN law enforcement could clock people going the other direction. Did you get a chance to see his gun that clocked you? My honest opinion he busted you on guilt. I would go to court to find out what can be done about the ticket. It wouldn't hurt to try.

TkrPerformance · 01-20-2006

that sucks
I am still paying on my fines
2 no ins tickets
2 driving after sus
1 driving after rev
1 speeding 87 in a 60

got the speeding and driving after sus 460.00 pd
no ins 240.00 pd
went to court for no ins number 2 740.00 (lawer got me of 30day jail time and 1500 in fines)
still have to pay driving after rev. 240.00
it was a shitty last year

MATCHBX · 01-21-2006

In the new zones that they raised to 60mph, that was the compromise. The tickets are double just like construction zones. And there is supposed to be close to a zero tolerance. 1mph over and they are supposed to pull you over.

1slowdsm · 01-21-2006

I dont like that new law about doubling tickets. I rather have them keep the 55 mph and just let people go 10 miles over, haha. I'm gonna get some fricken tickets this year. I have a bad habit of always going 10 mph.

2003eclipse · 01-21-2006

Yeah Take it to court if its your first speeding offense, Minnesota has a great deal called Continuince for Dismissal if your lucky you will get it. The deal is if you get CFD you will have a year not to get a similar offense and it will not go on your record or affect your insurance.

When i was 17 I got a 94 in a 55 $303.25 and a few months later 88 in a 55 $288 not to mention what it did to my insurance so it never hurts to go to court.

**Kracka** · 01-21-2006

I have done that CFD thing a few times...but then they stopped giving it to me

GVR-4579 · 01-22-2006

Dont know if anyone else posted this, but you said that he left a couple spots blank on the ticket. The officer writes a bunch of crap on the back of the copy the judge will see, just to let you know. You wont ever know what the cop wrote but the judge can see it and that will also make up him mind on how you get off. I would think that since you pulled over withouth lights even on that it woudl help in getting the charges lowered, but i can say for sure.

jeffers_clipse · 01-22-2006

Thanks for all the help guys. My big question now is if the cfd thing works if this is my second ticket, with my first being august of 03 when I was 16 which was a 30 in a 39. In minnesota there are no court fees for situations like this from what a friend's dad told me last night, it's just a chance to plea your case and try to get a fine lowered. If the judge remembers me, I think I've got a good chance of getting it lowered substantially as I gave some testimony a couple months back that got some drug dealers and thieves put away for a long time. He might let me off if he realizes what I've done for our little community, haha. Anything's worth a shot right? And gvr-4579, all that's written on the back of my ticket is the fine, nothing else... I guess if whatever happens, happens, and either way, I've learned from it.

unreal808 · 01-22-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1slowdsm

I dont like that new law about doubling tickets. I rather have then keep the 55 mph and just let people go 10 miles over, haha. I'm gonna get some fricken tickets this year. I have a bad habit of always going 10 mph.

Me to.

tpunx99GSX · 01-22-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onefast99gsx

You'd be wasting your time if you went to court. Going to court would be if you had a legimate reason to do 96mph in the first place.

First off in all of my tickets that i have gotten in my life a trip to court is NEVER a waste of time. In Minnesota you have the oppertunity to plead the case with the prosicuter instead of going before the judge. Judges usually wont drop a ticket because they are in front of an audience. But numerous times i have had a ticket flat out dropped because i talked to the prosicuter before going in front of the judge. You may have to request it in front of the judge but you have the right. Being that you have a spotless record (being that you were under 18 and all of your tickets drop after you turn 18.) the likelyhood of it getting dropped is very good. Go to court, believe me it will be definatly worth your time.
Also, they have no idea that you were going 96 because its stated at 84, so dont say a word about 96mph.

CVD · 01-22-2006

Like I said before, 15mph or more over the speed limit and the ticket cannot be dropped from your record. Period. Dont waste your time with the "I was speeding but I feel bad" because they cant drop it, only reduce the amount of the fine. If your only goal is to keep it off your record you MUST plead not guilty.

unreal808 · 01-22-2006

What if you go to court and plead not guilty and the officer is not there? You win, he is planning to be there on that date, See if you can change the date you show up for court, maybe the officer won’t be there then. If you remember what he looks like or have a badge number you know how to plead.

A.G. · 01-22-2006

when I was young and dumb I got a 83mph in a 35. (racing on a old airport road). That was a $270 ticket, and when I went to court on it, the only thing they did was reduce it so it wasnt wreckless (Thank god) but they did add driving probation. If I was you Id just bite it and take it as a lesson learned. Sucks with the insurance though and for the record cuz it wont leave your record for 3 years. But yeah, Id save the time and just bite it.