Lets see what you guys think

It was 7:30 on a Wednesday night. I was coming out of my neighborhood and heading towards the local Del taco to get some food. Traveling at about 50 mph in a 40mph zone. Main street 3 lanes each direction plus a center. Car cruising next to me keeping pace. This is a relatively heavy cop populated area so I wasn't going too far over the limit. Well the car next to hits the brakes pretty hard to turn into this driveway that he almost missed and I see a CHP coming out of the parking lot so I let off and coast to the red light coming up. He pulls behind me at the light, right as it turns green turns on the lights and tells me to pull into the del taco parking lot (how convenient right?). He walks up to the car and the conversation goes like this (C=cop M=me)

C:"You know why I pulled you over?" (very quick and stern)
M:"No sir I do not." (confused look on my face)
C:"You know how fast you were going?" (little aggravated)
M:"Just keeping up with the flow of traffic I say about 45-50"
C:"I estimated you at 65. The speed limit is 40." (takes my license/reg./ins. and walks away)
C: (walks back up holds out the citation to sign)
M: (takes the board signs it and hands it back to him)
C:"Drive safer from now on" (very sarcastic)
M:"You have a good day sir" (wtf ever)

Wrote me for 65 approx. with a max safe speed of 45. Here is the odd part. He didn't check a box for radar or laser or anything and he did mention estimating my speed at 65. The VC# was 22350 which reads as follows

The ticket however just says speeding. Also we weren't on the highway. So what do you guys say I'm looking at? I am already going to extend it as long as possible. I have the fact that he stated he estimated my speed and did not laser or radar me and that a car was next to me slowing down, maybe giving the illusion I was going faster than I was. What do you think my odds are? Because I honestly think this is a bull **** ticket. Yes I was doing about 50 in a 40 but this is not a ticket for that its a $331 ticket w/o traffic school. I have had a speeding ticket before 47 in a 40 that was just $180 w/o traffic school. That one I just accepted and paid because I was in the wrong and I knew that. This one I think is a little much though. So what do you guys think?

PS sorry for the long post just want to give all the details so you guys can make an educated opinion.

 

Sounds like BS but what can you do at this point? His estimation is greater than your fact.

Follow the Soul TKR method.

 

Yeah thats what I was planning on doing. Also just fact that I don't care who you are your eye is not a dialed in speedometer. It just doesn't work that way no matter how long you have been a police officer or whatever. Its an illusion if the car next to me was going 30 and I was going 50 of course its going to look like I'm bookin ***! The fact of the matter if you don't know what everyone else is doing unless your lasering everyone.

 

Also based on the VC# he wrote me for says unsafe speed based on weather, visibility, and traffic and blah blah blah. It was still light outside, no cars out ahead oh me 1 next to me and a few little ways back. I mean he turned out right after I passed so either he cut someone off real bad or there wasn't very many cars. 3 lanes each way plus a center. Passing by a little business area where the shops were all closed already. Just seems like he was in a bad mood or something. That or he wished he was driving a pimp *** lincoln

 

yea when they say estimation, it doesn't mean anything. radar/laser guns are always a way of just "estimating" speed.

what i would do if i were you, start a trial by written declaration. take lots of pictures of the road you were on when there is very little or no traffic. take close ups of the road to show its in good condition, if there is a tree limb or something that sticks out in front of the speed limit sign snap a pic of that, take pics of your tire tread, say they are Z rated or whatever the best is, and send all that in with your story. good luck!

 

[QUOTE=Almostryan3;9556619]Also just fact that I don't care who you are your eye is not a dialed in speedometer.

omg i totally agree. my last speeding ticket, i still can't believe i lost, all came down to the officer saying he "eyed" my speed head on from 500 feet away. im pretty sure if he can really do that then he should win a nobel prize cause that is ******* amazing.

 

Yeah but every time I have ever been pulled over for speeding they always tell me I lasered you at this MPH and on the ticket they check the box that says "Radar/lidar unit/ patrol vehicle #." and they write the serial # for their laser gun in that box. This officer didn't even check the box or anything.

EDIT: as well I have always been asked if I would like to see the laser unit and calibration papers or whatever. This is the first cop that has honestly been quick and dick-ish to me. Well for normal traffic stops at least haha

 

He should have wrote you a ticket for being clueless.... Lincoln's haven't been pimp in years.

 

tough ****. suk it up son
















j/k man... it sounds like a bs ticket

 

Its my grandmas haha. Better watch out or I'll take that dumb dodge out on the 19th with it

 

Nuff said.

 

Haha, well they say I can't bring my daily out there because it has an LS1 in it. Horse **** I say!

 

find as many reasons as you can to postpone the court date. Call the courthouse and say that something came up, you have to be out of town for work. Don't use a dead family member excuse, those can backfire. After you have postponed the court date a couple of times, then show up and plead your case. if the cop doesn't show, it is no contest, no ticket. If you see the cop there, then ask for court supervision and expect to pay a fine, but still plead your case.

 

Court supervision? What is this you speak of?

 

Court Supervision is basically an expensive warning. If you don't get caught with a moving violation again for 6-12 months (depending on what it is), then it goes away, and never shows up on your record. My insurance company has no clue the rediculous number of times I was ticketed for speeding. Not completly sure if Cali does it though, so you might want to look into it. But at one point in my life I was on court supervision in 12 different counties in 4 different states. (IL, WI, IA, and IN) Even the different counties in the same state don't tend to share info unless it is for something really bad (hit and run, DUI, ect). I was not supposed to be on Court Supervision in seperate counties in the same state. That **** was getting expensive. Ask around to see if anyone has gotten that out here. I did my traffic court on the one ticket

 

Alright cool, thanks for the heads up I will have to look into that. About how much do you pay for that? or do you pay and if you don't end up getting another violation it gets paid back to you or you just pay less initially?

 

I saw contest it. No evidence or an incomplete citation means no ticket!

 

Yeah thats what plan A is and what I think as well. Just trying to check out all my ideas. Have everything written down pretty much like I posted so I don't forget because I plan on dragging it out a ways first.

 

There is evidence- the testimony of an expert witness, someone who does this every day- good luck with that.

Show up to court once, request a continuation- you are allowed one- tell them you want an attorney. If they don't flinch and offer you a plea deal, go get a paid professional- you are going to pay, one way or another- at least shave any points you can- the attorney probably knows the judge, the prosecutor, and will play 'let's make a deal'

Once that piece of paper is filled out, it needs to be accounted for-

 

Again, understand, I was doing all of this stuff in the Midwest. Here in Cali it might be different, they think they are thier own socialist country here. In the midwest, when they give you court supervision, you pay them and never see that money again. I have done things too when I asked for court supervision, they said, "ok, that will be $300." Then I say to the ADA that "I have $250 cash on me right now that I will walk downstairs and pay right now." She is probably thinking to herself, "cool, we don't have to work out a payment plan and we get the cash right now." And she agrees to it. That worked most of the time.