travel to a strange city and get a 34 in 30 ticket... fine is $235... ripoff?
#61
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 408
Paying the police here is worse undeniably. Why would you do that ? You pay the fine, get points plus high premiums. Double whammy. Remember, the cop is never acting in your interest here. He/the city want you to just pay up.
A lawyer on the other hand will work for you. He is acting in your interest for your benefit. He can get the ticket dismissed with no points on your record with a small fee. Plus your premiums don't go up.
This one is such a no brainer really that it is so obvious !!
A lawyer on the other hand will work for you. He is acting in your interest for your benefit. He can get the ticket dismissed with no points on your record with a small fee. Plus your premiums don't go up.
This one is such a no brainer really that it is so obvious !!
#62
Moderator: Manufactured Spending
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,580
How? I didn't know lawyers had these magic powers. OP has no reasonable argument other than "the fine is too high" and the officer has radar evidence. How can a lawyer get the ticket dismissed?
#63
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Maybe the radar gun wasn't calibrated correctly. The officer may not show up to court. Or the judge may reduce the fine or charge. All very valid reasons, for these small speeding charges.
I've seen many small lawyers specialize in these cases, for $50-100. Seems like a good investment if it will hurt your license or insurance rates.
#64
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even Greyhound Busses get tickets!
I take Greyhound Bus from NYC to Atlantic City regularly. A majority of the trip uses the Garden State Parkway. The speed limit is "generally" 65 mph, but a few stretches are "work zones" (even though NO work may be in progress)--the speed for those sections is 45 mph. On a recent trip, the bus I was on was pulled over by a NJ State Trooper, he was citied for doing 58 (under the 65 mph limit) in a 45 mph zone [that particular day I noticed 3 other busses being pulled over]. The driver WAS ticketed--I don't know what the fine was.
PS: (1)Cars were going well over 65 mph, but they didn't get ticketed.
(2)I believe that GH busses have speed limiting devices, so they can't exceed 65 mph (most other busses on this "casino" route don't.)
(3)I don't think GH will defend drivers--they are on their own.
PS: (1)Cars were going well over 65 mph, but they didn't get ticketed.
(2)I believe that GH busses have speed limiting devices, so they can't exceed 65 mph (most other busses on this "casino" route don't.)
(3)I don't think GH will defend drivers--they are on their own.
#65
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 408
For me the extra $100-$150 to the lawyer is worth much much more than my time and more importantly no points on my license which will raise your insurance premiums.It easily pays for itself - no brainer really.
#66
Join Date: Jun 2007
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I don't know what state OP is in, but chances are that there is some sort of reciprocity between OP's state of residence and Ohio.
#67
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true... I just think the fine is excessive. Just looked on the court's website.
simple possession of marijuana is a $215 ticket payable by mail. That's
$20 cheaper than my ticket for going 4mph above the speed limit.
guess I'll just pay it.... the lady on the phone told me that even if my ticket
is dismissed in court, they will still charge me $93 for administrative and
dismissal fees. (wait, what? I still have to pay even if I'm found not guilty?)
#68
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: STL
Posts: 1,546
I got a ticket last year and hired a lawyer for $40 to take care of it. What they did is they got it reduced to a nonmoving violation (loud muffler or some BS like that) with a higher fine. Lawyer gets their money. Municipality gets more money than if I just paid the ticket. My insurance company never finds out. Everybody wins.
#69
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 38,410
I got a ticket last year and hired a lawyer for $40 to take care of it. What they did is they got it reduced to a nonmoving violation (loud muffler or some BS like that) with a higher fine. Lawyer gets their money. Municipality gets more money than if I just paid the ticket. My insurance company never finds out. Everybody wins.
Around here it's a bit different: You take an online "traffic school" and they'll reduce it to a parking violation. The clerks will offer you this if you haven't done it in the last 12 months, the judge will offer this if you haven't done it for the same offense in the last 12 months.
In other words, the occasional "lawbreaker" pays the driving tax and the city collects the money. The people with a real problem rack up too many tickets for this and actually get the points.
#70
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 1,684
In some cities, they'll take the case and offer to only get paid if they get you off. $300 ticket, you lose, you pay the ticket. You win and you pay them $300. I've used a traffic lawyer before to great success. It's not just the fine, it's the points and insurance that matte as well.
I'd advise staying out of states that condone this kind of behavior.
#71
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: STL
Posts: 1,546
Yup, that's the name of the game in many places.
Around here it's a bit different: You take an online "traffic school" and they'll reduce it to a parking violation. The clerks will offer you this if you haven't done it in the last 12 months, the judge will offer this if you haven't done it for the same offense in the last 12 months.
In other words, the occasional "lawbreaker" pays the driving tax and the city collects the money. The people with a real problem rack up too many tickets for this and actually get the points.
Around here it's a bit different: You take an online "traffic school" and they'll reduce it to a parking violation. The clerks will offer you this if you haven't done it in the last 12 months, the judge will offer this if you haven't done it for the same offense in the last 12 months.
In other words, the occasional "lawbreaker" pays the driving tax and the city collects the money. The people with a real problem rack up too many tickets for this and actually get the points.
#72
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Join Date: Jun 2005
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The on-line version is reading material and a quiz.
#73
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There are small towns in Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland that are exactly like this. They will give a ticket (particularly if they see out of state tags) for anything over the limit, realizing that most people won't fight it. Even if the OP has been doing 31 or 32 he would have still probably gotten the ticket.
#74
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 408
I got a ticket last year and hired a lawyer for $40 to take care of it. What they did is they got it reduced to a nonmoving violation (loud muffler or some BS like that) with a higher fine. Lawyer gets their money. Municipality gets more money than if I just paid the ticket. My insurance company never finds out. Everybody wins.
So, win win for all 3 parties involved !
#75
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 226
To follow up on my other post, my speeding ticket court date was today and the lawyer emailed the following results: 90 Day Deferred Disposition and fine+court costs of $224. So, just got to make sure I don't get another speeding ticket in the city and the ticket will be dismissed from my driving record.
So it seems like the $50 I spent on the lawyer was worth it, assuming my insurance would have gone up with the ticket on my driving record.
So it seems like the $50 I spent on the lawyer was worth it, assuming my insurance would have gone up with the ticket on my driving record.