Traffic Tickets/Court appearance helpful?

[cooprules]

I recently received a ticket for not switching lanes for an emergency vehicle with it's lights on. The ticket was for $250. Wondering if it would be worth my while to make the court appearance. Have to admit I'm guilty in the strict sense of the law (which I didn't even know was a law) so I'd plead "no contest". By the time I came up on the police car (who had someone pulled over) I didn't want to risk switching lanes (I was on the interstate). Just wondering if they'd reduce the fine at all. Haven't had any experience with this.

[Brian the Automator]

Go to court .. you'll more than likely get a reduction of the fine and points off your license.

[patrickgpe]

i had 2 speeding tickets in my life (on from the county one from the city) and both times i went to court and pleaded no contest and while still had to pay the same fine, in both cases my points were reduced to zero. Therefore that wouldn't effect my insurance rates.

[dadofandrew]

Unless you're going to contest it, why go to court? I'd pay it and use the time doing something you enjoy.

[bball123h]

Was there a car alongside you preventing you from moving over? Did you slow down while passing the officer's car? A yes to either of those questions would probably help reduce or eliminate your ticket.

[Brian the Automator]

Unless you're going to contest it, why go to court? I'd pay it and use the time doing something you enjoy.

It's not the cost of the ticket that's the stinger, it's the points on the license.

 

[dadofandrew]

I've never worried about points, as even when was delivering I never was close to losing my license. Hence, I do not know much about them, other than they exist.

[Teatoe993]

Take it from a dude who's been pulled over 40+ times in his life. Contest the ticket. Even if you are blatantly guilty. The fine is no big deal. But the points will cost you for years and years because your insurance premiums will go up. If you can do anything to get those reduced or eliminated, it will be well worth it. Points will typically be reduced just for the effort of showing up to court. Getting a lawyer involved is also a huge advantage. My attorney almost drove a policewoman to tears when he went to bat in my defense. I felt bad, but he got my ticket completely eliminated.

FIGHT THE POWER!

[pretendastronaut]

If you go in, they'll announce at the beginning of the day what you'll be offered. I had a speeding ticket last summer. The fine wasn't reduced, but they classified it as a faulty odometer and reduced the points, so my insurance wasn't effected.

 

When you have to plead, you can say, "not guilty" which you do to proceed to a jury trial, or you can plead guilty or no contest. The no contest thing I thought was funny to me, because it is supposed to mean, you're not saying if you're guilty or not, but you're willing to take the punishment. When I went in, I was the only one who had the fortitude to actually go up there and say guilty instead of no contest.

[pretendastronaut]

Getting a lawyer involved is also a huge advantage. My attorney almost drove a policewoman to tears when he went to bat in my defense. I felt bad, but he got my ticket completely eliminated.

 

I think this is on a very specific case by case basis. When I got a speeding ticket last year, I started receiving offers from all kinds of attorneys to go to court and "fight for me". When I went in, 99% of those attorneys did nothing different than I would have been able to do myself, other than they got to do it first. They all come in and have a special section to sit in. The court workers all knew them by name, handed them their cases, and 99% of them that morning settled out the exact same way as what everyone sitting in court was offered. I don't know what those guys cost, but it wouldn't be worth hiring them in most cases from what I saw.

Obviously Teatoe993's situation was different if it progressed to actually having the policewoman on the stand, but if you're not going that deep into the process, they don't gain you any extra advantage other than being there to file it on your behalf.

[Teatoe993]

This is true Pretend. My attorney worked in trade. We fix his vehicles, he fights my family's tickets. I've no idea what he would cost if I actually had to pay. And all the stuff he's done, I could have done myself except for one case that actually went to trial.

[burniebrewer]

Two comments:

 

1. Coop- How did they get you for this? Did they stop writing the ticket on the side of the road and chase you down for not yielding? Send a backup after you or what?

 

2. Teatoe- 40+ pullovers? Wow.

[pretendastronaut]

I can say that when I was there last year, they did specifically mention that ticket as a really important thing to do as there had been some pretty serious injuries to police officers in recent years.

 

I don't know if a lot of people realize this is the law, but I have noticed an abundance of signs on the road informing people to do this in recent months.

[bball123h]

You need look no further than the mother and son from Gurnee, IL who were killed on 94 while changing a tire about a week ago. The law may even extend beyond emergency vehicles and to any vehicle with its hazards on.

 

I'm surprised there aren't more injuries, as it seems like many people never bother to slow down or move over.

[cooprules]

Believe me, I'm normally the first guy to pull over in those situations. My dad was volunteer firefighter for 25 years. There's been so many times I've gone by a cop with it's lights on on the interstate so I never thought of it. I'm sure I had room to move over and I did not slow down. My cruise was at 68. When I went by I could tell the officer was on his way back to the car. I do feel bad about but I had no idea it was a law. I remember thinking to move over but I didn't want to just fly over into the left lane. The worst part is I had a speeding ticket a while ago that I definitely should've went to court for (to reduce the points) and I didn't. So this one kind of puts my points in a bad situation.

[dadofandrew]

Why do they drop the points if you contest? That seems strange. I understand they still get the money, but it seems unfair to those who admit guilt and pay, and to the insurance companies, who apparently can't just look up fines?

[pretendastronaut]

They don't automatically drop the points, sometimes its reduced points. It all depends on the severity of the ticket. For instance, they will announce, if you were going 5-10 miles over, we will call your ticket a faulty odometer and drop the points. If you're 11-15 miles over, its something else and 2 points. I don't remember what it was specifically. I know mine I was going 9 over and I got the faulty odometer and no points.

 

As to why they do it, my assumption has always been to move people through the court system faster. If everyone wanted to get in front of the judge and plead a case for a reduced penalty, the courts would be way more full than they are now. It'd be a nightmare. I don't believe for a second that when my insurance sees a faulty odometer on my record, that they don't realize it was a reduced speeding ticket.

[patrickgpe]

well if that isn't a moving violation, i don't think the insurance company sees it. I could be wrong, but I thought faulty odometer was on the same level as a parking ticket. It does seem odd that all you have to do to keep you insurance rates low, go to court for an hour or 2 and pay your fine, but thats the system that we put into place.

[bigredrobbo]

Why do they drop the points if you contest? That seems strange. I understand they still get the money, but it seems unfair to those who admit guilt and pay, and to the insurance companies, who apparently can't just look up fines?

 

It's not a question of dropping the points if you contest. Just because you contest doesn't mean you win the case. They'll usually drop points even if you don't contest. However, the act of going to court shows contrition and is (they hope) a deterrent to doing the offense again.

 

Bottom line, unless you are in a job where you absolutely cannot attend the court date, go to court and plead no contest. If you contest the charge you'll have to come back for the follow up case where you'll have to have all your legal ducks in a row (and by the sound of it, you were in the wrong anyway). Ignorance of the law is no defense, so I wouldn't go down that route. Just say that you've learned your lesson and you'll be more vigilant in future and ask for either a smaller fine, or fewer (or no) points. You'll get the reduced penalty, I guarantee it.

[temke]

i wouldnt be surprised if the courts are not lenient with this case. there has been a huge push for the slow down/move over campaign.

 

i also think it would be hard for either side to prove whether or not someone "slowed down"

[Blancofan1]

so, my gf just got pulled over going 47 in a 30 today and got a $109 and 4 point ticket. Is there somewhere you can check to see how many points she has earned or does anyone know who long points stay on your license before being reset? I told her going to court was probably the best idea, but just want to know how close she may be to getting enough, I believe it's 12, points to really be in jeopardy of losing her license.

[endaround]

Its 12 and its 3 years. And each point affects insurance rates ntil you earn them back.

Courts do it because of contrition and partly because people who come back are going to be local. Its always worth it to go. They drop severity by one degree on speeding tickets in most cases.

[Roscoe Chill]

It is 12 points, but it is one year. The three years are how long moving violations stay on as far as insurance purposes go.

[temke]

FYI

 

http://www.dot.state.wi.u.../drivers/points/point.htm

[Blancofan1]

thanks for all of the help finding out the info. I am no longer concerned about her earning enough points to lose her license but think she should still go to court to hopefully stop our insurance from going up that much