Ticket prices? [Archive]

kartweb

07-14-2006, 10:23 PM

Ohio sucks. I lived there once upon a time and left as soon as I could.

Just north of Columbus there is a world famous speed trap. I think it's US23 and I can recall there was a something like a Chem-Lawn Headquarters along the way. Speed Limit was 45. Years ago my wife & I were traveling through to return for my 10th high school reunion. We were intentionally driving 40MPH getting passed constantly yet we managed to get pulled over for doing 56. I think it had a lot to do with the NC plates on a black 911SC.

I considered fighting it but my schedule wouldn't allow it. So on the way home we laid claim to an item that belonged to the county and had, well lets say far more scrap value then the ticket plus resulting increase in insurance and the cost of having the item shipped back to NC had cost me. (Too big to fit in the Porsche for the ride home, so I rented a van for a day to pick it up, package it, and drop it at a freght forwarder). It was unfortunate that the item probably cost the county 50 times the scrap value I got from it. Thats the only time I've ever maliciously broken the law. I left a note that asked how many bogus tickets would it take to buy a new sculpture.

At the time the cost would have been something like $25 + court costs ($35) for about $60. Insurance was another story. At the time in NC we had no 2 point grace. That cost me another $900 over 3 years.

On the other hand there are some clever ways to beat just about any radar ticket. Time-speed-distance. In most states the officer has to make both a visual estimate of speed and uses the radar as a back-up. (In NC speeding is covered under General Stautute 20-138, subsection 'a' deals with the visual, subsection 'b' deals with "apparatus").

If you open the testimony right you need to give a meek impression. Point out any conditions that could "inhibit" the officers view of you to make an assessment. Then take charge when you get a chance to cross-examine the officer. Make him/her think you're going to challenge their ability to visually assess your speed. Ask them how long they observed you for. They always say longer then they did see you for. Once the court reporter has logged the officer's statements and they won't be struck out, it's time to pounce. Better be fast with math.

If the officer saw you for 30 seconds over a distance of 1500 feet, thats 50 feet per second. 1500 feet is usually the standard distance (3/10 mile). To convert miles per hour (MPH) to feet per second (FPS) = 44/30 or to be simple *1.5. Obviously to convert FPS to MPH, divide by 1.5. 50FPS = 33MPH.

Now you get the idea. Here's why it works; if the officer testifies mathmatically that you were NOT speeding, then he technically dismisses the radar. Radar cannot testify.

Now of course some podunk county courts have judges that don't care about justice and they'll find you guilty anyway. If you don't mind dealing in courts, that actually offers you an opprtunity to earn some cash back! You'll have to appeal which brings the case to a real court with a jury. No prosecuter ever wants to hold a speeding case in a jury court, and few officers ever show up when they do. That's a free ticket. But in the case where they actually do hold a trial and if you've got your act together you'll win. That opens up the door for charges of false arrest - at which time you'll probably want a lawyer. However when it's gone to an appellate court because the judge overruled the officers own testimony - you've got a potential reward of up to $5000 coming.