Phayen

Hey guys,

So I got my first speeding ticket in my 8 a couple of weeks ago. I'm going to try to fight it (especially since I can't take traffic school anyway), I was wondering what people had to say on the best way to go about things. I got it on the 405, near Compton. 79 in a 65. Ticketed for 83. Oh, and it was like 7 in the morning on a Saturday. Worst luck ever.. Yeah, I guess I should be more specific of what I'm looking for. Has anyone here fought tickets in the LA area? Should I get a deposition/officer's notes? Represent myself or anyone know a cheap ticket lawyer? Any and all advice will be appreciated, I want to be prepared!

chickenwafer

iTrader: (9)

I haven't fought tickets in LA area but in PHX it's a bitch. The legal system is rigged here. And I work in the legal system!
Was there any traffic when you got pulled over? As long as you keeping up with traffic you can fight it legit. Or near the section on the complaint where he listed the speed you were going there is a section that has the speed recording device the officer used (radar, VASCAR, or other) and if none is marked then you can question what device he used to record your speed. Or you can hope he just doesn't show up to your court date and it's dismissed. The easiest way to do that is to call the court 2 weeks before you date and ask for a contuination of a week or so, so then the officer has to rearrange to make it.

pret

$1500, lawyer, plea "speed greater then reasonable", no points, $200 court fine, no increase in insurance if u dont switch in two years. Here in phx. dont ask how i know that. yes court system rigged, helps to have lawyer who used to work in the court you have to go to.

lone_wolf025

What pret said. Get a lawyer to back you up. You should be able to find one that is a reasonable price. Without the lawyer the best you can do is hope for a no show or make a deal. Otherwise whatever excuse you can think of the judge has already heard too many times already.

Phayen

How would I go about "making a deal"?

poorman

i heard u can also fight by mail. this forces the officer to write one as well. If you lose your still entitled to another trial in front of a judge. just gives you another chance of the cop not performing

not sure about the second trial though may be an old law?

lone_wolf025

Typically when you show up the prosecutor will eventually make his way to you and present you with a slightly better deal than if you just plead guilty.

EDZRIDE

iTrader: (1)

Try this:

http://www.ticketassassin.com/

guy321

If you were speeding, pay the ticket and stop trying to dodge responsibility.

Phayen

It was more than that, I was literally the slowest car (still mid 70's w/ cruise control on) on the road, in the carpool lane. I was changing lanes to the right to let people pass me. And I got a ticket... for going slower than traffic and by helping the flow of traffic. And I don't mind paying the ticket, 250 bucks is a price I willingly pay to go 75 instead of 65. Its the insurance that hurts. Being 21, single, and an rx-8 hurts bad enough on insurance, let alone with a point.

guy321

^^ In that case it sucks, most cops will let you go with the flow of traffic.. guess he didn't like your car!

8rotor8

iTrader: (2)

Just hope you don't get a jerk of a Judge and he'll ask you, "How fast were you going?", you, "75mph"
Judge, "what's the posted speed limit?"
you, "65mph"
Judge, "You were speeding, NEXT!!!"

True story.......

Phayen

What I really think happened was my g/f was sleeping in the passenger seat. (Not like laid back, just sitting and sleeping) But maybe the cop ... I don't know didn't see her or something and turned the lights on and then when the cop came over and saw my g/f had to come up with something else? And has anyone paid for that trafficassassin.com business before?

8rotor8

iTrader: (2)

Just pay it and take traffic school if you can. You're wasting a lot of time and energy to fight this. You can come up with as many excuses as you can, but it's his words against yours.

Go to the court, they'll reduce bail at the window. Talk to the Judge if you'd like, if you were going 72-73 then he might let you off if it's your first ticket, 75+ forget it. Bite the bullet and move on....

Dave Gotwisner

It depends. When I got busted in the 80's for driving real fast [120MPH in a stock 1st gen, cop wrote me up for 130] (with a just illegal blood alchol count), I was written up for a dry reckless (2 points, huge fine). They could have written me up for a wet one (2 points, huge fine, suspended license, possible jail time), but my lawyer said being right at the limit was iffy for them. Being a reckless, I think I needed to go to court, anyway.

My lawyer said to plead guilty, since they could change it at trial to a DUI, if they wanted to. I went to court, the judge was retiring the next day, so "pled" me down to a speeding ticket. Of course, these were the days of traffic school to get rid of 1 point tickets, so I went and ended up not paying a fine, and not getting a point on my license.

The other interesting thing here, is that the prosecutor who agreed to the Judge's proposal is now the Alameda County DA, and has a rep as a hardass. Go figure. I considered the whole thing a gift from God that it went the way it did.

Dave Gotwisner

Aw, got busted for speeding in San Diego in my stock first gen a long time ago. I lived in the bay area at the time (still do). Cop REALLY wanted to give me a ticket (he was admiring the car, and it was the only sporty one going down the road at the time). I gave him my car keys, l let him drive it. He got his wow's, and when he came back, I didn't get a ticket. Of course, I was young then, I would never do that again (give the keys, that is).

By the way, traffic (what little of it there was) was doing about 75, I was doing about 80. Speed limit at the time was 55.

Phayen

Just thought I'd post an update. I ended up fighting it via an extension and a written declaration and found out that I won! Keep your hopes up if you get tickets unjustly!

poorman

congrats

CRX Millennium

iTrader: (1)

For the uninitated, please elaborate on trial by written declaration and your defense (ie: technicality of device used for measuring speed, et cetera). Thanks

Phayen

As for elaboration on those things. I did everything via the internet on the superior court of la website. (I got the ticket on the 405 through compton). You have two basic ways to fight a ticket. You can go to court and do it in person or you can apply to do it via "written declaration". You can select either option online, but either way you still need to pay your bail. I picked the written declaration, cause I'm lazy and it gave me more time. (I also decided to go for the extension to provide more time in between ticket and time to fight it to further fog the cop's memory) .With written declaration they give you a bunch of time to write something up. I put that I wasn't guilty and why. I said it couldn't have been me the cop was targeting due to the large discrepancy in the speed they clocked me and the speed I was going. You send it in, then the cop does his. If the cop doesn't submit one in enough time though, you win by default. like the cop not showing up in court. If the cop does send one in, you either win or lose depending on the judge's decision. In case you lose, you can still file for a "trial de novo" which is a new trial. This one has to be in person, but everything is new. You get a new judge and go to court against the cop. This gives you another chance for the cop not to show up, and another chance to pit your argument against him in front of a new judge. If you guys have any questions I can get more details on specific forms/strategys people use. (I've done my research Good luck to everybody out there!

CRX Millennium

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the elaboration. So you won by the LEO not submitting a response I took it in your case? Congrats on sticking it to the man!

KoHC

Details! Just post them or direct us to the site(s) you visited. It may come in handy someday....