my first ticket.

[VSG]

In my experience (in MA at least) you sit in front of the magistrate and a statie.  And in both cases, the magistrate dropped the charges.  There may be some behind the scenes stuff going on, but I personally did not deal with a DA, and I have no citations on my record for MA.

[bosozoku]

my only problem with taking it to court is the 50$ court fee, then i have to take time off of work, then i have to pay for the gas to get there, so in the end itll just be like paying the 100$, just going to different people. if the ticket was for over 200$ i would but if i dont have anything to gain i dont really see a point ya know?

Waste the Pigs' Time (tm).  Why should THEY get your money easily?

-b.

[spc]

Ummmm.... JakeD correct me if I'm wrong, but charging a fee for a criminal case is absolute bullshit!!!!!!  ya'll must be really f%&ked up in your state

[Jake D]

In my state, and most states, you can't get a ticket amended without a lawyer.  Just like you can't get a prescription for medicine without a doctor.  Call it bullshit if you want.  I don't care.  I just get sick of this arm chair quarter backs assuming you can just walk into court and get a ticket thrown out.  It shows total ignorance for the legal system. 

[spc]

I've done it. Twice..........actually requires a decent knowledge of the legal system.  I do however get an attorney for the larger tickets ( had a few 30+ overs )

For this ticket, it does not make sense to get an attorney.  It's a $100 dollar ticket with no point assesment.  Here in Georgia 'under 14 over' isn't even reported to the DMV, so there's really no way for an insurance company to find out about it.  When, I was 18, I recieved my first speeding ticket for 16 over.  When I got to researching it, I determined the DA that was assigned to traffic shaZam! currently and went to talk to him.  He had the hearing pushed back a month and offered to drop it completely if I took a privately instructed defensive driving course.  Doing this will still cost you $$$ but the DD course will remove a few accumulated points and depending on situation, make you eligible for insurance discounts.  It's worth a try, but, yeah they probably will give you a bunch of shaZam! if you don't have a Lawyer.

[Jake D]

Say whatever you want.  I don't care.  I told him to "call an attorney".  I give people free consultations like 5 times a day.  If they don't need an attorney, I will tell them that.  Every state is different!  Don't you understand that?  There is no federal speeding tickets, so they differ by jurisdiction.  That is why the best way to find out is to call an attorney near you.  In my state, even +4 speeding tickets require an attorney for amendement.  So please. . . get that through your head.  It doesn't matter one little bit what you did in Georgia or what Peter did in Nebraska or what Jane did in Colorado.   So why don't you let it go? 

[spc]

Chill, Ok did a little browsing on law up that way,  Lawyer probably would be the best way to go.
Ya'll are all sorts of different.  If you have a relationship with an attorney already, go see them.  If not just randomly pick one.......it's a speeding ticket, they don't have to be brilliant to handle it

[Jake D]

Yesterday I got a guy out of a DWI and possession charge.  So sometimes you do have to be brilliant.  But for speeding tickets, you just have to have a pulse and a bar license.  Thanks for checking though.  I'd hate for you to have to take my word for it. 

[spc]

ehhhh........there are ways around having a bar license in a couple of states.........

Damn!...Good job on the DUI/Possession......

( Oh, I rarely take anyone's word for things, I like to see it in writing myself)

[Jake D]

You're in the military right?  Look, I don't claim to be an expert on the military just because I saw Heartbreak Ridge.  We all don't have to be experts in everything.  Or do you?   It just bothers me when people with no legal knowledge start popping off and giving legal advice when A) they have none; and B) when it has no relationship that a particular jurisdiction.  You telling a guy in MA that he doesn't need a lawyer because you don't need one in GA is crazy.  I hope you never need a lawyer Terry, but millions of people pay lawyers about $150-200 an hour for a very good reason.   And when a guy that makes $150 a hour gives you free advice, listen. 

[LPC2104]

And when a guy that makes $150 a hour gives you free advice, listen. 

Coke or Pepsi?

Thanks 

[bluelespaul]

i still dont know what im gonna do. ill see what my dad says haha. ill still check with the MSF instructor too, but ill probly just pay up.

[VSG]

Interesting article I just read about speeding tickets:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucru/20070731/cm_ucru/speedkillsyourwallet;_ylt=AqwPIoTTTjDvWHZkrZ05xu_9wxIF  Good reason to take a half day at work and just fight the ticket now.

You telling a guy in MA that he doesn't need a lawyer because you don't need one in GA is crazy.

I've already said this...  I live in MA.  I've gotten two tickets in MA.  I challenged both, and got them thrown out.  You do not need a lawyer for a 10 mph-over speeding ticket in MA.

Both times I went to court there were 8-10 other people who were fighting citations.  Not one of them had a lawyer with them.  A lawyer, in this situation, would be a waste of money.


Also, you're proud of the fact that you got a guy off a DWI and possesion charge?    No wonder so many people don't like lawyers.

[spc]

Jake: I'm not claiming to be an expert.  I'm not an attorney.  In a few years.........that'll be different.   I've been surrounded by the law the majority of my life and worked several summers as an investigator/assistant for a local lawyer who bills 600/hr.   

[bosozoku]

In my state, and most states, you can't get a ticket amended without a lawyer

I guess NJ is just nice then?  All minor tickets can pretty much automatically be plead down to an "unsafe driving" charge twice in 3 years.  Unsafe driving carries a $150 fine + $250 license surcharge but creates no points on your license.  No lawyer required, and for both tickets I got in the last 3 yrs, I got offered this plea by just showing up without a lawyer and talking to the DA.

-b.

[spc]

GOOD GOD $400 for a minor traffic ticket???

[bosozoku]

GOOD GOD $400 for a minor traffic ticket???

No points, though, and no requirement to go to traffic school or pay an attorney.  Spending a day at traffic school would cost me just as much, since my time's worth something too.  If you don't want to pay $400, you can fight the ticket (sometimes you DO win) or just pay the "normal" fine for the offense which is generally under $100 and take the points.

-b.

[spc]

Yeah, i guess to not have to sit through that allday bullshit traffic school, it could be worth it.
Didn't think about it that way.

[bosozoku]

Yeah, i guess to not have to sit through that allday bullshit traffic school, it could be worth it.
Didn't think about it that way.

Indeed.  I'd much rather just pay a fine and be done with it or even take a few points, than listen to some preachy professional do-gooder.  I'd have to smoke a lot of ... before I could tolerate a day of traffic school...

-b.

[spc]

I did it once........about half the people walked out or didn't come back after lunch break   It sucked......bad.  We had smoke breaks every 20 minutes, though.