Acurate

I got a ticket for doing 47 in a 30. The road was four lane!! Are you kidding me on the 30 mi/hr!!! The cop asked me if I knew why he pulled me over, and I said no. I asked to see the radar and he said that he was unable to lock it in. I asked him why not and he said that he was parked in a lot doing paper work and his radar alarm sounded. He looked at the gun and it read 47, then he looked up and saw that I was the only car on the road. I'm no lawyer, but I say there has to be a loophole in this somewhere. $142 bucks. Geez.

1StGenCL

That really sucks but didnt asking him to see the radar just piss him off even more making it so there was no chance of getting out of it or was he set on giving you a ticket. Either way it sucks but take it to court. See if you can find out his day off and go to courst that day.

JLai

Try $312 for 18 over

Fucken Tift County...damn rednecks :angry:

ATLcl98

You got your ticket in Tift county? That sucks ass, when i drive through the middle of GA i'm scared as hell. Why that much for just 18 over? Do you have to goto Tift County court to contest? Damn kid, you're never gonna have time to study for mcats with all your time in court :P

haiduc

the cop has to show you the reading on the radar detector if you requested it. that's bullshit. take it to court, and file a Motion of Discovery. plead not guilty. the cop will have to show all data on the radar gun. and make sure to bring up the point that he refused to show you the radar gun reading. asshole cop.:angry:

1StGenCL

I know this question isnt going to make me too popular but were you doing 47? I mean there are comments like "asshole cop" and such but if you were going that fast you deserve a ticket and the cop was just doing his job. You gotta admit that is well above the posted limit regardless of the road size. Sure you still can fight it to get a reduction in pts or whatever (even if you are guilty) but if you were going 47 its really not the cops fault

haiduc

i was calling the cop a but clown because he refused to show the reading.
but.. if you speed, you have a chanse of getting caught...

1StGenCL

Well from the cops i have talked to and what i have read, they dont have to show you the radar reading and dont even need one. Cops have to guess your speed within like 3 miles an hour before even using radar/laser

DJ Iceman

From what I've heard, cops can have themselves calibrated and approved as speed measurement devices, just like they do to their radar guns. As long as they can accurately, consistently gauge speeds within 3 MPH, they can go to court and "prove" that you were speeding with nothing more than their opinion.

tw1112

The police do not need to show you the radar. This is something that most people misunderstand. Even if the cop pulled you over and said he did not use the radar, he could just as well said that he observed you going about 47 and that is why he is pulling you over.

Asking for the radar is actually a sure way to get the ticket and not have a chance at a warning.

I think the reason for not having to show you the radar is because....well what good would that do? In a court, the radar is not going to be there anyways...It would be your word against his. That and for the fact that they clear the radar right after they hit you with it..

What you can do is go to the station, or on the court date, fight it with a lawyer and ask for the calibration information for his particular radar. If it is out of date then you go scot-free....if it is up-to-date, then hope that your lawyer can get the points kept off your record.

Good luck...sorry about your ticket.

exxxciteCL

Maybe this is a state by state thing? I've gotten pulled over for speeding three times in ohio. Twice without even asking I was led to the car to see the readout, offered copies of the laser gun manuals, certification for the cop's training in how to use it and also copies of certificates saying the gun was recently calibrated.

The cop told me they don't clear the readout till it's time to get back on the road, the guns show the readout until they press a button to clear it...

So maybe it being okay in some states to ask people think it's okay everywhere and it's getting you in trouble

haiduc

in MD you can ask to see the reading.... i guess it differes from state to state.

Acurate

OK, sorry it took so long to respond to you guys. My girlfriend's Dad is a highway patrollman. Here is the scoop. The radar gun is nothing more than a proof on an officers' opinion. If a cop observes you going 50 in a 30, he uses the radar to varify. It is not intended to be the only evidence. He also said that he believed that radar guns equiped with alarms were not admissable because often times by the time the cop identifies the speeding car, the car that tripped the gun may have turned off. That will be my line of defence. BTW, the cop was very nice and said that he always tries to save the image in the screen, but he did not have a chance that time. I think I have a chance. Oh, yes i was doing at least 47, but thats not the point. I have a right to a trial and I'm not just going to lay down and take $142 in the ass.

DJ Iceman

Just to make sure I understand: you openly admit that you were speeding (breaking the law) and you got caught by a police officer. There is no legitimate reason for you to not pay the penalty for this, but you are desperately trying to come up with some technicality or even better an outright deception in order to avoid a small fine. There were no other cars on the road, but your best defense is to claim that someone else tripped the radar and then turned off the road. Oh, and you're dating a policeman's daughter. Does that about sum it up?

I wish I was the judge when you take this one to court. Or the father of your girlfriend...

Acurate

Allright...
1.Yes, I was speeding. The road was four lane with a curbed median, and the speed limit is set at thirty??
2.Yes, I got caught by the policeman. I am not lying or decieving anyone. I am challanging the way the cop does his job. If he parks in a lot doing paperwork, then he should not be running radar. The fact is, that I could have been a innocent driver doing 30 and have another car behind me trip the radar, then turn off. I am protecting the integrity of the system. Same as a defense attorney gets a murderer off because of an illegal search, I am protecting the rights of all by getting my guilty self off.
3.A portion of my ticket is court costs. So if I am going to pay a court cost, then they are going to have to prove in court that I was definatly the car that was speeding beyond a reasonable doubt. If they can't do this, then I don't have to pay.
4.It's not a small fine. It's a small fine followed by a huge insurance hike up of my rates. Did you know that almost all of the radar units carried my police were funded my insurance companies???
5.My girlfriends Dad is the one that coaches me on how to get out of tickets because he feels that the more people challange the system, the more efficient and less sloppy it will become.

nkx1

Whats wrong with trying to get out of paying for a petty speeding ticket? I mean lets be realistic, that ticket sounded pretty lame, and in my opinion it does not spound unreasonable for a person to want to get out of paying for a ticket. Its not like he killed someone or something, and cops screw people all the time (not all cops, but many). Just my $.02

Acurate

Thank you for your support. I just don't want to see inncent people getting ticketed for unfair tickets. We need to stand up, unite against tickets, and all will be well in the world.

Wait a minute, never mind. I just don't want to pay higher insurance.

DJ Iceman

Look, I can see both sides of the argument. Speed limits, in general, are set ridiculously low. Many cops spend their time filling government coffers with speed traps rather than preventing REAL crime. And you are certainly entitled to your day in court.

Nowhere in your previous posts did you indicate that you're fighting this to protect the integrity of the system and for the rights of all Americans. Are you sure you're not just rationalizing trying to protect your own wallet? Also, the purpose of the "day in court" is to protect the rights of the innocent against corrupt or incorrect charges, not to let the blatantly guilty off on technicalities. Are you saying that you like and appreciate defense lawyers who get murderers and rapists off?

Also, insurance companies will typically leave your rates alone after just one ticket. After all, we ALL break traffic laws, and anyone can get caught once. So it's $142, and that should be it. It sucks, but if you're going to speed, then (in my view) you HAVE to be willing to accept the consequences.

Acurate

My answers to these questions may surprise you.

Yes, I do appriciate defense lawyers that get guilty people off on techs. And here is why: If a hundred murderers go free to protect one innocent accoused man, I think it is worth it. But I dont think it is near that extreme. Take OJ, guilty as fuck, but found not guilty. What came out in the trial was that LA Police are sloppy dumbasses. I bet that police work in LA County is shit loads better now than five years ago. Also, I think that tickets and speed traps are used as revenue channels for cities. Those police should be out making sure that rapists or murderers don't get off on techs, like taking classes on how to be good cops. I do not dislike policemen at all. In fact, I respect their difficult jobs. But I do not agree with the manner in which I was ticketed, so therefore I will fight it. I am 21 years old, my insurance will care. I can assure you of this.

GoldieAlek

hey dude go to court you wont get point but will get fine but hey at least your insurance wont go up !!!!!!!!!!! you dont even need a lawyer for this ! just go to court

DJ Iceman

Our legal system is, in fact, set up to free 100 guilty people so that not 1 innocent person will be punished. That doesn't mean that I admire or respect in any way the sleazy defense attorneys who will represent guilty clients and pervert the system to get them off. OJ got off for two reasons only--race, and money. That's not supposed to be the American way. Yes, I'm naive, but I like myself better that way.

I must say that I'm impressed with you for resisting making this a personal issue between us and keeping it a more cordial discussion of ethics and morals. I have another question for you that is not intended as a personal slam, but if you're 21 years old and know that a ticket will casue you great financial harm, then why do you speed?

Acurate

Its not a personal issue between us. Just disagreement along ways of thinking about a specific point.

I drive safely at almost all times. If I was drag racing on that street and I got caught, different reaction on my part.

I was driving at an extremely safe rate of speed: 47 m/h.

The speed limit was a ridiculous 30.

I wish I had pictures of the road to post. Then you would get my point.

OJ had the money to show how shitty LA County police and prosecutors were. I am using neither money nor race to make my point, merely representing myself in a court of law. It's kinda fun to excersise my rights. If I win, go me. If not, then I will have learned from the experience anyway. Win win for me, as I see it.

nkx1

In CA, you can go to traffic school to avoid the points on your record, and therefore, the insurance rate increase. Thats what I did for my ticket. That might be an option for you if your objective is to pay the least amount of money overall. (insurance goes up for 3 yrs after a ticket)