I got ticketed doing 95 MPH on a 65 MPH zone today, for a total damage of $180. I don't usually drive that fast (at least I don't drive that fast with nobody else on the road, silly me), but I was trying to avoid the freezing rain that's falling on KC today. Darn luck!

For those of you familiar with Kansas City metro, I got the ticket at Milepost 160 of K-7 (south of Shawnee Mission Parkway). He got me with good old radar.

Does anyone know if it's worthwhile fighting this ticket or getting a ticket lawyer? Or should I just cough up the cash with a No Contest? I haven't had a ticket in over 3 years. I'm sure my insurance isn't going to get cheaper now.

What's more, the officer cited me for not having a registered tag! What on earth? I think my Acura dealer failed to pass my paperwork to the State of Kansas! I have to appear in court now, even if it's just to straighten things out.

Nasty!

 

can't you spend 8 hours in traffic school to avoid getting the point. I'm not sure what the rules are where you live, but in CA you still have to pay the ticket, but you avoid the point so your insurance company can't jack the rates on you.

 

you should be able to take the 8 hour class. In Nebraska, you just pay the fee for the class, not the ticket. Which is around 100 bucks.

 

Dave, you're the last person I would expect to get a ticket for speeding. Kinda crappy that you were nailed when you were by yourself on the road. Same thing happened to me but my ticket was a lot more severe. Remember this?

 

Thanks for the sympathy guys. I'd rather take a class than have the ticket on my record any day. DURN IT! I was trying to avoid an ice storm and I drove faster than usual to avoid a dangerous driving condition and what did I get?

Where can I find out what my options are? I'd rather give my $180 to a lawyer than to the State of Kansas any time. I heard there's a law about paying more than your ticket and not having it appear in your records, etc.

Or maybe I should just show up in court and try to see if the cop shows up.

The registration is even worse. I called Superior Acura and they said that I was responsible for registering the car. What? This is the first time I've bought a car in Kansas, and my salesman made it sound like they've got all the paperwork done for me.

Now what? I'm going to call the DMV and figure out what I can do.

 

dave sorry to hear about that man. I hate tickets. You may find that a lawyer is a good route. A good friend of mine (with wealthy, spoiling parents) in high school seriously got 5 high speed tickets such as yours in as little as 4 years and he got out of every single one of them. I'm just as amazed as you probably are, and I've always never gotten out of one of mine, but then again I've never used a lawyer.

Either way, good luck!

 

from what i know is that if you over pay the ticket they will send you a refund check.. as long as you dont cash the refund check file will never be closed... just remeber to never cash the check... i am not sure if that works anymore but someone told me it still does....

 

I highly doubt the US government is stupid enough to not have a way around that loop-hole. They don't care if you over-pay.
BTW, this topic has already been discussed in this thread: http://www.acura-tl.com/forum/showth...threadid=29572

 

Damn, I got nailed today for speeding too. 63 in a 35.....$247.

 

Urban legend...

 

Let me tell you from someone that actually tried it... it DOES NOT work. The gov't is more than happy to cash in free money to them.

 

This is an urban legend. Check out this link.

Who can I call about this for advice? Anyone recommend a good traffic ticket cop in the KC area?

 

Daverman,

Sorry to hear about your bad news.

I recommend that you review your paperwork when you purchased your car to see if the dealership included "Tax, Tags, and License (TTL)" in the "Out the door" price.

If they did, then they should have registered your car for you. If they didn't, then I guess that ball's in your court. By the way, when did you buy your car?

V.

 

You know whats bad, is sometimes you dont even realize you are going that fast...The ride is so smooth...I think you should just go to court and see what are your options...anythings better than pleading guilty and having your insurance find out...Shyne

 

I've had a ticket in Kansas (Leawood to be exact) and I simply went down to the courtroom, paid double and they forgot the whole thing. It's a racket but I'm pretty sure it's standard in Kansas; no lawyer required. Never heard of traffic school in Kansas.

Wow, $180 is minor; Kansas just tripled the fines beginning 2001. Was it a Trooper?

I purchased my car at Jay Wolfe in Missouri and within 30 days I have to visit Kansas and register (pay sales tax, registration, inspection, etc).

 

Yes indeed, it was a TTL agreement. However, phone calls to Superior Acura revealed that they don't handle paperwork for purchases, only leases. How nice for my salesman not to inform me of this! When I purchased my Accord in OK the dealership took care of everything.

Anyway, I'm going to KS DMV tomorrow or something (if this snowstorm lets up) and figure out what I have to do for registration.

Kensteele: I think I'm going to just pay double; I'm sure my insurance increase is going to cost me more than that. Besides I want my clean record clean!

Shyne: Ain't that the truth! I was cruising at 95 on the open road, and it felt like I was going 55. I tell you, this car cruises like a dream.

Thanks all for your moral support. I know it's no biggie and I'll probably laugh at it next month, but what an aggravation.

Add to that the wife's lecture... shudder!

 

daverman:
http://www.magma.ca/~fyst/

And yes, friend got a speeding ticket, followed this thing like the Bible...got out of it with no problem. Another suggestion...for a week call the guy's office who gave you the ticket, find out what his hours are by when he doesn't pick up. Schedule your court time when he's supposed to be off...chances are he won't show up. My friend's cop didn't.

Austin519

 

I'm going to take that website with a grain of salt, as it's written for Canada, but it does have some interesting ideas.

 

Daverman:

I am the master of getting tickets, consequently, I have made the justice sytem my *****, well not really but,

Here is my resume:

4/20/2001
At fault accident I was ticketed with the following:
uninsured motorist
unregistered vehicle
reckless driving

no lawyer, all thrown out of court.

december 2001

75 in a 55, speeding in NJ - friend of family lawyer fights in court, thrown out with 150 in fines.

65 in a 50 less than one week later in Md.
Show up to court (same court room as first incident) thrown out w/ probation.

 

You lucky, lucky man.

But how is thing going to help me exactly?

I'm going to call the court to reschedule the date, to see if I can catch the cop when he's not available. I'm also going to write the police dept. to give me proof of the officer's written statement (if any), their radar gun calibration and maintenance records, and the patrol car's rounds schedule, just to see if there are any holes I can punch in their case.

 

check your pm

 

Yo whatever you do..... check you pm for the 3rd time!!!

you are making a big mistake!

 

my last suggestion would be to move out of LENEXA wtf is that name????

 

MikeyB: thanks for all your info! It's greatly appreciated. I'm going to read up on some stuff now... in the big picture, I don't mind just paying the fine as long as it doesn't raise my insurance rates.

OR I could just pay off the devil, and cough up 2x the fine amount. That way it would be erased for good, as if it never happened.

Welcome to capitalist America, my friend

PS: Don't knock Lenexa, my friend. It's one of the best neighborhoods I've even been to. Low crime, low cost, close to amenities, and oh so convenient.

But the cops are pretty sneaky.

 

daverman:
That's what another of my friends has been doing for quite some time out here in Austin. He gets a ticket, he pays $50 or so more than the ticket, no note, just the money...and the clerk gets the idea, takes the cash, "loses" the ticket...and he's cool. I can give you his AIM name if you like.

Austin519

 

Lexena, Leawood, Olathe, and Mission. All sneaky.

 

Sorry to hear about that daverman...Good luck pay 2x and they will switch it to it to a non moving violation

 

Sorry I don't have time to read this whole thing But I went in for a 60 in an 80 ($133 ticket) and asked for a "deferred" ruling (they'll explain it if you go in for mitigation) and paid $65 to get rid of the ticket and it isn't on my driving record (ie, no insurance increase). Basically they let you ask for a deferred ruling and if the ticket isn't real bad (like less than a few hundred probably) and you are a good guy (no ticket sin a while) then they give it to you an ou pay a small fine instead of the ticket. You can only do this once every 7 years though. Not sure if its a state law thing or what.

They put this into affect because (I believe this is right), by the letter of the law, courts cannot keep your ticket from your driving record. But some courts would do it anyway while others would stick to the law. This wasn't fair for people who get sent to the jerk off court. And so they made this deferred ruling law.

 

Who do I talk to to do this?

 

Good luck, i've tried fighting the ticket, i went to court 5 times, the judge keeping on postponing the actual court hearing everytime i show up the judge would just look at the case and then sets up another time for the case i got tired of getting off from work just to fight the dam ticket , i just pleaded not contest, i was fined$1,200 dollars and 5 days working for cal trans.
2 points on my record almost lost my licenses, the judge could have suspended it, so you guys becareful next time really avoid the cops, get a radar if you have to if you going to speed or race.

 

This is what they told me I could do after I showed up in the courtroom in Leawood.

 

daverman:
Nate is right...you can do that here in Texas...you may ask about that before you go pay double for the ticket. If you can't, then put some extra cash in there...

Austin519