Now I know I drive fast but I never do anything reckless but I got a ticket last Thursday for 75 in a 55 on the LIE in Suffolk County.

This is my first ticket in 6 years and I am trying to decide if I want to fight it. The problem is that the jurisdiction the violation is in doesn't plea bargain at all, which would mean that I would probably need a lawyer to fight it.
Now the problem is do I pay the $140 fine and take the 4 points (I have preferred driver from Allstate, and they won't raise my rates for the points) or do I pay a lawyer $350 to possibly get me out of it and if not I still have to pay the $140.

 

i'd say just suck it up and pay it.

 

Take defensive driving. The ticket will not show up on your record and you can receive a discount on your insurance.

Check into it.

 

pay it. why pay extra money if the points dont even matter

 

Doesn't work that way in NY. Defensive driving will knock 3 points off your license but the ticket still shows up on your record. And I already have that discount. I took the course about a year and a half ago.

 

pay it. my insurance doesnt raise my rates either for any ticket i've ever gotten. u gonna spend more fighting it.

 

sounds like you have thought it out well, just pay it

 

That's crazy! In that case, pay the ticket.

 

just pay it . take the northern state all the way to the end and make a right at the court building.

its the one with the army guys in front of it. (i had a lot of speeding tickets in the past)

i live in Dix Hills - whatya say we meet up before the weather gets shitty?

 

dont pay it, that will be wreckless driving charge on your liscene. i was in VA 3 weeks ago and got a 74 in a 55, im one mph shy of having a wreckless driving charge. i saw get a lawyer. better be safe than sorry

 

I pleaded not guilty. But I am not getting a lawyer. One of my co-workers was in that court 3 months ago with his father and he was telling me that the judge was lowering the charges on people with clean records. Worst comes to worst I'll plead guilty when I get there.

 

Not in NY. reckless charge is a separate summons.

Some courts will lower the speed, but others like in NYC won't.

 

That's what I would do. If your record is good most times the judge will dimiss the points & just give you the fine. Oh & $350 for a lawer? That's nuts! Here in FL they are $75-$100 & if they don't get the points off they refund your money.

 

Definitely plead not guilty. You will have to go to court and then there are a couple of scenarios. If the cop does not show, you can ask that it be dismissed. It probably will not be and you have to go back again. If the cop does not show again they have to dismiss.
If the cop shows up the first time, you can legally ask for 1 adjournment. Simply state that you need time to seek counsel. Then you hope the next time the cop doesn't show up. It is worth a shot. I used the second scenario, and my tickets got dismissed. Good luck!

 

Ok, listen up.

You can do this all by mail. Write a letter explaining yourself. Make up some believable bs if necessary. I used to live in NY and they always reduced tickets. You have a much much better chance of getting it reduced wtih a letter than you do standing in front of the judge. A lawyer for 22 mph over? Sounds like a waste of money. If this was me I'd expect best case: reduced to parking on pavement with hefty fine (more than the fine for speeding) because parking on pavement is a zero point violation which the insurance company will never ever hear about; worst case: reduced to a 2 point moving violation with fine. Never "suck it up and pay" as some people here have said. Speeding tickets are just a money maker for the state. These people are not out to get you. As long as you're polite and they can make some money out of the situation you'll get a reduction.

Seriously, write a letter, explain yourself, be POLITE, and you should get good results. And don't say ... duhh sorry I was speeding.

Oh yeah, don't listen to all this bullshit about the cop not showing up ... even if the cop doesn't show up the judge will assign another cop to his case and you'll get screwed. Getting a case dismissed is nearly impossible.

Also to all those people who say "you shouldn't have been speeding and you deserve it so just pay": in the allmighty words of George Carlin: "EAT ME"!

 

First of all, Suffolk county does not reduce tickets. Each county is different. In Suffolk you are either guilty or not, but they definitely will not reduce the infraction. Interesting that you think it is impossible to have a case dismissed when I in fact did. And "assign another cop to the case"? You have no idea what you are talking about. The cop that wrote the ticket must testify!

 

Correction: Suffolk county does not publicly reduce tickets

Next: I said nearly impossible, not impossible.

Last: I'll elaborate on that "assign another cop to the case" statement. When people say the cop must show up it means for a trial. I had a ticket where I plead not guilty and then went back for the trial date. The cop was not there and another cop took his place. The judge allowed this. Do you know why the judge allowed this? Because of what the ticket issuing officer wrote down. Written testimony. So apparently I do know what I'm talking about. Also, had I not dealt with the other officer the judge was going to suspend the case until the ticket issuing officer was able to be present.

But hell, if he wants to try your under the judge's bench tactics more power to him.

 

I'm a police officer and what people don't understand is that every court is different. It all comes down to what the judges allow. Some judges are very flexible on what they will allow you to plea to and others only allow you to lower the speed on a speeding ticket.
I've been to various traffic courts in the NY and each one does things a little different.

If I were you I would plead not guilty and see if you get lucky in court, either the cop doesn't show up or the speed will be reduced (to avoid a trial). Worse case you will just be found guilty and pay the fine.
Either way you have nothing to lose if you go to court.

good luck
esti