icu2cop

Was driving with a friend from his house to a restaurant in Woodbury, CT. I go around a slight bend in Flanders Rd, I see a cop at a stop sign facing perpendicular to the road. My escort S2 did not pick anything up. However i may have seen a small (~ 2-3 inch) solar panel like box aiming at me. So it MAY be LIDAR (in which case undetectable to me). Not sure though. I look @ my speed while i turn off my high beams and i was going a little below 55mph. I slow down and sure enough he pulls out and lights me up. The speed limit = 35. FYI anyone who knows this road - it could easily be 45-50mph.

The state cop asks me if I know why he pulled me over and i replied "sorry officer, I turned off my high beams as soon as I saw your car." He said "that's not why I pulled you over, you were going 53 mph." I did not respond (better to STFU and take it up in court), gave him my license and registration and he went back to his car.

Came back with a ticket, told me to slow down, and I proceeded to leave the area. Gave the ticket to my friend to check the damage.... Turns out the guy wrote down 58 mph and charged me the max amount of $211 (instead of what he told me I was going @ 53mph). BTW - there is NO way that I was going 58. it was most definitely a careless error on the cop's part.

I sent the ticket in signed not guilty and plan to fight it.

I am looking for AW input regarding this ticket. The big question is how much can I rely on the fact the officer wrote a speed different than what he said... as my primary argument to get out of this ticket?

If that doesn't work, I can always revert to the old fashion way of
1) asking for proof from the radar device itself (some kind of numerical mph output),
2) the last time the device (if any was used to tag me) was calibrated. If it is within the guidelines that the state mandates, etc...

Please let me know your thoughts on how I should handle this in court. My date is to be announced. Thanks!!

Raistlin

That should get you a smaller ticket. My guess is that you don't know any lawyers in your state. If so you could get their advice.

MikTip

Lawyer...

quattrothatcould

Unforunately, its often the cops word vs yours, in which case the cop would win. The prosecuter may be willing to work with you based on the descrepency, and best case senario you'll pay the fine related to the 53mph. Good luck

Teknic

If you just pay the ticket it will not show up on your record (No insurance rate increase). If you fight it they may reduce the fine, but they will make you plead guilty to a lesser charge - most likely increasing your insurance rate.

MikTip

have realized they can keep a large amount of the revenue's generated by tickets, inside the state, buy having lawyers reduce the tickets to where it doesnt go on your insurance.

This way you pay the state $200-$300, vise a 60% Insurance rate increase for 3 years.

If you get a ticket in the state I live in, within days several lawyers have mailed you, offering to have the ticket fixed, for a nominal fee.

Its much more advantagious to pay the lawyer, and be done with it, than to pay the insurance rate increase for 3 years ;o)

diagnosticator1

many times, a lawyer familier with the jurisdiction, can get the charge dismissed. The cost for the legal fee is much less than the fine and increased insurance will be otherwise. No guarantee, but the chances for success with a lawyer are much better than without.

tuneda4

they arent looking to waste time. take what they offer and move on.

A4 to the T

instead of clogging up the sysetm with moving violations. If you are not happy with the offer they give you then fight it, but in my experience the courts tend to favor the officer. I tried the calibration, weather, etc. in NJ with out much luck.