KEVIN97A4

Yep... I got busted... clean record for 13 years...driving all over the north east and what do you know.. I get busted on I-87 driving to Montreal this weekend.

I was driving to montreal with my wife and baby and my parents were following us in their car.

During the trip I had my Escort 8500 X50 warn me of several X and Ka band radar traps in several locations and slowed down in time...

I then get pulled over by a New York State trooper (who I saw sitting on the grass) after I drove by him... I didnt even think anything was wrong as neither did my LASER or any Radar band went off...

He pulls me over in a HOLE IN THE WALL town 5 ****in hours from my house. He states he caught me doing 84 in a 65. I told him the truth. "Officer I'm sorry if I was speeding but I was looking at the navigation" When he asked me how fast I thought I was moving i stated "about 75".

He walks back and hands me a ticket.

States on it that he used a LTI-Ultralyte Laser and got me at 1010feet.

Any advice on what I should do? It doesnt even have a fine.. just mentions to please guilty or not guilty.

I searched on the NYS DMV site and 19mph over the limit equals to 4 points. Any idea what the actual fine will be? How much my insurance will go up? What can I do to beat this thing or get it reduced?

Keep in mind it's 5 hours from my house. I'm willing to pay a lawyer to take care of business so I can have a blemish free record.


Also I found out some more info as of yesterday.

It is not a TVB court (like in NYC where you cant plea bargain). It is a regular court and after I left a message for the courthouse I got a call back from the judge himself. (Judge Garrison, spelling?)

He knew that my ticket stated what I told to the cop.. that I was looking at the navigation and when he did pull me over I told him I was going 75. I'm dumb for making a statement like that because I basically already admitted to speeding 10mph over the limit... live and learn.

The judge said I can do

1) Plead guilty and write a letter... mention our phone conversation and he will drop it to 3 point (from 4) and I will pay some fine...

2) Plead not guilty come there (it's 5 hours each way from my house) and with the DA or assistant DA try to plead my case... the judge stated the best he will reduce it to is 3 points and a fine...

Now correct me if I am wrong (he did some explaining on how one way might save me some money on the fines but I kind of ignored him) but either way I'm screwed... He'll cut me 1 point off and I still have a 3 point violation that stays on my license for 3 years..... and will probably screw up my insurance rates..

What the heck should I do...

shreader247

i dont know much about the traffic laws and all up north, but down in NC, i had a friend that got off a ticket for doing 28 over the limit just by taking the driving class they offer in place of the points on your license, just had to pay a $300 fine on top of it.

KEVIN97A4

doesnt work that way here... the driving class would only take off 2 points.. that can be taken once every 2-3 years and I've done it recently to save on insurance .... either way it's a 4 point ticket...

Friendo

...you can appear on your court date (I know in your case it's NY and a 5 hour ride, but it might be worth it) and meet with the Prosecutor.
He will give you two options (other than pleading Guilty on the ticket and paying it outright); both wil be at an increased cost over and above the ticket, but will reduce the points.
In my case (been throuh this twice in NJ and once when I lived in NY), there was a $250 fine and two points, or $440 and NO points. Of course, I took the latter all three times - a no brainer.
It's a big game. Instead of paying $150 and getting the 4 points (and then paying your insurance company for the next three years), the state is getting three times the money and cutting the insurance companies out of the picture. Fine by me!
The rub is that you can only do it twice (in NJ - I don't know about anywhere else), so my next ticket WILL come with points...

KEVIN97A4

to appear on the court date I check off "Not Guitly"?

Friendo

Quote:

Originally Posted by KEVIN97A4

to appear on the court date I check off "Not Guitly"?

Exactly what and how you need to do should be on the ticket somewhere.
I'm looking at one of my NJ "souvenirs' right now, and it says that, in order to plead not guilty, to notify the court (by phone or through the Web site) that I wish to appear. At that point, you either appear on the date which should already be written on the ticket, or they assign you a different one.
It's Big Fun, I know...

Once you get there and sit with the rest of the incorrigible criminals, they will instruct everyone that wishes to see the prosecutor (code for "cut a deal") further.
Some courts have you meet with him in the court in view of the judge. Others have their own office outside the courtroom.

What they will have you do is plead guilty to "Unsafe Operation f a Motor Vehicle" with the subtext "Speeding."
It's not a SPEEDING ticket. It's Unsafe Operation which is purposely very vague and carries no points. What it DOES carry is a $250 surcharge - paid directly to them, of course.
Like I said it comes out to $440 altogether. If I remember correctly, it's $150 for the ticket, $250 for the Unsafe Operation surcharge and $39 in "court costs."
Basically, a license to print money.

In the instance where I was appearing in NY state, the officer that issued the ticket actually cut the deal.
Either way, you just need to sit there and listen for your instructions.

When you're with the prosecutor (or the kindly public servant who pulled you over), you both know why you're there. There's no secret handshake or anything like that. You don't want to hemorrhage money for the next three years for one stupid ticket and he knows it.

In all three cases, they made it very easy.

Good luck!

a4_1.8t_01

I drive on 87 all the time and Ive gotten many tickets there lol...Here what you do. Fill out the ticket saying not guilty and write a Reduction letter to please reduce the ticket to somthing other then speeding. Then you will get a letter back saying they ok the reduction and you get a general traffic ticket with 2 points (thats what they gave me for doing 20mph over). But atleast its not speeding which is bad.

The other option is driving 5 hours and before you see the judge you can ask to get something else like a parking ticket. My dad did that and they gave him the most expesive parking ticket there is. It was like $300 lol but 0 points.

S6devil

happened to my cousin on same road last summer. he found a lawyer in that area, who, on his own (w/o my cousin going back there), managed to reduce the speeding charge to a minor moving violation, and just paid a hefty fine ($250 + $200 for lawyer) but no points.

however since u already spoke to the judge, and, made an incriminating statement, perhaps the best deal u have is the one already offered to u

Dr.Aronis

Get an Lawyer, pay HIM rather than paying the state directly, as stated above no points. You have to pay a Tithe to the 'system,' they are just as happy if you pay the attorney than if you pay the state. As long as you pay someone in the speeding-ticket-food-chain.

Never admit to any speed above the limit.

Never offer any excuse at the road side.

Be polite and make eye contact with the officer.

And don't speed until the current recession is over, they NEED the money from someone, and it might as well be you.

Mike

MMskiAudi

Not sure if you took care of this yet or not.

In NYS (other than in NYC) the town court would rather reduce your ticket, than have you pay a speeding ticket. When they reduce to say "Parking on the Highway" (0 points) the fee goes directly to the town. If you plea to lower speed, lower points the town only gets a part of the fine, the state gets the rest.
Take the time, go to court, speak to the DA or ADA/Special Prosecuter and ask them to reduce it to the "Parking on the Highway", with no history on your record you should be good to go. The fine is like $150, plus a processing fee to the court.