Reply With QuoteI didn't have a clue as to why I was pulled over,
Why were you pulled over? I read your message twice and could not make a lot of sense out of it.
-Don-
The first ticket was rather uninteresting. I was young, and probably wasn't driving at the time. I know you are all saying, "Huh?" So let me explain.
Picture this: Midnight or there about - driving west coming into Phoenix - no Interstates back then. Babies asleep on the back seat. Hubby getting tired of driving, so he pulls over and I take the wheel. Hubby drove faster than me. I get down to the bottom of the hill and cops are blocking the road, with a whole bunch of cars pulled over - at least 15. I didn't have a clue as to why I was pulled over, but I had a more favorable opinion in those days, so whatever they said must have been true.
Anyway, I had heard somewhere to throw yourself on the mercy of the court, so I did and was fined. I was puzzled over this. So I wrote the judge a letter telling him that I thought it was my husband that was speeding and not me. Lo and behold, they dropped charges.
So lesson #1 -- never, ever throw yourself on the mercy of the court.
I didn't have a clue as to why I was pulled over,
Why were you pulled over? I read your message twice and could not make a lot of sense out of it.
-Don-
Sometimes - and it very much depends on the judge - you can get a reduced charged by pleading guilty but with an explanation. Provided you have an otherwise clean record - and the charge itself is relatively minor - often, this can yield good results. Remember - what they want most is money. The charge is of secondary importance.
This may be more cost-effective than hiring a lawyer (or spending days/weeks of your own time doing what's necessary to fight the ticket yourself; most of us have jobs and responsibilities that make that very difficult, if not impossible). If you can get a moving violation reduced to a non-moving violation, you'll pay a one-time fine and there will be no "points" assigned your driving record (hence, no pretext for a rate hike by your insurer). Speaking for myself (and fromrecent experience) a one-time hit of $300 is worth it, if the ticket goes away and there are no future repercussions. Of course I'd rather defeat the ticket entirely - but in my recent case, I did not have the time to fight a court two-plus hours away from me. Like most anyone else, my time's valuable to me - and the time I'd spend going to and from court, researching and fighting, etc. is time I wouldn't have to write the articles that earn me money and pay my bills!
you can get a reduced charged by pleading guilty
In NV,(at least in Reno) they will reduce the charge just by showing up. This means you're pleading "not guilty", if you don't accept their bribe.
I call it a bribe because they don't want to know any facts before they make the offer.
In Reno, it's a three step process. First show up in court to say you wish to fight it. Come back a month or so later so they can bride you, If you don't accept the bribe, go to court in another month or so to see the judge. I never got that far, but only because the AH cop didn't show, just as I expected. IMO, the cop knew he would lose this one.
-Don-
Your guess is as good as mine, Don. It was a road block and all cars were being pulled over. The year was 1953, so this was pre-Interstate, pre-radar, and pretty much pre-anything else.Originally Posted by DonTom
My best guess thinking about over it is that the cops assumed that no one could come that that hill without speeding.
Got my first ticket for speeding on the first day of a new job. I was only 18! ..jsut a $20 fine and no demerit points in thise days...A fair catch...no radar/laser plain old honest follow.
Rex
On the Sunshine Coast, in the Sunshine State Queensland (QLD), Australia
>>Got my first ticket for speeding on the first day of a new job. I was only 18! ..jsut a $20 fine and no demerit points in thise days...A fair catch...no radar/laser plain old honest follow. <<
Not my first, but my first that almost was an honor to get--- My first week on my new traveling job--- new company car-- Just turned onto I-20 at Sweetwater, TX. Haulin' ass towards Abilene --now, this is Feb. 1963 and the speed limit was 65 mph----- I'm doing 75-80-- head up my butt --not watching in the rear view mirror-- being followed by a DPS car.
I got pulled over and the gentleman who presented himself was a fellow named Herman Seal, Badge # 3, Texas DPS. Herman had to be close to retirement age back then. He looked to be in his 60's.
He was just a really nice guy -- explained why he stopped me was never angry--- we discussed my new job-- he told me to keep it just a little slower and gave me a ticket which I paid without protest.
Yeah I paid up also.
Rex
On the Sunshine Coast, in the Sunshine State Queensland (QLD), Australia
Up until I turned 40 I could always get out of a ticket.
One was my sister and I were apprx. 17 - 18 years old. She was in her VW going west and I was going east. Her VW was full of her friends and mine with my friends when we saw each other we started honking and every body yelling Hi at each other. All of a sudden we here this loud voice "GIRLS PULL OVER" swear to Moses somehow we both came up with the story that there was an emergency at our house and we were trying to tell the other one about it.
Next when I was in my 30's I got pulled over for a "fix it" ticket, my registration had expired. I took care of the registration and thought that the DMV would report that I had fixed it.. But no.. Later I got a notice from the courts that I had failed to appear...
Went to court and when the judge asked me "How do you plead" I answered, I plead "not guilty", he then explained to me that I "failed" to appear, I said no.. I didn't fail to appear, I didn't know I was supposed to.... That if I had tried to come to court and failed to get there, then I understand that I "failed to appear" but I didn't even "try" because I did not know I was supposed to come to court. This went on for apprx. 10 min. before the judge dismissed the charges. ;D Being Cute, Blonde and a size 2 didn't hurt my defense either.
An advantage of being female!
Trust me - when you're a guy (esp. a younger, pretty big guy) the subtext becomes two dudes trying to outmacho each other. Usually never works out well for the dude without the gun and the badge...
These days, unless a cop has a video camera (and to a large extent even then), the prettier you are, the more likely you are to get a ticket. That cop doesn't want any female claiming he demanded sex for just a warning.
Wow!! I am glad I grew up when I did
Now I call it age discrimination
Too too good!Yep, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I can't even tell you what a joy, Colleen is for me. She has done everything I have done, only better, and then some. You go, Girl! :Prettier and younger to boot. ;D
My first (and only) ticket came about 3 years ago - ironically enough, when I wasn't even speeding. I was going through one of those notorious speed trap towns on my way back from Dallas, when I see a DPS trooper coming the other direction pull over to the shoulder and do the dreaded U-turn. It was one of those B.S. 55 zones at the edge of town, my speedometer showed 59 (I admit, it was stupid to even push my luck that much in a known speed trap), but what really got me hot under the collar was that the cop wrote me up for 65! I should have fought it, but I took the wussy way out and did driving school.
What county were you in when this happened? I can't believe that a DPS trooper pulled you for 59 in a 55. Fortunately, I believe that you can take driving school once per year to get rid of your tickets and you can make unlimited trips to that well. That may have changed, but when I lived there, that was the deal.
I would have hired a lawyer or tried my luck in court, but live and learn!
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