Speeding ticket out of state

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Topic Author
xanadu32
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Speeding ticket out of state

Post by xanadu32 »

Hello,
The law of averages finally caught up with me again. After close to 8 years, I got a speeding ticket over the weekend. I was driving from Baltimore to Penn State over the weekend and was going at 75 on a 55 road. I thought the limit was 65 (there is a section of the road just before where the limit was 65!) - well, that is my excuse :).

Anyway, the cop was "nice" and didn't record the entire 75 mph but gave me a ticket for 65 mph (10 miles over the limit). I checked and it is a 2 point violation in PA and I am pretty sure it will get transferred to MD soon (total fine of $131). Did anyone try "fighting" this kind of ticket remotely? 7-8 years ago when this happened, I went to the court and agreed to pay a larger fine to lower the points. Is that possible to do remotely? I don't see that area (Reedsville, PA) has too many traffic court lawyers to contact online!

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
-Raghu
PS: I know I know.. I will have to listen from folks who never got a ticket in their life .. well, what can I say! :-)
cmanion
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by cmanion »

You didn't have to pay it on the spot? A few years ago I was driving from Massachusetts to Seattle and got a ticket in some stupid county in Wisconsin. The ticket was for $180 and because I was from out of state, I had to pay it on the spot with cash or a credit card. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? The cop said I could fight it in court later but had to pony up the money first because of my out of state status. I almost lied and said I had no credit card and no cash. Should have tried that . . .
sscritic
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by sscritic »

cmanion wrote: The ticket was for $180 and because I was from out of state, I had to pay it on the spot with cash or a credit card. What happened to innocent until proven guilty?
No one said you were guilty. The $180 was your bail; if you hadn't paid it you would have had to wait in the county jail until your trial. As it was, you skipped bail and forfeited the $180. If you want to be found innocent, you have to attend your trial. That's the way it works for murder and for traffic violations.
Topic Author
xanadu32
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by xanadu32 »

cmanion wrote:You didn't have to pay it on the spot? A few years ago I was driving from Massachusetts to Seattle and got a ticket in some stupid county in Wisconsin. The ticket was for $180 and because I was from out of state, I had to pay it on the spot with cash or a credit card. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? The cop said I could fight it in court later but had to pony up the money first because of my out of state status. I almost lied and said I had no credit card and no cash. Should have tried that . . .
No, i didn't have to pay it on the spot. I am just hoping to pay a bit more and lower the points in order to save the driving record. Thats all. Thanks for the response
SimonJester
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by SimonJester »

Just out of curiosity do you remember the exchange of words when the police officer approached you?

As far as fighting it out of state not sure, Ive never gotten one out of state but out of city / county you have to goto the court in the jurisdiction where the offense took place...


I suppose this could vary state by state, county by county.
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin
cmanion
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by cmanion »

sscritic wrote:If you want to be found innocent, you have to attend your trial. That's the way it works for murder and for traffic violations.
I see your point, but being a Massachusetts resident at the time and becoming a member of the military (hence the drive to Fort Lewis), flying back to Wisconsin to fight a ticket was not at the top of my list. I suppose I should have contacted a traffic lawyer to repeatedly ask for continuances until the cop didn't show up.
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by Default User BR »

If you're concerned about points, contact an attorney in the jurisdiction.


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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by carolinaman »

Last year my son lost his insurance due to some traffic citations on his record. I hired an attorney who was able to get all of these removed from his record. He had to deal with 3 different counties and the state dmv to get this done. I was very impressed and said the next time I got a ticket I was going to have this guy try to get it dismissed or at least reduced to something less impactful to my record. It will cost you a few hundred dollars, but if it is worth it to you, you should try to find a good traffic attorney in the county where you were charged. They have to be local because they know all the players and that is how they get it done. They know how to spin these things even when you are guilty as sin.
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mike143
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by mike143 »

cmanion wrote:You didn't have to pay it on the spot?
I got a speeding ticket in Georgia a few years ago. As soon as I got the ticket I went to the county building where it can be paid, this as 30 minutes after receiving the ticket. They told me it could not be paid until the officer turned in his portion of the ticket.
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SimonJester
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by SimonJester »

sscritic wrote:
cmanion wrote: If you want to be found innocent, you have to attend your trial. That's the way it works for murder and for traffic violations.
However the reason I asked what was said by the police office and by the OP. Most of the time the first question the office will ask is "Do you know why I pulled you over, do you know how fast you were going?"

Now a person going 75 in a 55 will tend to say something like I guess i was going a little over speed limit 65? They are hoping for leniency by the officer and most of the time the office will write you up for 65 in a 55.

But here is what just happened. You just confessed to a crime. The office now has a verbal confession you were speeding.

He writes you a ticket and you drive off. Did you notice the office it still sitting there filling out paper work. What he is going is writing down on the back of his copy of the ticket word for word everything you said. That way if it should goto court he has a record of what you said.

Now you have the option to assert your fifth amendment rights when dealing with a traffic stops. You can say NOTHING when the officer asks you the question, "Do you know why I pulled you over, do you know how fast you were going?'
You don't have to answer the question. In most states you do have to provide your license and registration if asked.



In my area you show up to court in a room with about 200 other people, the assistant DA (really assistant to the assistant) calls each person up and hands them a pre filled out ple agreement to a lesser charge you can take that plea or request to talk to the Assistant DA, or request a trial. The plea usually is some non moving violation (tail light out), but reduced or no points. Then the judge calls each person and asks if they want to accept their plea and if they have anything to say. Now the smart people will say, Yes your Honor I accept the plea and have nothing more to say. The not so smart people will say something, at which point the judge will give them a tong lashing. It was good entertainment the last time I went....

In another county I went to it was a deferred and dismissed after 12 months charge if you paid the ticket in person, then entire operation took like 10 minutes and could have been done via a drive thru..
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Benjamin Franklin
barnaclebob
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by barnaclebob »

Contact a traffic attorney in the area. You may not have to do anything besides fill out a form and pay a couple hundred dollars to the attorney. In WA both of my last two speeding tickets were handled by a lawyer and were put down to non moving violations that stay off my record. I still had to pay the same fine though.
The Wizard
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by The Wizard »

barnaclebob wrote:Contact a traffic attorney in the area. You may not have to do anything besides fill out a form and pay a couple hundred dollars to the attorney. In WA both of my last two speeding tickets were handled by a lawyer and were put down to non moving violations that stay off my record. I still had to pay the same fine though.
Sounds like a racket.
I guess corruption is fine when it suits our immediate purpose...
Attempted new signature...
barnaclebob
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by barnaclebob »

The Wizard wrote:
barnaclebob wrote:Contact a traffic attorney in the area. You may not have to do anything besides fill out a form and pay a couple hundred dollars to the attorney. In WA both of my last two speeding tickets were handled by a lawyer and were put down to non moving violations that stay off my record. I still had to pay the same fine though.
Sounds like a racket.
I guess corruption is fine when it suits our immediate purpose...
Well it was possible for me to do anything that the lawyer did but they knew who to talk to and what to say so it wasn't worth my time or the risk that I mess it up. The government got its money and my driving record stayed clean. In both cases the officer did a good enough job of writing it up that it wouldn't be dismissed outright even though I didn't admit to speeding to him.
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by fourwaystreet »

While it won't reduce the cost of the fine you can take an online safe driving course to get rid of the points.
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Default User BR
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by Default User BR »

The Wizard wrote:
barnaclebob wrote:Contact a traffic attorney in the area.
Sounds like a racket.
I guess corruption is fine when it suits our immediate purpose...
It's not corruption as it's perfectly legal and open to all. Insurance companies, I'm sure, don't care for it.


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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by Easy Rhino »

mike143 wrote:
cmanion wrote:You didn't have to pay it on the spot?
I got a speeding ticket in Georgia a few years ago. As soon as I got the ticket I went to the county building where it can be paid, this as 30 minutes after receiving the ticket. They told me it could not be paid until the officer turned in his portion of the ticket.
I had the same experience in Texas. And then when they mailed me the bill, I forgot to pay it. :(
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FabLab
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by FabLab »

As Juno might ask: "Can't we just kick it old school?"

What's wrong with saying: "I screwed up by exceeding the speed limit. I got caught doing it. So I'll just pay the darn fine." Talk of whitewashing records, paying fees to traffic attorneys (there are such people?), etc., is sort of weirding me out.

In most if not all states can't one simply take a course and have the points removed? Of course, that doesn't absolve anyone from having to pay the fine. But, hey, weren't these measures supposed to serve as deterrents? Not to mention the sorts of drivers one would hope to share the road with ...

Cheers
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daytona084
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by daytona084 »

I would pay the $131 and forget about it. In my experience, two points on an otherwise clean driving record does not increase insurance cost.

Also, the reporting process back to your state DMV is not perfect. The information must go from the local court to the state DMV, then to your state's DMV. Sometimes it does not make it. IMHO, typically the local court is interested mainly in collecting your money, not punishing you further or teaching you a lesson.
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by bradleyEE »

fourwaystreet wrote:While it won't reduce the cost of the fine you can take an online safe driving course to get rid of the points.
Not sure about that state, but I know you can do this in Iowa and Illinois. I believe sometimes the particular county may not offer the class online and would require you to take it in person. Typically called "defensive driving" out here.

I know for mine back in the day I had to appear in court and plead not guilty, at which point I was directed to the ADA(I believe) for the defensive driving paperwork.

Also, with regard to the insurance, I was told in the past an insurance company does not typically check your record until a new vehicle is purchased(or I would assume a claim is made or policy is changed). Not sure how true that is these days but one 10mph over ticket may not have any impact on you.
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by Calm Man »

FabLab wrote:As Juno might ask: "Can't we just kick it old school?"

What's wrong with saying: "I screwed up by exceeding the speed limit. I got caught doing it. So I'll just pay the darn fine." Talk of whitewashing records, paying fees to traffic attorneys (there are such people?), etc., is sort of weirding me out.

In most if not all states can't one simply take a course and have the points removed? Of course, that doesn't absolve anyone from having to pay the fine. But, hey, weren't these measures supposed to serve as deterrents? Not to mention the sorts of drivers one would hope to share the road with ...

Cheers
This has been my thought during the thread. I am almost 60 and have never received a speeding ticket. It's not luck -- I don't speed. OP indicates that the law of averages caught up with him after 8 years. I take that to mean that he/she speeds a lot and maybe has a license for 8 years. OP, I beg you to please drive safely and not speed. The time saved is trivial and the ability to not kill somebody or yourself is priceless.

I have accompanied a woman friend's son to traffic court. I was absolutely shocked that all I had to do was pay something like $375 (I don't remember the amount) and the speeding violation was reduced to the lowest level and no points. So are traffic rules for safety or to raise revenue?

I hate to rant over this but I have known a few people killed in car accidents caused by speeding or drunk drivers.
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by Tortoise »

xanadu32 wrote:After close to 8 years, I got a speeding ticket over the weekend...
I'd call it "road tax" and just mail in the $131. Since you haven't had any other infractions for nearly 8 years, you should be OK with your insurance. Just don't get another ticket anytime soon.
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by Kenkat »

Calm Man wrote: So are traffic rules for safety or to raise revenue?
Unfortunately it is both. Every time that traffic rules are used as a revenue source simply undermines the ability to use them as a safety measure. Artificially low speed limits (and they are out there) just get people used to ignoring posted limits.
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by z0r »

Calm Man wrote:This has been my thought during the thread. I am almost 60 and have never received a speeding ticket. It's not luck -- I don't speed. OP indicates that the law of averages caught up with him after 8 years. I take that to mean that he/she speeds a lot and maybe has a license for 8 years. OP, I beg you to please drive safely and not speed. The time saved is trivial and the ability to not kill somebody or yourself is priceless.

I have accompanied a woman friend's son to traffic court. I was absolutely shocked that all I had to do was pay something like $375 (I don't remember the amount) and the speeding violation was reduced to the lowest level and no points. So are traffic rules for safety or to raise revenue?

I hate to rant over this but I have known a few people killed in car accidents caused by speeding or drunk drivers.
The number on the white sign on the side of the road is only loosely related to safety. Sometimes a safe speed is somewhat less, sometimes it can be more. I'd much rather have someone driving next to me who understands this and might "speed" sometimes than someone who spends extra mental energy and time staring at an instrument inside their car instead of just watching the road and driving defensively at a safe speed based on what's going on around them.

Speeding tickets, especially for 10 over, are about revenue and not safety most of the time. It sickens me to watch the aggressive driving on the road every day (socal) that will never, ever be ticketed, for example lane weaving without signaling or proper spacing, terribly short following distances, and impatient entry into traffic without leaving enough room. There are a hundred "10 over" speeding tickets issued for every one ticket for any of these things, simply because radar guns make it easy. If it was about safety that just wouldn't be the case.
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by Calm Man »

z0r wrote:
Calm Man wrote:This has been my thought during the thread. I am almost 60 and have never received a speeding ticket. It's not luck -- I don't speed. OP indicates that the law of averages caught up with him after 8 years. I take that to mean that he/she speeds a lot and maybe has a license for 8 years. OP, I beg you to please drive safely and not speed. The time saved is trivial and the ability to not kill somebody or yourself is priceless.

I have accompanied a woman friend's son to traffic court. I was absolutely shocked that all I had to do was pay something like $375 (I don't remember the amount) and the speeding violation was reduced to the lowest level and no points. So are traffic rules for safety or to raise revenue?

I hate to rant over this but I have known a few people killed in car accidents caused by speeding or drunk drivers.
The number on the white sign on the side of the road is only loosely related to safety. Sometimes a safe speed is somewhat less, sometimes it can be more. I'd much rather have someone driving next to me who understands this and might "speed" sometimes than someone who spends extra mental energy and time staring at an instrument inside their car instead of just watching the road and driving defensively at a safe speed based on what's going on around them.

Speeding tickets, especially for 10 over, are about revenue and not safety most of the time. It sickens me to watch the aggressive driving on the road every day (socal) that will never, ever be ticketed, for example lane weaving without signaling or proper spacing, terribly short following distances, and impatient entry into traffic without leaving enough room. There are a hundred "10 over" speeding tickets issued for every one ticket for any of these things, simply because radar guns make it easy. If it was about safety that just wouldn't be the case.
OP indicated he was going 75 in a 55 MPH zone. But I understand what you are saying. It is just hard to know where the cutoff is from safe to not safe as the speed increases. So I simply decided when I started driving that I wouldn't speed. It is a Pascals' wager in a way.
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xanadu32
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by xanadu32 »

Thanks for the comments everyone. I contacted few attorneys in the Mifflin county area today. It is not too urban and seems like lawyers from near by areas have to go there to fight the case. There weren't too many attorneys interested and after contacting 4-5 of them only 1 of them called back. Even he wasn't sure he could take it any lower than 65 mph since the cop already lowered it. And he was going to charge $200 to *try* to lower it. But he sounded confident that cop may not negotiate any more (even though he could try) and the only chance is to fight the case in front of the magistrate and at that point, the cop might fight new charges for 75 mph !!

Overall, I am leaning towards paying the $131 and exploring options around defensive driving classes. I liked the comment (and hope!) that the ticket wouldn't be transferred to MD. But will it be possible to check and then take the defensive driving class? How does that work? Do I get notified and does MVA (Maryland's DMV) give me the choice to take the Defensive driving class? And do I just do it proactively and submit it to MD?

Calmman, Advice taken in good spirit and I understand where you are coming from. Will keep that in mind. Thank you.
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by thebogledude »

xanadu32 wrote:Do I get notified and does MVA (Maryland's DMV) give me the choice to take the Defensive driving class? And do I just do it proactively and submit it to MD?
It will be with your insurance company since they will decide to raise your rates. 2 points/first offense shouldn't be a big deal.
I think speeding tickets are designed to be paid regardless, unless you had a compelling reason to go over the speed limit.
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by Pacific »

Somewhat surprised to see so many bogleheads unwilling to accept responsibility for their actions.
ThatGuy
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by ThatGuy »

Pacific wrote:Somewhat surprised to see so many bogleheads unwilling to accept responsibility for their actions.
I don't see any Bogleheads claiming that someone was holding a gun to their heads, or refusing to pay what they are legally required to pay. What I see are Bogleheads claiming that speed limits are artificially low in some cases, and asking for advice on how to mitigate expenditures.

Kinda sounds like the ol' 'costs matter' thing combined with a healthy skepticism that active managers generate alpha in aggregate.

WRT to points causing/not causing insurance to rise. My experience is that even 1 point generated a huge rate increase with USAA.
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wilpat
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by wilpat »

I got a speeding ticket in Missouri about 13 years ago for driving 85 in a 65 zone. It was at about 5:00AM and I was the only car in sight. One of my employees suggested I talk to a lawyer he knew. I did and he said "send me $300 and I can get it fixed". So I did! I was driving an almost new Cadillac and he got the ticket changed to "noisy Muffler" and no points or fine! Not many new Cadillac's have noisy mufflers! :o-)
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xanadu32
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by xanadu32 »

Thanks bogledude and others.. so in a way, I should wait for the insurance company to contact me about a rate increase (will they check the driving record for every 6 month renewal?) and then take the driving lessons to wipe the points?

At this point, I made up my mind that I am going to pay to the $131 but I am curious about the next steps...thats all.
foxfirev5
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by foxfirev5 »

I've had tickets in quite a number of states over the years. Fortunately not the state I lived in. Last year I got a ticket in PA, promtptly paid the fine by mail and never heard a thing. I never had points show up, however a couple did ding my insurance over the years.
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by Mudpuppy »

Pacific wrote:Somewhat surprised to see so many bogleheads unwilling to accept responsibility for their actions.
You want to know what surprised me? I was renewing my defensive driving permit (required by my employer to get reimbursed for mileage driven in a personal vehicle) just the other day. If you are just getting the permit for personal vehicle use, you only have to take an online course. At one point the online course TOLD me to be dishonest, since I got dinged 6% for checking the option to "be honest". So it doesn't surprise me that there are so many ways out of a speeding ticket and so many people willing to employ those methods when my own employer is telling me to never accept responsibility.
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by Default User BR »

xanadu32 wrote:Thanks bogledude and others.. so in a way, I should wait for the insurance company to contact me about a rate increase (will they check the driving record for every 6 month renewal?) and then take the driving lessons to wipe the points?
Once you plead guilty (which is what paying the ticket does) and the points are recorded, it's too late to do anything about them. Taking the driving course is instead, not after.


Brian
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by Phineas J. Whoopee »

Calm Man wrote:
FabLab wrote:As Juno might ask: "Can't we just kick it old school?"

What's wrong with saying: "I screwed up by exceeding the speed limit. I got caught doing it. So I'll just pay the darn fine." Talk of whitewashing records, paying fees to traffic attorneys (there are such people?), etc., is sort of weirding me out.

In most if not all states can't one simply take a course and have the points removed? Of course, that doesn't absolve anyone from having to pay the fine. But, hey, weren't these measures supposed to serve as deterrents? Not to mention the sorts of drivers one would hope to share the road with ...

Cheers
This has been my thought during the thread. I am almost 60 and have never received a speeding ticket. It's not luck -- I don't speed. OP indicates that the law of averages caught up with him after 8 years. I take that to mean that he/she speeds a lot and maybe has a license for 8 years. OP, I beg you to please drive safely and not speed. The time saved is trivial and the ability to not kill somebody or yourself is priceless.

I have accompanied a woman friend's son to traffic court. I was absolutely shocked that all I had to do was pay something like $375 (I don't remember the amount) and the speeding violation was reduced to the lowest level and no points. So are traffic rules for safety or to raise revenue?

I hate to rant over this but I have known a few people killed in car accidents caused by speeding or drunk drivers.
(Emphasis added.)

That goes for me too. I mourn every day.

One time, a number of years ago, I needed something in my apartment fixed. The manager told me it couldn't be done because the super, who had the keys to every unit, was in jail.

"Don't worry," she said to me, "it's only his speeding tickets."

I worried.

PJW
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by White Coat Investor »

Just pay it. Give me a break. Why would they possibly let you out of it? If you want to keep points off your license, take traffic school. You can usually do it online. It'll cost you about the same as the ticket, maybe a little more, plus a couple hours of your time. In the long run, it'll probably save you money.
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SSSS
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by SSSS »

Pacific wrote:Somewhat surprised to see so many bogleheads unwilling to accept responsibility for their actions.
Yeah, and some of them even avoid some of their tax responsibility by contributing to 401ks or taking other deductions. Imagine that!
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by eucalyptus »

The more serious the charge/infraction, the more potential value in hiring a lawyer. I think you have your answer - the lawyers you've consulted have told you that there's likely not much you can do. Time to pay up.

Years ago my daughter was cited for 10 mph over the local speed limit, which constituted reckless driving in that jurisdiction. A serious charge, to be sure. Hired a very experienced local who was able to have the charges greatly reduced without a personal appearance.

In the early 2000s I was cited for 95 in a 55. Quite a serious charge. I hired a lawyer, who advised that I attend a several hour "traffic school" before my court appearance. I did. I then appeared with my lawyer and the charges and points were reduced.

Most people have almost no experience driving in excess of, say, 70, and simply do not understand the capabilities of a properly driven modern car. Many people are truly awful drivers, which is why even I, a hardcore auto enthusiast, will welcome self-driving cars. Ignore the value judgments made here. Some will register horror at the idea of driving 95 in a 55, but they'll be fine as long as they stay in the right lane. ;-)

Make what amounts to an roi decision. You appear to have little potential roi to your investment in an attorney. Time to move on.

PS - I do not advocate driving 40 mph over any speed limit!
Anyah
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by Anyah »

You are in luck. Pay your ticket and forget about it. Each state treats out of state tickets in its own way. NJ, for example, assesses 2 points to a resident's record for any out of state moving violation. PA is more lenient. PennDOT does NOT assess points for speeding tickets out of state:
"Although reported to PennDOT, minor traffic offenses such as speeding, red light, stop sign, etc., will
(NOT) appear on your driving record, unless you are a CDL holder. Points will not be assessed to
your PA driving record when convicted of a point related offense in a DLC member state."

For reference, see: http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/fa ... fs-dlc.pdf

Cheers! Anyah
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southerndoc
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by southerndoc »

Tortoise wrote:
xanadu32 wrote:After close to 8 years, I got a speeding ticket over the weekend...
I'd call it "road tax" and just mail in the $131. Since you haven't had any other infractions for nearly 8 years, you should be OK with your insurance. Just don't get another ticket anytime soon.
This is my policy. If I'm caught speeding and the cop is playing by the rules, then I'll happily pay the fine. It's just the cost of speeding. I accept the consequences if I'm caught for my actions. The only time I would contest is if the cop doesn't follow state law (city/county cops can't write you a ticket unless you're going at least 11 mph over the limit, must be visible within 500 feet, can't operate radar within 500 feet of a speed detection in use sign, can't run radar on a slope greater than 6 degree grade, must be specifically trained and certified in the type radar/laser used, etc.).

My wife was caught yesterday speeding 88 in a 65. In Georgia, anything over 85 is a super speeder ticket -- an additional $200 fine that goes to the trauma centers. Without us asking, he said he'd save us $200 and dropped it to 84 in a 65. I just consider it a tax for speeding and will pay it as soon as it posts online. Will it cause us to slow down? No. We knew we were speeding whether we had been caught or not.
Last edited by southerndoc on Fri Nov 23, 2012 7:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
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southerndoc
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by southerndoc »

z0r wrote:There are a hundred "10 over" speeding tickets issued for every one ticket for any of these things, simply because radar guns make it easy. If it was about safety that just wouldn't be the case.
Georgia restricts police departments from doing this. I'm not sure if it was overturned, but as of two years ago no more than 40% of a departments ticket revenue can come from tickets less than 14 mph over the speed limit. Only state agencies can ticket you for speeding less than 11 mph over the posted limit except in school and residential districts.

Nearly all police departments won't pull you over unless you're doing 15+ over the speed limit. More than half of Georgians speed at least 10 mph over the speed limit. Come to Atlanta and it's more like 90%.
Mudpuppy
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by Mudpuppy »

eucalyptus wrote:Most people have almost no experience driving in excess of, say, 70, and simply do not understand the capabilities of a properly driven modern car. Many people are truly awful drivers, which is why even I, a hardcore auto enthusiast, will welcome self-driving cars. Ignore the value judgments made here. Some will register horror at the idea of driving 95 in a 55, but they'll be fine as long as they stay in the right lane. ;-)
I hate to take this on a tangent and risk getting the thread locked, but it's this sort of mentality that causes accidents. There is no such thing as driving safely at a speed that is 20-40mph in excess of the surrounding traffic. Anything might come up and the stopping distance at 90mph, even with the quickest of human reaction times, is much longer than it is at 55-70mph. There's a reason race tracks have just race cars on it, because it keeps everyone traveling at similar speeds and reduces (but does not eliminate, given the rate of race car accidents) the likelihood of having to stop. Keep the race car driving to the race track or at least to deserted freeways where you can only damage your own car.
eucalyptus
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by eucalyptus »

Mudpuppy wrote:
eucalyptus wrote:Most people have almost no experience driving in excess of, say, 70, and simply do not understand the capabilities of a properly driven modern car. Many people are truly awful drivers, which is why even I, a hardcore auto enthusiast, will welcome self-driving cars. Ignore the value judgments made here. Some will register horror at the idea of driving 95 in a 55, but they'll be fine as long as they stay in the right lane. ;-)
I hate to take this on a tangent and risk getting the thread locked, but it's this sort of mentality that causes accidents. There is no such thing as driving safely at a speed that is 20-40mph in excess of the surrounding traffic. Anything might come up and the stopping distance at 90mph, even with the quickest of human reaction times, is much longer than it is at 55-70mph. There's a reason race tracks have just race cars on it, because it keeps everyone traveling at similar speeds and reduces (but does not eliminate, given the rate of race car accidents) the likelihood of having to stop. Keep the race car driving to the race track or at least to deserted freeways where you can only damage your own car.


As noted in my post, I do not advocate going 40 mph over the speed limit. I don't think any sort of "race car driving" belongs on the public roads, because racing is vastly different from driving on the roads. People who drive fast on public roads and think they are racing don't understand racing. To address danger to others, in my circumstances there was no surrounding traffic, location was an interstate, weather was clear and sunny, I was driving a one year old Ferrari F430 and I have held amateur and professional racing licenses for years. I still should not have been going that fast! Note that I did not contest the charge; to the contrary, having done the crime, I did "the time" without complaint.

I am deeply suspicious of claims that "speed was involved" in a particular accident. I believe incompetent driving is usually the culprit.

As for my mentality causing accidents, I have been involved in one - one - accident on public roads in many years of driving. On that unfortunate day, a young driver turned left in front of me and we met.

I stand by the assertion that slower drivers should keep right. It should be the law everywhere, IMO.
stan_the_man
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by stan_the_man »

It's not worth paying an attorney here.

If it's worth your time, appear and ask the officer for a plea bargain for a violation of statute 3111(a) -- Obedience to traffic-control devices -- this ticket is a minor ticket in Pennsylvania, carries no points, and would cost you $110+trial fee.
fareastwarriors
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by fareastwarriors »

It sounds a lot simplier to just pay the ticket... If there are ways to reduce the points, it might say that on the ticket or the website...
I'm a California resident and got a NY speeding ticket a few years ago. I paid $500 in fines... (I was going pretty fast...)
Faith20879
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by Faith20879 »

The OP said repeatedly that he is going to pay the fine. So I think some of you are a little too harsh on him. He is more concerned about the points.

I got a speeding ticket once about 20 years ago. I went to the court, the judge asked me to pay additional $100 and sponged the points. If a judge could do that, why couldn't a lawyer? I see no problem there.

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deanbrew
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by deanbrew »

I just don't get the people who say "if you are guilty, pay the fine" and attach a moral judgement to it, as if speed (and parking) enforcement isn't a huge scam being perpetrated by the government and insurance companies. If speeding is so dangerous, why is it so prevalent? If it's so dangerous, why are cops the biggest offenders? And, no, I'm not talking about going 40 MPH over the limit, or speeding through residential neighborhoods.

In any event, the burden of proof is on the government, and they have to prove every single aspect of the offense and the offender. There is absolutely nothing immoral or unethical about contesting tickets and making the state prove guilt. I've actually gotten very few tickets, but I have contested the last two. I got one thrown out and one was reduced in severity.

As to the OP's question, I don't know how to contest a speeding ticket remotely without hiring a lawyer. Whether that's worthwhile or not, I guess, depends on whether you will get points in your state for a violation in another state, and how your insurance company looks at speeding tickets as they relate to premiums.
"The course of history shows that as the government grows, liberty decreases." Thomas Jefferson
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deanbrew
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by deanbrew »

z0r wrote: The number on the white sign on the side of the road is only loosely related to safety. Sometimes a safe speed is somewhat less, sometimes it can be more. I'd much rather have someone driving next to me who understands this and might "speed" sometimes than someone who spends extra mental energy and time staring at an instrument inside their car instead of just watching the road and driving defensively at a safe speed based on what's going on around them.

Speeding tickets, especially for 10 over, are about revenue and not safety most of the time. It sickens me to watch the aggressive driving on the road every day (socal) that will never, ever be ticketed, for example lane weaving without signaling or proper spacing, terribly short following distances, and impatient entry into traffic without leaving enough room. There are a hundred "10 over" speeding tickets issued for every one ticket for any of these things, simply because radar guns make it easy. If it was about safety that just wouldn't be the case.
Good post. And I'll add one more. When I see cops pulling over the traffic impeders camped out in the left lane for mile after mile, or people texting on their cell phones, then I'll be pleasantly surprised that cops are really worried about safety.
"The course of history shows that as the government grows, liberty decreases." Thomas Jefferson
travellight
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by travellight »

I totally agree, deanbrew. These tickets that are for revenue generation are legalized highway robbery.

I have seen scary and unsafe driving and never see those people pulled over.

I thought it was the law to drive to the right and use the left lane only to pass. People who don't abide by this create unsafe conditions and you never hear of tickets for doing that.

Here is a link to a study showing that 1.6% of accidents were caused by going above the posted speed limit:

http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/38/3801.asp

There were also accidents due to going to slowly or due to impeding traffic.
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Epsilon Delta
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by Epsilon Delta »

travellight wrote:
I thought it was the law to drive to the right and use the left lane only to pass. People who don't abide by this create unsafe conditions and you never hear of tickets for doing that.
You should not "think" what the law is. In most states "drive to the right and use the left lane only to pass" is not a correct summation. Different people having different ideas of how to drive is a major cause of conflicts and getting indignant because somebody is not obeying a law that never existed or was repealed in 1964 does not help.
jbh42
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Re: Speeding ticket out of state

Post by jbh42 »

Don't get a moving violation in LA county. Recently had my first moving violation
in Culver City... $548- plus $30- traffic school. $131- seems like a bargain.
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