Ticket and insurance question?

[Poopie]

I got a ticket for 61.9 in a 35 zone a block away from my house today. It was marked as a 10 over and 2 points on my license. If I plead not guilty, is the ticket processed and points added to my insurance then taken off if the judge makes me pay just the fine? Or is it not completely processed until i show up to court and have it all finalized?

[Neo1130]

If it is on the ticket as you doing 61 in a 35 zone, do not try to fight it... Just leave it as 10 over... If you do try to fight it I guarentee that the judge will make you pay full... And it WILL go on your insurance... I dunno about what state you live in and the way they do stuff but 10 usually doesn't go towards insurance...

[Poopie]

Well I'm not worried about losing, I'm just worried about the points. A few friends of mine are officers for the same county and said they would put a good word in with officer to drop the fine and such when the court date arrives. I'm just interested how the point system works. I'm guessing the points are already added to my license and if the ticket is dismissed, the points are taken off.

[imola_Jon]

Innocent 'til proven guilty.

Nothing should be on your record unitl after court. If you pay it now it'll only be for the 10 over, but if you show up to court you could get hit for the full amount. Talk to your friends 1st & see if they could have the cop agree to not show up for court; if he doesn't then you're off scott free. If he won't you could always just pay off the fine for 10 over.

[Poopie]

My back up plan is to delay the court date till right smack in the middle of christmas time. If you delay long enough, the chances of the officer not showing increases. I'd be happy to just not have the points. Maybe I should just pay a lawyer.

[imola_Jon]

Like I said, see if you can get your friends to reason w/ the cop. It won't cost you anything, & will give you a better idea where he stands. Then look into lawyers if you really want to take it that far. But if you were going that fast, then you were going that fast; it's hard to defend that if the cop is determined to get you.

[MoRbiD]

In NYS where I live there are no points for insurance just on your license. If you get a total of 10 points in a specified period of time your license is suspended automatically.

If I understand this correctly your were tagged doing 61.9 in a 35 MPH sone. That's 26.9 miles over the speed limit and a bigger ticket/points on license than being 10 miles over.

Nothing happens on the ticket till the matter is adjudicated which can only happen one of three ways

You plead guilty either on the ticket via mail or via a apperance in court. Most states don't require you to show up in Traffic Court unless the ticket is marked as such (read "must appear") is selected or checked off somewhere on the ticket

You show up at the court house on the specified date and time, the DA and or the Officer who wrote the ticket offer you a deal, you plead guilty to that.

You plead not guilty and go to trial and loose the case.

Once you plead guilty via mailing in the ticket that's all she wrote. The judge won't be doing anything for you but rubber stamping what you plead guilty to and setting the fine. Points go on license and when your insurance policy is up for renewal and the bill comes there will be a little surprise for you.

The old trick of the officer not showing up don't work up here no more, they changed the law so they can reschedule if he/she is not there.

My basic philosphy on tickets is to fight it. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain. But in your case it looks as though the cop was trying to give you a break in the first place so I'm not sure how it will go down. You were close to 30 miles over the limit and that's what the cop will testify to at trial (if you go that route or if you try to fight it and he takes offense at you not liking his idea if a break)

I don't care what state you live in 30 miles over the limit is going to cost you alot more in points on your license, your insurance premium, and the fine.

I would see if you police buddys can work something out for you. That in addition to looking into a "Defensive Driving class" after the conviction which will easily take care of those points and
put your insurance premium back down.

[Poopie]

In PA its different, if the cop doesn't show, the case is dissmissed. I'm hoping it doesn't even get that far. The officer did give me a break, and I'm not saying i'm innocent. I would just like to work out a deal where the points are not added. Most cases, even if I was already given a break, the judge will just make me pay the fine and no points. My officer friends say that when a person takes a case to court, everyone wins. The state and local government get their money, the officer gets paid overtime, and I don't get points. More then likely I'm just going to pay up and take the class to remove the points.

[Neo1130]

Originally posted by Poopie
In PA its different, if the cop doesn't show, the case is dissmissed. I'm hoping it doesn't even get that far. The officer did give me a break, and I'm not saying i'm innocent. I would just like to work out a deal where the points are not added. Most cases, even if I was already given a break, the judge will just make me pay the fine and no points. My officer friends say that when a person takes a case to court, everyone wins. The state and local government get their money, the officer gets paid overtime, and I don't get points. More then likely I'm just going to pay up and take the class to remove the points.

That whole thing if the cop doesn't show thing, is a myth... Along with the whole "If I write a check for $1 over they can't cash it and technically they can't do anything bla bla bla" is also a myth...

[MoRbiD]

If your willing to take the class I would go to court anyway and see if the judge will accept your plea of guilty and set the fines and all, but "tell" you to go to the class and when you do and bring back the certifcate the matter gets dropped. No points, no fines, no nothing.

They do that up here all the time if you don't have anything else on your license.

Maybe your Police buddy's could hook that up with the DA. I mean if they are working in the same township/county were you got ticket they would know the county clerk, DA and the judge. Bypassing the guy who wrote the ticket

I've been fortunate enough to have this done for me without even asking for it.

But in my case they got it dismissed.

[Poopie]

overpaying IS a myth. The a cop showing up is not a myth. This is depending on the state though.

The plan is I'm going to take it to court, plea that I cannot have this on my insurance, and if they are borderline on the decision, I will present the idea of taking the driving course.

Another thing, I never signed the ticket. Where I am supposed to sign it just says "issued." The line states "Defendents signature - Acknowleges Receipt of Citation." Is this enough means to dismiss a case?

[imola_Jon]

i've gotten out of more than 1 ticket in PA because the cop didn't show.

always wondered if the $1 over thing actually works?

[Poopie]

does not work^^

[LateraLex]

In MA they have it totally stacked against you. But like others said fighting it is a good, especially because you have some friends who can help. The cost of paying an inflated ticket of 29 miles over is nothing compared to what the points will cost you over the next few years.

[LateraLex]

And seriously, slow down in residential areas...

[MoRbiD]

Poopie:

I don't think your supposed to sign it when the cop gives it to you.

That spot your talking about is for when you either appear or mail it in.

Good try though.

[Poopie]

The mail in portion is the back side with a tear off. The line I'm talking about is right above the tear off section on the front side. The other citations I've had I had to sign on that line. The spot on the tear off is my plea.

Another question, does a speeding ticket in another state carry over to my residing state? I got a ticket in NJ by a state trooper. I haven't checked my driving record yet but I'm just wondering.

[Poopie]

found the answer i needed, its a two point difference in states.

[imola_Jon]

i've never had a ticket from one state carry back over. My license is in PA. I've gotten tickets in MD, VA, GA, & FL in the last few years. Luckily none of them have carried over. I've heard some states do 'talk' to others, it seems PA is not one of them (knocks on wood!). My concern wasn't so much about PA issuing points from another state, but my insurance hicking up my rates. Neither has happened so far.