Off topic - speeding ticket

[Chris611]

I live in Illinois, but was traveling through Louisville, KY and got a ticket for 82 in a 55 MPH. This was on the interstate where it goes from 65 to 55 by town. I don't deny I was speeding and I just want to pay the fine and be done. Problem is since I was 27 MPH over it requires a court appearance. If it was only 25 MPH over, I could just mail the check. I called the KY district court and they said hire an attorney and blah blah... I won't have to go back to KY for a court appearance, but I would assume the lawyer will cost lots of $$. Does anyone know if I can do something myself? I'm wondering if there is someone I can call at the courts and ask if they can lower it to 25 MPH over and I'll pay the fines? Anyone with experience on this?

Thanks
Chris

[fastcat800]

Try this place. http://www.prepaidlegal.com/ It's about $40 a month and they tell you what to do for paperwork so you don't have to pay a lawyer to do it. When you complete the paperwork they review it to make sure there are no mistakes. If you do have to have a lawyer to go to court you get a 25% discount on hourly fees. My son just signed up for the service and thinks it's a great deal. You could also try and get the name and number of the prosecutor and call him/her and see if you could do the pretrial over the phone instead of in person.

[Chris611]

Thanks Dave, I was able to get the name of the prosecuter from the person who answeres the phones at the court house. She even gave me his number. It will be another story if I can get ahold of him. Hopefully I can do the pretrial over the phone like you say. Any advice other than being honest and sincere. At least I'm not tring to deny the ticket or make excuses...I take full responsibility. Its a chance you take when you speed. Guess it finally bit me.

Thanks again
Chris

[jspringator]

You might want to consider hiring an attorney. I understand amazing things can be done with legal representation in Louisville. Get the name of someone who does a lot of traffic work from the clerk. I estimate cost to be less than $250.00. Find out what an out of state ticket will do to you, point wise. In KY, 10 over on an interstate is 0 points. An amendment to defective equipment (maybe your speedo was off) carries no points because it is a non moving violation. When thinking about whether hiring an attorney is worthwhile, keep in mind a possible increase in insurance rates. In KY, this ticket is at least 6 points, which will really jack your rates.

In the future, do what I advise my clients; get a radar detector!

[Chris611]

Thanks James. I was hoping to avoid the cost of an attorney. I'm not worried about the points on my liscence as I don't live in KY. As long as I don't switch insurance companies any time soon, they will never know. I have a radar detector and it went off...problem was it had been going off all day and I never saw cops. I was beginning to lose faith in it. Its an Escort Passport 8500. It went off and I slowed and looked around, and didn't see any cops. He was in a black Camaro with blacked out windows. No antennas to speak of. Pretty good cover for him. Oh well. How should I ask the Procecuter to help me out? Is there a certain way I should word what I say or just ask for help?

Thanks
Chris

[fastcat800]

Here in Minnesota if you have a clean record for the last few years they will ussally offer to continue the case for a year and if you have no same or similar violation and then they will drop the ticket after a year. You have to pay what they call court costs which is a little more than the cost of the ticket but worth it because it won't go on your record. If you do get another ticket you have to pay the fine for the first one, the second one, and then you have two on your record. Since it is out of state they most likely will not offer this deal but it's worth asking about. They may be just interested in collecting the money. If he turns this down ask him what he can offer. Some times the DA is a regular guy and sometimes they are really pricks. You won't know until you talk to him.

[jspringator]

Contact Ill Division of Driver licensing and verify how an out of state violation will be listed on your driving record. You need to know what you need before you ask for it. Find out what will look the best on your Ill driving record. As far as speeding goes, you are charged with one of the more serious ones. If the speed doesn't matter on your driving record, I don't know that I would do anything. Talk to them (Ill DDL) to determine what will look the best on your record, and go from there. I understand (I asked around) that in Louisville everything 25 MPH and under is automatically reduced to defective equipment if you hire a lawyer. Since you are over that, such an amendment may not be possible. If you just want to pay the ticket to avoit the appearance, I am sure the prosecutor will amend it 2 MPH and accomodate you if you offer to send in a check in advance.

[markrinker]

If a cop clocked me at 82mph in either of my 6.5L powered trucks, I'd probably be grinning from ear to ear, 'cuz I don't think they'll go that fast. :D

Maybe that is your defense...go back to KY and let the judge DRIVE your truck. He'll probably toss out the ticket after a few 20+ second quarter mile passes!

Another option: Tear up the ticket and never go back to KY.

[jspringator]

Mark, If it weren't for the interstate compact regarding traffic offenses, that would be good advice. If you did that for real, your home state would suspend your license until the violation state cleared the ticket.

[markrinker]

Damn.

[Chris611]

Thanks guys. If I was in my 6.5L that would be a good defense escpecially with the 4:10's. smile.gif Unfortunatly I was in my '99 Trans Am with a LS1. It will do 82 MPH without breaking a sweat. In fact it tends to purr around the 75-80 MPH mark. I talked with the Prosecuter today and he was very helpful. Said that I should send him a letter and plead to careless driving instead of the speeding ticket and then take a driver safety course in IL and that will keep the points off my record. I was very impressed with his willingness to help out. I'm okay with paying a fine, I hope it all works out.

Thanks again for all the advice
Chris

[fastcat800]

Careless driving is way worse than speeding. He sounds like a slipery one. There is now way I would plead guilty to careless. He should be willing to reduce it, not bump it up a notch. A DWI reduced to a careless is only a good deal because of the 2nd and 3rd DWI laws some states have. It caries the same points for insurance as a DWI. You may have to hire a Ky lawyer.

[Marty Lau]

Originally posted by Dave Schumacher:
Careless driving is way worse than speeding. He sounds like a slipery one. There is now way I would plead guilty to careless. He should be willing to reduce it, not bump it up a notch. A DWI reduced to a careless is only a good deal because of the 2nd and 3rd DWI laws some states have. It caries the same points for insurance as a DWI. You may have to hire a Ky lawyer. Dave I think you maybe thinking of Wreckless driving vs careless driving......but I'm live in Montana and they call it "basic rule", and the older I get the less I know.

[jspringator]

He took a 6 point violation and reduced it to a 3 pointer, and made you elgible for traffic school. Not a bad deal for free. You could have paid a lawyer and not done any better.

[Chris611]

James, thats exactly what the prosecutor said. It was a 6 pt pleaded to a 3 pt and the traffic school will keep the 3 pts off my record. I am very appreciative of their offer. I just hope it all works out.

Thanks
Chris

[fastcat800]

It sounds like Ky laws are way different than MN laws. Here a Careless and leaving the scene of an accident are the same. My kid got both last year and as plea bargin he got to take his pick which one to plead guilty to. A careless is three times the points as a speed here. Having to take a class for a speeding ticket is a new one I have never heard of before, but most likely cheaper than your other alternatives.

[Marty Lau]

Originally posted by Mark Rinker:
If a cop clocked me at 82mph in either of my 6.5L powered trucks, I'd probably be grinning from ear to ear, 'cuz I don't think they'll go that fast. :D

Hmmm mine used shutoff at 97mph until the MaxiTork now the speed limiter is gone and my truck will break 100 mph not problem., but I got 3.42's also. :D

[jspringator]

I got pulled over in Danville last night for doing 50 something in a 35 zone, construction, but no workers present. I explaned that 1) I had been all the way to Lake Cumberland and couldn't find a camping spot because they were all full,and 2) I was trying to make it home before dark because my trailer lights didn't work. He said he didn't have the heart to write me a ticket because I was having such a bad day, and proceeded to tell me about a new campground at Cumberland that he likes. I like the police in Danville!

[autocrosser]

Here's one example of Kentucky speeding fines.

http://www.oldhamcountypolice.com/got_a_ticket.htm

[DA BIG ONE]

A little tid bit;

Florida has a program that allows you to get it squashed if you have had no tickets for 18 months, for court costs, and about $85. for the lawyer.

However, get another one within 18 months and just bend over........

55% of the funds generated from tickets go to the locals, with small % going to MADD and other not-4-profits. It has become a money maker with safety taking a back seat to generating the funds.

Anyway, good luck with your ticket

[NH2112]

Originally posted by DA BIG ONE:

55% of the funds generated from tickets go to the locals, with small % going to MADD and other not-4-profits. It has become a money maker with safety taking a back seat to generating the funds.

Anyway, good luck with your ticket Except for school and residential zones, speed limits are all about money and not about safety at all.

[mcp1810]

Originally posted by NH2112:
QUOTE]Except for school and residential zones, speed limits are all about money and not about safety at all. [/QB]People that actually believe that are the ones keeping my departments' Collision Reconstruction Unit in business. :( In Maryland the initial speed limit for a section of road is set by the engineers of the State Highway Administration. They are a percentage of the maximum safe speed for an "average" driver in an "average" vehicle. With antilock brakes and dynamic vehicle stability control you could in theory excede these to a point, at that point the laws of physics and Darwinism take over.

[Tatraplan]

It's interesting to see how different the US
legal system works, compared to the Swedish.

If You get clocked doing more than 19 mph over
the speed limit here, Your license will be taken
away on the spot. You then have 48 hours to drive
home and Your drivers license will be withdrawn
for 1-3 month depending on the situation and any
previous traffic violations.

If Your speed was more than 25 mph over the limit
the case goes to a court, that decide for how long
You'll be without a license. A very high speed in
a bad situation can result in a conviction for
"wreckless driving".

A few years back I got clocked for 106 mph on a motorway (limit 110 kph = 68 mph). This resulted
in a loss of my license for 4 month and a fine of
about $250. After the suspension period You just
apply for a new license if the period was less
than 14 month. If it's been withdrawn for more
than 14 month You'll have to go through traffic
school and make a new license test again.

/Robert