Tips to fight speeding ticket?

[gobrwy]

I have a court date in a week to appeal a speeding ticket i received about 3 months ago. So far for my defense I have, accelerated while passing therefore travelling over the speed limit, I am currently in college taking police foundations, I work for the ministry of corrections with the prov gov't, first time offence, young driver(will significantly impact my insurance rates), perfect driving record, pay for own car and own insurance. Any others???

I was doing 107 in an 80. 27 km over posted limit. (about 16 miles)

[curney13]

I have a court date in a week to appeal a speeding ticket i received about 3 months ago. So far for my defense I have, accelerated while passing therefore travelling over the speed limit, I am currently in college taking police foundations, I work for the ministry of corrections with the prov gov't, first time offence, young driver(will significantly impact my insurance rates), perfect driving record, pay for own car and own insurance. Any others???

I was doing 107 in an 80. 27 km over posted limit. (about 16 miles)

No tips ... but let me reply to your defensive strategy (I'm not a judge, prosecutor or officer)

Accelerated while passing therefore traveling over the speed limit - The speed limit still applies when overtaking another vehicle, as you should know if you are taking police foundations in college.

Taking police foundations in college - then surely you know better than to commit violations of the traffic code, and should have a better understanding of the code than most other drivers.

Work for the Ministry of Corrections - Leading me to believe that you, of all people, should have a better understanding of the law than most citizens.

First time offense - Well ... most drivers cross that threshold eventually.

Young driver (impact on insurance) - impact on another vehicle at 27 kph over the limit would have worse consequences.

pay for own car and insurance - so do most drivers that appear in traffic court, what makes you special?

I do not see anything here that helps your case, in fact several points you make actually weaken your case (taking police foundations in college, work for the Ministry of Corrections - one might think that someone with that background would know better). The rest of the points you raise (pay for own car and insurance, young driver, first offense) are nothing more than pleas for mercy from the court.

Maybe I would be a "tough judge" ... and probably a one term judge. But there is really nothing here that equals a defense.

[christie42]

I had the same **** going on with me like in 2007. i had a brand new car but i passed someone from the wrong lane (right side) and went 26 over the speed limit. Well i had to accept it and paid for it $182....... which i regret cuz my insurance went up and all other things like 5 points on my license and had to drive safe for 3 years to get those points off ... that means it is due until 2011 :(

so i talked to someone who knows all about it and he said you should have denied it and went to the court .... since its was my first time the lawyer would have got me out of it !!!
paying for the lawyer is way cheaper than paying for the ticket and the insurance for 3 straight years. which im doing now btw. :( it SUCKS !!! all my money goes on insurance man ....... so try going through a lawyer. and since you work for a government office kinda. ... you might be excused !! so good luck bro ;)

[jorel]

Speeding is speeding regardless of which lane you are in, passing or not passing and you are taking police foundations and work in corrections? You comitted the crime and YES your rates will gout out the roof.

[oz]

How sad. I've never had one iota of sympathy for *anyone* who puts themself above the law. Imagine what the world would be like if everyone obeyed only those laws they agreed with and ignored all the others. Can you say "a-n-a-r-c-h-y?"

[gowan]

Unfortunately for you, none of those are defenses. Some are excuses (also known as an "admission of guilt"), and others are a plea for leniency. Not one of those things is a valid defense to the charge against you.

1. The speed limit still applies while you are passing. Using this excuse not only admits to speeding but shows you don't know the rules of the road.

2. Taking police classes is great. I hope it works out for you. But it doesn't exempt you from following the law. Do you think taking pre-med classes entitles you to free health care?

3. Believe me, I'm happy you're employed. Too many people aren't these days. While that's great experience if you decide to pursue Law Enforcement as a career, it's not a valid excuse. In fact, it's not even a plain excuse. It's just an attempt to "pull strings" and if you had the connections, this citation wouldn't have gone this far.

4. Being young is not an excuse. In fact, this is the time you make mistakes and learn from them. Sometimes that means you get a ticket. Most of us did get one or more when we were younger. It's just your turn.

5. Don't you mean you "had" a perfect driving record?

6. A lot of people pay for their own car and insurance. It doesn't exempt you from the law.

Here's some advice for you. (1) Check to see if there's a traffic school option to keep this ticket off of your record. If not, check to see if the ticket can be deferred. That will give you a probationary period during which if you don't get cited again, this ticket goes away. (2) Accept responsibility for what you did. Explain to the judge that you made a mistake and due to your work and schooling in Law Enforcement, you know what it means to take responsibility.

The judge might just cut you some slack at that point because you'll probably be the only person in court that actually takes responsibility for their actions. It will be something new and different and might make them fall off the bench!