ISO lawyer to fight speeding tickets

[tenpercenter]

i got 2 speeding tickets (1 in MD, 1 in VA) that are gonna kill my insurance costs. i hear that if i have a good lawyer or say the right things, i can probably get out of them.
 i have DC plates, but i'm assuming that MD and VA report tickets to the DC DMV--its that true?
 
 any advice other than slowing down. btw, i'm usually a pretty cautious driver...i haven't had a ticket for 5 years...

[markie]

I dont think MD report to DC.
 I paid my fine and didnt get any points.
 
 
 I think Virginia does report. How far over the limit were you in Virginia. If you do over 80 there its a guaranteed court case.
 
 
 The best plan is go to court plead guilty and hope the judge lets you off with a fine and no points.

[nkotb]

Or just hope the cop doesn't show.  If he/she doesn't, you can just plead not guilty and there's nothing they can do.

[Venerable Bede]

Originally posted by nkotbie:
  Or just hope the cop doesn't show.  If he/she doesn't, you can just plead not guilty and there's nothing they can do.

i had a teacher that advised us to do the following-
 
 1) plead not guilty and get a court date
 
 2) arrange for a doctor or dentist appointment for that date
 
 3) sometime before the court date, call the court and tell them you can't make it due to said appointment, and reschedule (but be sure to go to the appointment)
 
 4) then depend on the officer not being present due to changed circumstances.. . .just like you, the officer must change his schedule to get time off to go to the court date, and you've fouled up his schedule.  
 
 otherwise, i'd say just go to the court for a hearing.  can't really do any worse than paying the fine to begin with.

[Herr Professor Doktor Doom]

I don't know about other areas, but after a crash I had to contest a red light running ticket (in my case I really was innocent and it was the other guy who ran it),  and the cop didn't show.  So I was acquitted.  I understand that is pretty common.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by Forumie Partie Markie:
  I dont think MD report to DC.
 I paid my fine and didnt get any points.
 
 
 

Nor did mine.  When I moved to CA and got a new license, I was surprised to see that a speeding ticket in MD was not on my DC record.

Why not call Bubba Smith's lawyers just like in that local commercial?  If they're good enough for Bubba & Ray Lewis...they're good enough for you.
 
   <img src="http://www.daklar.com/images/Guest%20Stars/BubbaSs301.JPG" alt=" - " />

[jmascis]

Hey folks..I am a police officer in MD and I can tell you that switching your date will not help you.  We actually get in trouble for missing court dates, so unless we are out of town we MUST be there. I have never missed a date nor has anyone in my dept. Also you gotta remember one thing, if there is a prosecutor present he/she can always ask for a continiuance until ALL witnesses are present. Your best bet would be plead not guilty and ask for no points. In MD if you have been clean 5 yrs. and you agree to plead guilty, they will waive the points. BUT, if you are stopped again those points get put on. Its a probation thing. The other option is slow down a bit. I normally allow for 10 over the limit on highways, residential I am more strict do to kids and such.
 
 Good Luck!!!

[Frank Gallagher]

Unfortunately, a lot depends on wether the judge got laid the night before etc...sad but true.
 
 I used a lawyer in VA for a reckless driving charge....reckless driving in VA is doing 20mph over the posted limited!!!! My lawyer had a chat with the state prosecutor while we were waiting to go before the judge and he agreed to lowering it to a simple speeding ticket if I pleaded guilty to the lesser charge. When it went before the judge the two lawyers just told him what was agreed and the judge went along with it.
 
 That making a dentist appointment trick used to work, but now the states are on to it so they reschedule your next appearance on the cops next court day or something like that.
 
 The dumb-fuck of a va state trooper wrote the wrong court date on my ticket so I never showed up on the day it was first heard, so had to file for a re-hearing, and even though I had the proof in my hand that the ticket was wrong, still didn't get off the charge.
 
 Also, the lawyer I used is someone I had used for a civil case one time, so I trust him. He said that if  you try to defend yourself some judges take that as though you are not taking the charge seriously so fuck you for it. This he told me after agreeing to take my case as a favour so wasn't trying to get my business. He's a veteran attorney so traffic court is a pain in the arse for him.
 
 BTW, my "reckless driving" was doing 77 in a 55, 22 mph over the limit, 2mph into a reckless driving charge. He checked my record in his car and even though I'm an old bastard with ZERO points, still wouldn't give me a break for the 2mph. The miserable, minimum wage earning, illiterate, "have a nice day y'all" saying stupid redneck!!!!! (Can black blokes be redneck? If not, whatever the black version of country redneck is)

[vansmack]

Originally posted by O'Mankie:
  (Can black blokes be redneck? If not, whatever the black version of country redneck is)

They're called "Nelly's."

[tenpercenter]

thanks for all the advice.
 
 for the MD ticket i was going 85 in a 65 and some how scored myself a $275 fine. for some reason the cop was really advocating that i take the ticket to court, said "an hour trip from DC, could be worth saving $100."
 i'm really hoping that this one doesn't get reported cause i'm sure the points will suck.
 jmascis, since your a MD cop can you verify if MD tickets get reported to DC? thanks.
 
 as for the VA ticket... i was going 80 in a 55 so i was 25 over the limit. the cop said that he didn't give me a reckless driving charge, cause i wasn't doing anything "reckless" so i don't have a mandatory court date. it was late, the roads were empty.
 
 can someone give me advice on where i can find a decent lawyer to contest these... is that really necessary or should i go the plead not guilty route and go for no points? all i really care about is getting points on my record. i'll pay the fines, if it means no points... though less of a fine would be nice too...

[markie]

Originally posted by tenpercenter:
  thanks for all the advice.
 
 

There seems to be a big difference in the chances of getting pulled over if you stay under 20 miles an hour above the limit or below 80.... whichever is lower.
 
 But A $275 fine is mental. I got caught doing 79 in a 55 and got written up as 74mph and a $75 fine. The cop said that the full fine should have been a buck fifty.

[vansmack]

Originally posted by Forumie Partie Markie:
  But A $275 fine is mental. I got caught doing 79 in a 55 and got written up as 74mph and a $75 fine. The cop said that the full fine should have been a buck fifty.

I agree.  My fine was only $75-$80 for a similar violation.  I didn't contest it because the fine was so low compared to previous fines I've acquired in my lifetime.

[markie]

I coleague got caught doing 82 in a 65 in Virginia. That is an automatic court case. He pleaded guilty and just got a fine.
 
 He said that only one person brought a lawyer with them and they were seen by an off duty cop, racing. Apparently thre guy lost control and did 3X360's without hitting anything. The guy might have got off with it, but he had a stupid souped up car with massive body kit and racing stickers...... the cop brought photos with him of the guys car......

[markie]

Originally posted by vansmack:
  was so low compared to previous fines I've acquired in my lifetime.

I had two fines before on my UK license which they cannot do much about over here. No points at any rate. I got a $5 fine in Montana and a $100 fine in N.C.
 
 The Montana incedent was hilarious, I didnt realise the cops could get you when they are coming towards you head on (they cannot in the UK) I said this to the cop and he gave me a tour of his car and its equipment. I was a bit intimidated by his shotgun...... But the $5 fine was great.