O/T has anyone contested a ticket?

[pixiegirlie]

I got a ticket today for gliding through a stop sign-when I actually stopped. so im thinking about contesting it...

I was just wondering if anyone knows the procedure for contesting a ticket/ what happens if you lose/costs involved, ect. and if any one has been successful at contesting it. thanks!

 

[cschweitzer]

If you lose, you pay the ticket and court cost(you'd have to check the cost). Most of the time for small traffic tickets(unless you were mean to the cop), the cop won't show up and it is automatically discarded. Otherwise, it is really up to the judge to either believe your story or the cop's. If you actually stopped, I would feel good about contesting it. In fact, out of the few friends I know who have contested, I don't think that one has had to pay anything yet. Don't take that as the final word, though.

 

[Pterodactyl]

I got a speeding ticket once and the court appointed lawyer told me to plead no contest. They lessened the charges and I paid a lower fine and fewer points taken. Can't hurt. This way you don't admit it or deny it.

 

[jsl6v8]

I had a speeding ticket and plead no contest got charged court cost and my fine for around 800 bucks, granted I was going pretty damn fast. Most of the time if you plead not guilty it turns out pretty well I just saw an article in the orlando paper about how it may be really worth it to plead not guilty. You will pay court fees still.

 

[pixiegirlie]

how much are court fees?

 

[jsl6v8]

I can't be sure it was a good 3 years ago but I believe it was 80 bucks to say yeah my bad I won't do 120 again sir.

 

[Pterodactyl]

When is your court date?

 

[wardworld]

I was told by an SRO (School Resource Officer) friend of mine that contesting a ticket truly is a 50-50 crapshoot. He told me sometimes he goes into court with an "airtight" case and for some unknown reason the judge kicks it out...other times he can't seem to lose. The real question is: Do you feel lucky?

 

[ben&bobbi]

go for it, odds are in your favor, but never guaranteed. you can also ask for an extension on the payment if needed.

sad part is the offense is still on your file, but shown as dismissed. About a year ago, I ended up with 2 tickets in my name, the car listed was the one that t-boned my mustang the day before, cited at an interesection i was no where near, with a third parties signature - yes you read that right!

after calling the State Troopers offices, barking up all the trees, i got ahold of the officer (same guy who wrote up my accident!) and explained to him how bad he messed up the ticket. I took it to court and he never showed up, but the tickets are still listed in my file!

back to your situation, try the court, if he shows up, then plead no contest and they should go easy on you - but again no promises.

 

[chrisstie]

Wow ben&bobbi that one totally sucks.

I would contest the ticket especially if you did no wrong!..

I can't stand speeders =\ I've had so many people nearly hit me going the speed limit making me look like grandma driving...

To me it just isn't worth getting there an extra 5 or 10 minutes early. I'd rather be late and look like a dofus where I am going than get in a wreck or have to pay a huge fine.. I can handle embarrassment just fine compared to the consequences

 

[jsl6v8]

oh just fyi my 120 I was heading from missouri to florida so I was racking up hours of savings not mere min. For in town travel I try to keep my speeding to 20 over and 3 years ticket free, knock on wood.

 

[chrisstie]

Well if you're out in the middle of nowhere on open road with a HUGE LONG high way thats one thing but in town with all the idiot college kids (that includes me!) its just asking for an accident .. so many people die in those wrecks its sad

 

[jsl6v8]

the first thing I learned upon moving to florida is that people in florida have no clue how to drive, drive me nuts when everyone on the road is going 20 mph on lake underhill just because its raining a little bit, I feel safer speeding as well don't feel so trapped, plus nobody is going to be rear ending me if I'm moving faster than everyone else.

That and if I wrecked my beautiful little car I would want to be dead.

 

[macawmagic]

I 2nd the nobody in this state knows how to drive!!! I'm from Chicago where everyone an offensive driver pretty much and down here everyones an idiot. I hate when I drive home from school to my parents and I'm on the turnpike in the middle of no where with only 1 other car on the road and they're doing 60 in the left lane. Do people understand that the right way to drive is to be in the right lanes unless your passing someone? And if someone is going faster than you its courteous to get out of they're way. Thats how accidents happen. People going fast and having to swurve(mispelled...LOL) around the slow cars! I think Ludacris said it the best!!! if u know what I mean!

 

[chrisstie]

Where I came from the average age of the town in SW florida was probably 60. We had this thing called "the eventual turn"

its where you put your blinker on pointing to where you are going but drive a few miles before you actually turn

Here I think maybe its the age group they do the opposite- you're lucky to get a blinker haha

 

[jsl6v8]

I always thought that using the blinker was the most imporant rule of the road, the real problem now a days is these people on cell phones putting on their make up changing their pants and eating while driving all at the same time.

 

[chrisstie]

Yeah. its kind of sad when you see a dude reading the newspaper and you just know he's about to rearend the guy in front of him in traffic =\ its like wow, cant you wake up and do that earlier rather than while you're driving?

I don't know. I just wish I was like 200 feet tall and could pick up cars and throw them around like matchbox cars hehehehehe

 

[pixiegirlie]

well i got a ticket for rolling through the stop sign when i did stop b/c i had to wait for oncoming traffic...but what proof do i have that i did-what would make them choose my word over the cops?

jsl6vs are you the guy that drives the ferrari?

Im a speeder myself-i try to keep it within a reasonable rate-i hate driving in deltona all the 2 lane roads-and old people-it makes me want to die-especially after a long day.

 

[jsl6v8]

LoL Jesus I wish I had a ferrari, although I would take a tzero before the ferrari anyday. No I have a nice little saab 900S convertible. As for proof you really have nothing besides your word against the cops if they show up, unless the cop came from an odd angle then if you video taped that angle the cop was at made it difficult for him to properly see the stop or some such jazz. Like some other people have said your real hope is that the cop will no show, as they are so famous for .

 

[hexedagain]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9858277#post9858277 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pixiegirlie
well i got a ticket for rolling through the stop sign when i did stop b/c i had to wait for oncoming traffic...but what proof do i have that i did-what would make them choose my word over the cops?

jsl6vs are you the guy that drives the ferrari?

Im a speeder myself-i try to keep it within a reasonable rate-i hate driving in deltona all the 2 lane roads-and old people-it makes me want to die-especially after a long day.

How fast did the officer clock you at?
But, bottom line, it's your word against a cops. Who do you think the court is going to believe?
For the complaints about the drivers in Florida, I have found the worst drivers to be from other states. Most natives are just over the yearly influx of snowbirds, driving 20 miles an hour because they have never seen rain, let alone ever drivin in it, or have no freaking clue on where they are going. LOL. The locals get mad, and then drive like morons to "prove a point" or some stupid reason.
I just sit back and wait for them to go back home. Driving just got alot better since spring training ended.