A good legal service to fight a speeding tix

[evertruckerr]

Well, it looks like I got myself into a bit a trouble.

I got my first ticket in 12 years yesterday in SC, Aiken Co, while driving a rental car from NC to LA to PU my truck after a medical leave.(Amusing side note here, turns out my neighbor 3 houses down was driving the other direction and got a speeding ticket the same day in the same county).

Long story short, I had the cruise set at 75 in a 70 zone and came up on a car doing 70 in the fast lane. First time I've seen that! :evil: After spending a fair amount of time behind the car (not even close to tailgating) and realizing the driver had no intention of moving over and was pacing a car in the slow lane I stepped on the gas to get around him and was immediately greeted with a nice little blue light show. (damn plain wrappers, talk about a rolling speed trap). If he would have given me 3 seconds I would have been back to 75, Oh well.

He set the bait and I took it hook, line and sinker. So much for slower traffic staying right.

I must admit, he was professional, (other than sitting in the fast lane at 70mph),but had no interest in a conversation of any kind and I ended up with a 86 in a 70. 800,000 accident/ticket free miles shot to hell in a few seconds.

Not looking for pity, just want to give a little background story and perhaps a friendly warning to the younger drivers that one seemingly harmless and stupid decision can put your entire career at risk.

With that, has anyone actually used any of the legal service recently with success to fight a ticket. I'm looking at http://www.interstatetrucker.com/ and https://www.tixnix.com/.

I am definitely getting a lawyer, I'm just trying to decide if it would be better to use a service or try to contact a local SC lawyer on my own.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

THX

[harleypiper]

why don't you first see if the state has a good driving record before hiring a lawyer. In R.I. if you haven't had a moving violation in over 5 yrs. they have a statute for good/safe drivers to pay a court fee and have the ticket dismissed. You don't necessarrily need a lawer for a ticket. From my years of experience with the courts, the defense, prosecution and judge all sit at the same dinner table. Most traffic judges are pro police so going in telling them the cop wouldn't move or was in the passing lane will only cause the judge to look at you over the top of his glasses and find you guilty. I know anything south of the mason dixon, they don't care who you are, if they get out of their car, you get a ticket. If your going to fight it, I always suggest- suit and tie, clean shaven, admit with an explanation with a good driving record. Hope that helps a little.

[greg3564]

why don't you first see if the state has a good driving record before hiring a lawyer. In R.I. if you haven't had a moving violation in over 5 yrs. they have a statute for good/safe drivers to pay a court fee and have the ticket dismissed.

That only applies to Non-CDL holders. Under federal law, CDL holders can no longer have a charge lessened or go to traffic school.

Hire a lawyer if you really want to keep this off your record.

[DD60]

Wasn't there a law passed in La a few years ago requiring slower traffic to keep right? This just goes to show that traffic laws are mostly about revenue and not safety.BTW,I have RARELY seen a plain wrapper(LEO car) drive below 85mph. Are you sure he wasn't doing 85 and you caught up on him doing 86?

[harleypiper]

A Traffic court judge in any state or municipality can have a ticket dismissed so it doesn't show on your record. Your still inocent till proven guilty.

[evertruckerr]

Wasn't there a law passed in La a few years ago requiring slower traffic to keep right? This just goes to show that traffic laws are mostly about revenue and not safety.BTW,I have RARELY seen a plain wrapper(LEO car) drive below 85mph. Are you sure he wasn't doing 85 and you caught up on him doing 86?

Nope, he was actually doing 70, I followed him for about 2 miles hoping he would pull over because there was a car in the slow lane doing 70 also and I was hoping he would pass so I could continue on. Impatience got the better of me and I was in a no win situation. The cop had no intention of passing and was just waiting for my to go for it. I was stupid and he was a jerk!

And with the new laws that restrict CDL drivers from reducing tickets I'm in a world of hurt and trying to find a lawyer while I'm 1000 miles away. If I can't get this dismissed I'm out of a job.

Sucks to be me.

[dbkevindb]

why out of the job

[Mr. Ford95]

It didn't happen in LA, it happened in SC. They do that a lot down there from what I hear. Brother watched a cop pull up to a van with tinted out windows and start screwing with'em trying to goat them into a race. The van took the bait and hammered down only for the wrapper to flip on his lights and nail him.

They do it on purpose and should be entrapment.

[evertruckerr]

why out of the job

Company policy(Crete), get a speeding ticket over 75mph, regardless of posted speed or if I'm in a company truck or a personal vehicle(that sucks) is mandatory dismissal(You're Fired).

Then I'm stuck with trying to find a decent job with a brand new 16mph over ticket on my DMV. OH JOY :!:

[dbkevindb]

when u wanna fight the ticket it take up to 6 motnhs so get a new job between it

[dbkevindb]

you might win, i had 90+ on 50 in MA , i fought , she mad e for 100 dollars gues what 100 bucks means no record =)

[Uturn2001]

A Traffic court judge in any state or municipality can have a ticket dismissed so it doesn't show on your record. Your still inocent till proven guilty.

You can have the ticket dismissed, but if you have a CDL you can no longer go to traffic school, have the citation lessened or changed to a non moving violation etc. If you hold a CDL you have two choices. A: Plead guilty B:Go to court and hope you win. Thats it.

Also 15 mph+ is a serious traffic violation. 2 serious convictions in a 3 year period will earn a CDL holder a 60 day vacation (CDL suspended.)
===============================================

Back to the original question, most of these pre paid legal services will not grant you benefits beyond giving you a name or two of a traffic lawyer if you get the ticket before signing up.

[Uturn2001]

BTW you can find the list of what constitutes a major and a serious violation in 383.5 of the FMCSA regs.

[harleypiper]

I see! Thanks for clearing that up.

[inmate1577]

Hire a lawyer, get the ticket reduced to "driving without proof of insurance" which is essentially a "fix-it" ticket.
Its worth the $250.00 to avoid future hassles.

[greg3564]

Hire a lawyer, get the ticket reduced to "driving without proof of insurance" which is essentially a "fix-it" ticket.
Its worth the $250.00 to avoid future hassles.

§384.226 Prohibition on masking convictions.

The State must not mask, defer imposition of judgment, or allow an individual to enter into a diversion program that would prevent a CDL driver's conviction for any violation, in any type of motor vehicle, of a State or local traffic control law (except a parking violation) from appearing on the driver's record, whether the driver was convicted for an offense committed in the State where the driver is licensed or another State.

[Skywalker]

One thing I can tell you as fact.... South Carolina State Troopers run "plain wrappers"....and a lot of them. SO do the smaller towns in SC. Presently I have my RV up in a park in Hardeeville....just north of the GA line on I-95. That town has two plain wrappers....and they stay busy. They're fair...but they only allow so much. The small towns around Savannah, GA have plain wrappers....and they stay busy as well.

I've noticed more states using "plain wrappers"....and I imagine we'll be seeing more and more of them as time goes on.

Rolled through "Lawtey, FL" this afternoon....the fellow there in his plain wrapper nailed a truck...and that driver was speeding....when the local flipped on his "discos"...it looked like a freakin' light show :shock: The boys in Waldo were doing double duty today as well.

Alabama recently did a week long thing and wrote over 24,000 speeding tickets.....

Best to keep it at the limit....no matter what.

[DD60]

A Traffic court judge in any state or municipality can have a ticket dismissed so it doesn't show on your record. Your still inocent till proven guilty.

You can have the ticket dismissed, but if you have a CDL you can no longer go to traffic school, have the citation lessened or changed to a non moving violation etc. If you hold a CDL you have two choices. A: Plead guilty B:Go to court and hope you win. Thats it.

Also 15 mph+ is a serious traffic violation. 2 serious convictions in a 3 year period will earn a CDL holder a 60 day vacation (CDL suspended.)
===============================================

Back to the original question, most of these pre paid legal services will not grant you benefits beyond giving you a name or two of a traffic lawyer if you get the ticket before signing up.

Some counties will still offer probation or a nonmoving violation,especially if the court is going to have a busy trial week. I just received 90 days probation for a ticket I got in Tx 2 years ago,77 in a 65.I also got a 70 in a 60 in Saint Louis demoted to a defective exhaust.BTW,in both cases the fine amount was doubled and increased. Money is what the courts really care for. It doesn't work everywhere though.

[sazook]

I just got a message on my QC today saying that TN is going to be strictly enforcing their truck speed limits due to, I think it said 14 t/t rollovers in a few weeks.

[signal_flow]

A Traffic court judge in any state or municipality can have a ticket dismissed so it doesn't show on your record. Your still inocent till proven guilty.

Not true for me. Got a speeding ticket in Clatsop County Oregon on the 4th of July while traveling to Astoria, OR. 74 mph in a 55. Was a total trap too, if you could call it that. They had about 3 Highway Patrol at the bottom of this hill that I came barrelling down (along with 2 other cars in front of me who were every bit as guilty, when I asked the cop about this he told me "oh well, I picked you"). Anyways I digress. I called the Courthouse and the phone rep stated that they strictly DO NOT offer any form of a dismissal or deferal or whatever you want to call it when you want a violation to not go onto your record. By the way this was before I started my CDL training (started Aug. 13, finished Sept. 14 and now have my CDL). I wrote a very professional and appollogetic letter to the Judge or whomever it concerned, along with the $145 penalty, however they just cashed the Money Order and on my record it goes. Also, my record was squeaky clean before this, except for a no seatbelt violation in May of 2005. I must say I am pretty bummed, but learned my lesson as I should. :?