Advice on speeding ticket

[bigfella99]

I have been a CDL driver driver for 2 years and I just got my first speeding ticket. It was for doing 72 mph in a 60 zone. They got me in an area where the limit had just dropped from 70 to 60 and I didn't catch it.

The fine would be $190, but I am more concerned about the impact on my CDL and my attractiveness to a potential employer. I have one other ticket that I got before I got my CDL, but this one is almost 3 years old and will drop off my record in a few months.

Have any of you used a lawyer to defend one of these tickets? Is it worth going with a lawyer or should I just pay the ticket. If you did hire a lawyer, can you tell me how much it cost and if it was worth it to you.

Thanks for the advice in advance.

slow down or don't get caught anymore.

[GMAN]

I don't think a single speeding ticket will disqualify you from consideration from a potential employer, but if it were me I would fight it to see if I could prevent it from getting on my mvr. The better your driving record the better your job prospects.

[TK THE TRUCKER]

I've had 2 speeding tickets in the past that were out of my home state, one in Ohio and one in New Mexico. Someone once told me that if I took care of them right away they would not show up on my MVR. So that's what I did. As soon as I got the ticket I sent them in guilty and as soon as the letter showed up with the fine I sent the money right away. It's been almost 3 years or so and they have never showed up on my MVR. I did report the tickets to my company though to be straight with them. 8) 8)

[ChikinTrucka]

I always fight every ticket, if it's practical. I 'plea bargained' two tickets to just a fine with no court records (the city just wants their money!) and another two were dismissed because the cop didn't show up. I had another one reduced and I've had a few out there someplace that I just paid and they never showed up on my driving record. Not all states have reciprocity, but I don't know how you find out if they do or not. There are plenty of very good books on the subject. I read one that told me all I needed to know to defend myself. I hired a lawyer once and he couldn't do anything because "The judge wouldn't make a deal", gees, I thought it had something to do with justice... silly me. I had another case where a speeding motorcycle drove into my PARKED truck and I got a ticket. The company hired a lawyer to defend me, but the little twirp was brain dead and I think he actually made things worse. You never can tell, but I always fight it if I can get to the court. I had a parking ticket in Bloomsbury, NJ right in front of the TA for $20. I thought it was total B.S. so I fought it and ended up with a $80 parking ticket, that was not a money saving ordeal!
Here's a few pointers I've learned.
1-Always get all the available information, write it down, take pictures. This alone can be used to show the cop doesn't remember what happened.
2-Ask for a continuance. The longer it takes to get to court, the less the cop will remember.
3-Read some books. Knowledge is the winning card in court!
4-You have a legal right to any and all information that will be used against you in court. Ask for it. If they don't give it to you, they can't use it against you in court.
5-Relax, to everyone else it's just another day of work, don't let the "system" intimidate you. It's OUR system, use it to your advantage.
6-Try to make a bargain before going into the courtroom. It's easier and faster for the bureaucracy to get it done in the hallway, so they usually will work with you.
Have Fun!

[jonekatz1]

First Off Don't Ever Trust a Lawyer A officer of the Court. case in Point former ATTY General of NY State involved in lascivious behavior losing Him the Govenorship of The Empire state of New York Elliot Spitzer. I was cited for being 3 mph on I- 90 out side of Cleveland, Oh by a Cleveland city TruckDriver hating cop, I retained a Att and that cost me $ 600.00 dollars for him to speak to the prosecuter which I could of done myself. Jesus had said that Lawyer's closely resemble liar's if U know what I mean were'nt worth there salt. ALL so known as a (shyster)derived from the German term scheisser,meaning literally"one who defecates"from the verb {scheissen} German equivalent of our English terms a son of a b*tch so there U have it :!: :wink:

[Silverdragon]

I do not know how every state works, so it depends. Your best bet without an attorney is to plead not guilty to the charge and request to speak with the prosecutor on the assigned court date.

When you meet with the prosecutor explain your situation and ask if there is a lesser non point charge that you can plead guilty to. Do not lie about past tickets as he will probably have a printout of your records. States often have comparable charges that do not carry points but are often a little more expensive to pay. You win by not getting points on your license and the state wins by getting a little more money.

If that is not available see if you can plead guilty to a lower speed often depending on the prosecutor and officer involved this is also a reasonable alternative. It can reduce the number of points you get on your license.
If you were respectful to the officer during the stop, and are respectful to the prosecutor this will sometimes but not always work. Most officers are decent and will work with you if you were respectful during your stop, but there are some who will not give and inch.

An attorney will not really do much more than that, other than maybe being freinds with the prosecutor which could help. He also may be able to better look over the paperwork submitted by the officer to make sure it is properly filled out, radar log sheets and test sheets. Problems here are not often found though.

Hope this helps, good luck

[mdf1576]

I did the lawyer thing once for running a red light. They went to court for me and I had to pay about 290 dollars. All I had to do was write the check out.
It was worth it to me and I wasnt driving a truck then. They called adjudication of guilt I think. Never showed up on my record, like it never happened..........
HTH

[DD60]

slow down or don't get caught anymore.

I don't believe that was the OP's answer to his question. Let me guess,you have never had a speeding ticket in your life. Hire driver's legal plan for the ticket. Always fight every ticket even if you are guilty. Like Gman said,the less violations the better chances of good carriers hiring you. www.interstatetrucker.com. The membership is 150.00 a year plus 100.00 for each case they take to court. For nonmembers it is around 300.00-500.00. Still I would pay the fees and fight or reduce the ticket so it doesn;t show up as a moving violation.

[mikey4069]

www.roadlaw.net

[jimjim]

Pay it, forget about it and move on.

[Orangetxguy]

slow down or don't get caught anymore.

I don't believe that was the OP's answer to his question. Let me guess,you have never had a speeding ticket in your life. Hire driver's legal plan for the ticket. Always fight every ticket even if you are guilty. Like Gman said,the less violations the better chances of good carriers hiring you. www.interstatetrucker.com. The membership is 150.00 a year plus 100.00 for each case they take to court. For nonmembers it is around 300.00-500.00. Still I would pay the fees and fight or reduce the ticket so it doesn;t show up as a moving violation.

DD......I notice you have been "Kermudgeunly" a lot lately! You feeling ok??? :? :?



As for your post.......Is it "ok" if some of us haven't ever had a speeding ticket...........in a truck?



LOL :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: I did get caught once....in 1979..driving my sister's brand new 79 Camaro Z28...had the speedo bottomed out running across I-80 along the Bonneville salt flats...westbound. Utah trooper was kind and wrote me for 10 over the double nickel. :P :P :P


I was sooo embarassed to have not looked at the speedo as I was crusing along singing to REO. Only ticket I have ever collected. :P :P

[mikey4069]

one setbelt ticket for me in a truck . i had one speeding ticket in my mustang 20 years ago .

[Whammo]

I always fight every ticket, if it's practical. I 'plea bargained' two tickets to just a fine with no court records (the city just wants their money!) and another two were dismissed because the cop didn't show up. I had another one reduced and I've had a few out there someplace that I just paid and they never showed up on my driving record. Not all states have reciprocity, but I don't know how you find out if they do or not. There are plenty of very good books on the subject. I read one that told me all I needed to know to defend myself. I hired a lawyer once and he couldn't do anything because "The judge wouldn't make a deal", gees, I thought it had something to do with justice... silly me. I had another case where a speeding motorcycle drove into my PARKED truck and I got a ticket. The company hired a lawyer to defend me, but the little twirp was brain dead and I think he actually made things worse. You never can tell, but I always fight it if I can get to the court. I had a parking ticket in Bloomsbury, NJ right in front of the TA for $20. I thought it was total B.S. so I fought it and ended up with a $80 parking ticket, that was not a money saving ordeal!
Here's a few pointers I've learned.
1-Always get all the available information, write it down, take pictures. This alone can be used to show the cop doesn't remember what happened.
2-Ask for a continuance. The longer it takes to get to court, the less the cop will remember.
3-Read some books. Knowledge is the winning card in court!
4-You have a legal right to any and all information that will be used against you in court. Ask for it. If they don't give it to you, they can't use it against you in court.
5-Relax, to everyone else it's just another day of work, don't let the "system" intimidate you. It's OUR system, use it to your advantage.
6-Try to make a bargain before going into the courtroom. It's easier and faster for the bureaucracy to get it done in the hallway, so they usually will work with you.
Have Fun!

Great advice, thank you!

[ChikinTrucka]

One time, many moons ago, I was going 73 in a 55 through Cincinnati, Ohio. State trooper stopped me and asked if I knew why she stopped me (yes, a very good looking She-bear), I said "cuz I wuz goin' way too fast." She let me off with a seat belt violation ticket ($100 and no points, non-moving). I said, "Wow, that's way cool. I always thought Ohio was tough, according to the CB talk". She said; "you truckers make it worse for yourselves by talking trash on the CB. We know you're just trying to do your job, and so are we. We're willing to work with you. If you gave me a bunch of lip and said you weren't speeding, I just would have wrote the speeding ticket."
Moral of the story: Always be nice to the cops, and watch the cop trashing CB talk, it hurts everyone.