Speeding Ticket (Austin, Fort Worth: apartment, house, DMV) - Texas (TX) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

Trainwreck20 · 08-27-2007, 06:45 AM

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No, can't take driving school again for a year

This may be less than a year now...maybe 6 months? I don't know, you will have to check.

Fighting speeding tickets is much more expensive than paying them, usually, but if your insurance is at the 'breaking point', then, of course, it might be worth while. I have heard that the radar systems are very good these days and take into account the directions and even the angle from your car to the police car. I think extremely windy days can affect a radar guns accuracy, but not sure if that is still true, and not sure what kind of wind is needed.

I know that some people try to show up in court for a ticket and hope the officer doesn't show up, but I do know a couple of officers who take it very personally if a ticket they have written is overturned and WILL show up. Also, if the officer can't come, the judge will often just reschedule it, making it a huge pain for you. I also know of a case where the ticket was thrown out because the officer (one of the ones mentioned above

) wrote '620' instead of 'Hwy 620 S.' or whatever, so check for technicalities, you are more likely to win on those than science....

jwb123 · 08-27-2007, 09:08 AM

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What do you think will happen with my unpaid ticket?

Probably would have rolled off their records by now.

Maybe not. Just read an article in the paper about a woman who had to go to "Hot Check Writing" school for a "hot check" that was written during her college days of 1987.... there was a warrant out for her arrest that she was totally unaware of!

GANKS · 08-27-2007, 09:25 AM

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Originally Posted by readymade

This is so funny. Driving from Boston to LA 7 years ago, I got a speeding ticket THE MINUTE I entered into Texas. The cop was also going in the opposite direction and he did a U-Turn in the middle of the highway.

He was a complete jerk, too. I decided I hated Texas and would never go anywhere near it again. I never paid the ticket.

Now my husband & I are moving to Austin! Go figure!!

What do you think will happen with my unpaid ticket?

The statute of limitations is usually 7 years. If you are just under it and get stopped you will most likely be arrested and taken to jail - seriously. I have seen this many times (in other states) and it's because they can get lots of fees for you by doing this (impound fee, transport fee, late fees, plus the original ticket fee).

Cops have been able to laser moving traffic for over a decade and before that their radar could do it (but any 2 bit lawyer could get you out of that one). When you get stopped pull way the freak over and act nice (address them as officer) and you usually don't get written up. If they start writing you up, ask them to show you the radar (and take a picture of it - you have the right usually). In fact you can video tape the entire stop yourself if you want to - I have been told by cops they are getting more motorists doing this and now there are laws regarding this in some places. I always ask to see what method and equipment they use to radar me, when it was last calibrated and how fast they were moving when they nabbed me and what type of radar gun they have (Laser is more accurate than other radar guns).

10 years ago a cop pulled me for doing 15 over on laser, he let me shoot other cars driving by with his laser gun. When I lasered a car doing 30 over I said "hey go get him." He was pretty cool and but still wrote me up, I had to take a class to get out of it. I haven't had a real ticket since 1992, but have been pulled over dozens of times :-)

I'd be curious to know, when you stopped where did you pull over and how did you address the officer? I never get upset with cops when I get pulled over but I do make them work for the ticket and sometimes just asking the right questions, they will let you go.

Trainwreck20 · 08-27-2007, 09:50 AM

APD, in general, is pretty cool about giving warnings. Writing traffic tickets is about the least favorite thing for them to do, and most would rather just not do it. The most sure-fire way to get a ticket when you get pulled over it to be obnoxious and make up some half-baked story about how you were really going the speed limit (when you know you really were 15 mph over it).

mimimomx3 · 08-27-2007, 11:37 AM

It used to be here in Tx that you could pay a lawyer to 'fix the ticket' for you. I haven't had a ticket in a while, but in college my father helped get that arranged for me a couple of times.

cdelena · 08-27-2007, 01:50 PM

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Originally Posted by mimimomx3

It used to be here in Tx that you could pay a lawyer to 'fix the ticket' for you. I haven't had a ticket in a while, but in college my father helped get that arranged for me a couple of times.

I don't know about a 'fix' but they do know their way around the system. Many simply delay the hearing or request a trial at a busy time. That’s what I did last time in Dallas... there were over 100 people scheduled for a trial and the courtroom could legally only hold 60 so they rotated the people and times... BUT there were only four prosecutors available so 12 people got a trial and the rest got charges dismissed (including me!).

readymade · 08-27-2007, 02:41 PM

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Originally Posted by GANKS

I'd be curious to know, when you stopped where did you pull over and how did you address the officer? I never get upset with cops when I get pulled over but I do make them work for the ticket and sometimes just asking the right questions, they will let you go.

Well, it was 7 years ago, so I don't remember exactly. But I'm sure I was as nice as could be (as one has to be with cops, sorry, "officers"). I got the sense he was looking for people to stop. I was only going about 10 miles over the speed limit. When he pulled me over, he started giving me crap for not wearing my seatbelt and threatened to write me up over it. I don't think he did, though.

Yikes, it'll be 7 years at the beginning of October! I guess I have a great excuse not to drive when I come for my visit this week. My husband will have to do it which means.... MORE BEER FOR ME!

Is it sick that I'm sort of excited that there might be a warrent for my arrest somewhere in Texas? I feel all... dangerous.

muddaerf · 08-27-2007, 09:26 PM

BTW, I was very nice! I should've cried, though...the tears came after but they never flow when I want them to! And YES, I would have done it... SHAMLESSLY!

I still swear I wasn't speeding, though. No joke.

P.S. How much does deferred adjudication actually cost? I don't want my insurance to go up. It might be worth it to kick down any extra fiddy if it means I save a couple hundy on my insurance.

muddaerf · 08-27-2007, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by readymade

Is it sick that I'm sort of excited that there might be a warrent for my arrest somewhere in Texas? I feel all... dangerous.

Not if you're going to be looking for a job! I'd be scared that that info would come up on a pre-employment background check. Then again, you probably didn't get the ticket in Austin.

romesq · 08-27-2007, 09:58 PM

Just how does law enforcement know whether a car with out-of-state tags is merely passing through or has moved in without re-registering within 31 days? We're still residents in Louisiana, even tho we now own a home in Austin as well. Had not intended to change registrations yet. So, if we get stopped for Driving While Being Out-of-Staters and we don't "confess" that we also own Texas property, how could the officer possibly know?? I'm serious here. Is there some database tracking us I don't know about?!