Fighting a speeding ticket in WI.... (car insurance, credit card, law) - Chicago - Illinois (IL) - City-Data Forum

lenniel · 11-03-2009, 07:10 AM

Go popped on 94 last week around Kenosha/Racine, 80 in a 65. I travel that route often and I'm well aware of the fact that it's heavy patrolled by police with radar but I was spacing out and not paying close enough attention to my speed.
The ticket is $200.

Anyone fought a ticket in WI. Any strategies? Does the cop who wrote it have to show up in court if I decide to fight it?

Thanks for the input/feedback.

snoylekim · 11-03-2009, 08:03 AM

Never heard of anyone fighting one up there, ..good luck ..to them, you're just a FIP

..Do the cops still carry credit card machines in the units for 'insta-pay' ?? I remember the State Patrol did that a few years ago..in WI, Ilinois tags = virtual ATM card for their governmental finances ..

SJaye · 11-03-2009, 12:58 PM

From my experience fighting speeding tickets it is better to show up than to not show up (mail in your $200 ticket). Unless you go to Wisconsin often, you are probably not as concerned with their point system, in which the state suspends your license for any combination of tickets that accumulates 12 points within a 12 month period. However, you can reduce the number of points by showing up and pleading "no contest". You might want to see if this matters for your insurance rates somehow (without accidentally notifying your insurance company of a ticket they were unaware of). Unfortunately, it is rare that they reduce the fine through this course of action- after all, it is all about revenue. If you go up there and plead "not guilty" you will have to come up with a reason you are not guilty. If you are going >20 over, this may be pretty difficult too. The court date on your ticket is just a pre-trial hearing, where most tickets are settled. The cop that issued your ticket will not be there, but if you try to dispute it, they will probably set up a specific court hearing that the cop will attend.

long101 · 11-03-2009, 02:04 PM

I got clocked going 67 in a 65 in WI a few years back at 2am in the morning. I worked nights at the time so I drove out there and pleaded not guilty. The judge asked me why and I told him that its such a small variance anything could have caused it and that I had my cruise set to 65. None the less I wound up being found guitly. In short I would probaly just plead guilty and pay it

cubssoxfan · 11-03-2009, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by long101

I got clocked going 67 in a 65 in WI a few years back at 2am in the morning. I worked nights at the time so I drove out there and pleaded not guilty. The judge asked me why and I told him that its such a small variance anything could have caused it and that I had my cruise set to 65. None the less I wound up being found guitly. In short I would probaly just plead guilty and pay it

That's harsh! I though my 65 in a 55 was annoying. My wife felt like including a letter basically stating, "If you choose to target IL plated vehicles, we will take our vacation $ to another state." I told her not to since it was 10 over.

long101 · 11-03-2009, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cubssoxfan

That's harsh! I though my 65 in a 55 was annoying. My wife felt like including a letter basically stating, "If you choose to target IL plated vehicles, we will take our vacation $ to another state." I told her not to since it was 10 over.

I think 10 over is dumb too, but breaking the law is breaking the law. If your going with the flow of traffic I dont think they should give speeding tickets on highways/intersates. Look at the autobahn in Germany, there are very rarely accidents and the average speeds are over 100mph

snoylekim · 11-03-2009, 05:17 PM

Umm.. the autobahn romance is overrated .. There are fewer and fewer areas with no designated speed limit because of increasing congestion and population .. also, there's no 'getting out' of tickets in Germany..licenses are much harder to get, and there aren't warnings... the fines can be astronomical. This is a country where, if your car insurance lapses or is revoked, the authorities will be by to take the plates off your vehicle .. They also have cameras that go beyond the Red Light cams here ... And there are accidents ... Just not as many in the rural areas where they still allow no marked speeds .. There's also a lot of pressure from the Green Party for national speed limits ( doesn't stand much chance of passing, but still noise ..)

Avengerfire · 11-03-2009, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snoylekim

...This is a country where, if your car insurance lapses or is revoked, the authorities will be by to take the plates off your vehicle...

That is awesome. That should be done here.

snoylekim · 11-03-2009, 06:15 PM

They don't screw around with Traffic stuff over there .. high fines, serious jail for stuff like DUI..and 'minor' violations like driving without a license aren't so minor to them.. I wouldn't necessarily advocate their entire traffic code ( and lots of other stuff they have), but a few of them make sense..and would be extremely difficult to get implemented here

Janinele · 11-03-2009, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snoylekim

They don't screw around with Traffic stuff over there .. high fines, serious jail for stuff like DUI..and 'minor' violations like driving without a license aren't so minor to them.. I wouldn't necessarily advocate their entire traffic code ( and lots of other stuff they have), but a few of them make sense..and would be extremely difficult to get implemented here

lol thats exactly like it is - are you from Germany, too?