Need your help asap (Duluth, Decatur: insurance, how much, cars)

[Duluthgirl]

hey guys
this is my first time in this thread and I must say that this site is soo helpful
well my question here is
that I got pulled over when I was driving on 85 South(on N.Druid Hill)
and I am a Muslim girl who wears the hijab or the scarve on my head..
when I got pulled over the police was staring at me first and then he said that I was speeding, and I told no I was not I was going in 60mph to 65mph, and he said no you were not and then he said that I was going on 80mph on 55mph zone.and I said no
so he said to show him my DL and the insurance and when I gave him he was like so upset and he said how come I have that scarve in my head in my DL id!! and I said that it is part of my reilgion and I can't take it off..and he left and was away for about 10-15minutes coming back telling me that he is giving me citation and he is just writing 70mph instead of what he said that I was driving 80mph, and then he was like I have never seen anyone wearing this thing in my head and that they don't allow even hate in the DL id...so he was like I was the first one he saw her with the scarve .....well first he just didn't catch me with anything like laser or any other things
he just pulled me because he said that when I was passing by his side I didn't see him and I just speeded
so doesnt that mean that if I was driving on 80mph like he said but he didnt write on the citation doesnt that mean he must have been speeding too!!!!!!!!!!!

well my court date is on NOV the 4th(yes on election day) at 2:00 on Decatur police dept..
any ideas on what to do!!!

please I need your help guys I have no one else
thanks

p.s.
do I have a good chance to fight!!!or pay!

[afonega1]

Originally Posted by Duluthgirl

hey guys
this is my first time in this thread and I must say that this site is soo helpful
well my question here is
that I got pulled over when I was driving on 85 South(on N.Druid Hill)
and I am a Muslim girl who wears the hijab or the scarve on my head..
when I got pulled over the police was staring at me first and then he said that I was speeding, and I told no I was not I was going in 60mph to 65mph, and he said no you were not and then he said that I was going on 80mph on 55mph zone.and I said no
so he said to show him my DL and the insurance and when I gave him he was like so upset and he said how come I have that scarve in my head in my DL id!! and I said that it is part of my reilgion and I can't take it off..and he left and was away for about 10-15minutes coming back telling me that he is giving me citation and he is just writing 70mph instead of what he said that I was driving 80mph, and then he was like I have never seen anyone wearing this thing in my head and that they don't allow even hate in the DL id...so he was like I was the first one he saw her with the scarve .....well first he just didn't catch me with anything like laser or any other things
he just pulled me because he said that when I was passing by his side I didn't see him and I just speeded
so doesnt that mean that if I was driving on 80mph like he said but he didnt write on the citation doesnt that mean he must have been speeding too!!!!!!!!!!!

well my court date is on NOV the 4th(yes on election day) at 2:00 on Decatur police dept..
any ideas on what to do!!!

please I need your help guys I have no one else
thanks

p.s.
do I have a good chance to fight!!!or pay!

GO to court.You have a chance that the judge will throw it out because his method for getting you can have human error.He does not have to use a radar.They do whats called "pacing".In order for thenm to do it they have to follow you for a minute.They look at their speedometer which are certified correct,and count using the method.Its not as accurate ,but they its better to go to court and be prepared to pay just in case.You can call the number on the ticket after a few days and they can tell you how much it will be.Do not MISS your court date!!If the officer does not show up it can be in your favor.

[powerplay]

Pay the ticket early and save yourself the grief.
They nearly always side with police on speeding issues......expect between a 2 to 3 hundred dollar fine unfortunately.

[saharaga]

Originally Posted by powerplay

Pay the ticket early and save yourself the grief.
They nearly always side with police on speeding issues......expect between a 2 to 3 hundred dollar fine unfortunately.

Yes, they do usually side with the officer but from what she describes, I think she has a good chance of making a case before the judge. I personally would challenge any speeding ticket where the speed was not tracked with a radar. And honestly, I have had police pace me before and they did not pull me over when I was clearly speeding. I'm not sure she can prove it but he may have pulled her over because of her head gear...and to drop the ticket to 70 as though he was doing her a favor? Please! She has nothing to lose by fighting the ticket IMO. If she wins wonderful. If she loses, she won't be in a different position than she is now.

[saharaga]

Here's some info that may help you challenge the ticket? You'll want to have the answers to these questions like the department's speedometer calibration policy BEFORE you go to court.


"There are two other ways commonly used to detect speeding vehicles; airborne officers and pacing. Pacing requires the patrol officer to get behind a car and travel along with it for a sufficient distance to determine cruising speed. Police vehicles should have calibrated speedometers. Just because the auto maker put a placard on the dash saying the speedometer was calibrated does not mean it will remain that way forever. It is a mechanical device subject to wear and tear. Speedometers need to be calibrated regularly.

It is not hard to calibrate a speedometer, a radar unit in stationary mode can be used. A card indicating when the speedometer was calibrated, who did it and how it was done should be in the patrol car at all times. Any differences between the speedometer speed indications and the calibration device speed readings should be noted in not more than 10 m.p.h. increments. A speedometer can be off by several miles per hour and still be accurate as long as this difference is taken into account.

Police vehicles are subject to hard use, sudden accelerations and decelerations. A speedometer is controlled by a series of small cogs in the speedometer head, the part you see on the dash, connected by a cable to the transmission. Any wear or damage to the cogs or cable can put the speedometer off true. Changes in tire or wheel rim size from the original manufacturer’s specifications can also cause a change in accuracy.

When in court, if you have been paced, ask the officer when the speedometer was last calibrated, who did it, and what was the recorded error ratio? How many miles, weeks, months or years have passed since it was last calibrated? If more than 90 days or 10,000 miles have passed between the last test and the day the citation was issued, then the accuracy is questionable. Check the department’s standard operating procedures to see if they have a set schedule for calibration testing and if it was complied with. Ask to see the calibration records.
To achieve a good speed reading while pacing, a steady speed must be achieved for some distance. Sudden bursts of speed can cause speedometers to show a momentary high speed that does not accurately reflect the actual speed achieved. A pacing distance of 1/10th mile at a relatively steady speed is generally considered sufficient. How far and for how long did the officer pace you? Did he have you in sight the entire time? Was he able to maintain a constant distance between the vehicles during the pacing? What were the traffic conditions at the time? Were there any other cars similar to yours in the immediate vicinity?"
Source: police traffic radar (http://www.jesbeard.com/29a.htm - broken link)

[JasonPaul]

Just pay it you probably were speeding, it happens and he caught you.