Should I go to court on this traffic ticket? Fairfax County

[jaywallace]

Originally Posted by sweetpeachums

I'm hoping to get some advice. I was recently pulled over in Fairfax County, on Route 1, near the entrance to 95N in Woodbridge. He pulled me over for speeding (which I was, but not as much as he claimed.), but he gave me a ticket for Failure to Obey a Highway Sign. This violation is 3 points on my license. I haven't had a ticket in over 10 years.
So...do I go to court? I don't want the points, but I don't want to waste my time either. The officer was about 18 years old, so I'm sure he has nothing better to do than show up at court.
I was thinking, if I go to court, what would I even say, since I was speeding, but was charged with something else.
Any advice you can give would be much appreciated.
Thx!

First off, officer's in the Northern Va area are 21 and over.

Second, he was trying to cut you a break with the highway sign charge instead of straight speeding. Regardless, if you have a decent record, show up for court and ask the judge for traffic school (they have them online now). After completing the school, your points will be dropped and you should only have to pay a court fine. I don't see how the poster saying "pay a lawyer $200 rather than give the state $50" makes any sense. The lawyer will more than likely do the same thing as I've already stated.

If you are really innocent, challenge the ticket. That's what courts are for.

[AONE]

the points are the issue. get an attorney to plea it out and get the points removed. You were guilty so the issue isn't for what but rather to minimize the damage that will come from the points. Here inn FL we can do classes on line and make the points go away. perhaps you have the same.

[yashsharma91]

Hi, I am facing a similar situation. I got pulled over for speeding at 75 in 60 zone, when I wasn't. Well, to be honest I was at about 65mph (since I overlooked the fact that the limit reduced from 65 to 60 about 3 miles earlier). The officer pulled me over (I believe its b/coz I changed lanes to get ready for gas exit), and there were atleast 5-6 other cars and trucks surrounding me. My concern is, being a student a 250$ fine is a lot, and I dont want to pay for something I believe I am not guilty of. Can I appeal against the ticket, and if yes, then on what basis? Or are there other options, where I dont point a finger at the law?

[anonymous703]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

You really have nothing to lose by going to court, but you lose automatically by not going.

As of August 2004, at least, that's not true. I had the same commute down 28 from Dulles to Centreville for about 2.5 years. (Different times of day depending on my shift.) I'd routinely do 70-75 down that stretch. Then, about 6 weeks before I was planning on moving out to the west coast, I got two tickets in the same spot in the same week by the same cop. The first ticket was a "failure to obey sign" and the other was a full-out speeding ticket.

Cop set both of my tickets for the same day. I didn't read the prepay rules carefully enough, and missed the prepay deadline. So I showed up to court and plead guilty. The judge doubled the prepay fine on the speeding ticket and tripled the prepay fine on the failure to obey. (Or something like that. I remember walking out of there with a much lighter wallet than had I taken the prepay.) When I politely asked him why the fines deferred from the prepay, he said, "I can do whatever I want."

Maybe I could have gotten an appeal on it, but I was moving to California in a month so I didn't want to deal with the hassle. But the moral of the story is that one does have something to lose by going to court.

[bangorme]

Originally Posted by anonymous703

As of August 2004, at least, that's not true. I had the same commute down 28 from Dulles to Centreville for about 2.5 years. (Different times of day depending on my shift.) I'd routinely do 70-75 down that stretch. Then, about 6 weeks before I was planning on moving out to the west coast, I got two tickets in the same spot in the same week by the same cop. The first ticket was a "failure to obey sign" and the other was a full-out speeding ticket.

Cop set both of my tickets for the same day. I didn't read the prepay rules carefully enough, and missed the prepay deadline. So I showed up to court and plead guilty. The judge doubled the prepay fine on the speeding ticket and tripled the prepay fine on the failure to obey. (Or something like that. I remember walking out of there with a much lighter wallet than had I taken the prepay.) When I politely asked him why the fines deferred from the prepay, he said, "I can do whatever I want."

Maybe I could have gotten an appeal on it, but I was moving to California in a month so I didn't want to deal with the hassle. But the moral of the story is that one does have something to lose by going to court.

Moral to the story: Judges are appointed and don't have to smart, tactful, honest or possess good judgment. Most, at that level, are lousy lawyers and we all know about lawyers.

[trafficschool1up]

As of August 2004, at least, that's not true. I had the same commute down 28 from Dulles to Centreville for about 2.5 years. (Different times of day depending on my shift.) I'd routinely do 70-75 down that stretch. Then, about 6 weeks before I was planning on moving out to the west coast, I got two tickets in the same spot in the same week by the same cop. The first ticket was a "failure to obey sign" and the other was a full-out speeding ticket.

Read more: [url]http://www.city-data.com/forum/northern-virginia/441916-should-i-go-court-traffic-ticket-3.html#ixzz0wWEOKDps[/url]


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[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by jaywallace

. . . Regardless, if you have a decent record, show up for court and ask the judge for traffic school (they have them online now). After completing the school, your points will be dropped and you should only have to pay a court fine. I don't see how the poster saying "pay a lawyer $200 rather than give the state $50" makes any sense. The lawyer will more than likely do the same thing as I've already stated. . . .

This is the best advice I've read so far. Hope it works for the OP. I also agree on appearing at traffic court if it's beneficial.

I was in FFX Co. traffic court several years ago and listened in to those who were charge with speeding (I was not there for speeding). On that day the only way people who beat the speeding charge (without an attorney) was to claim the odometer in their vehicle was damaged and producing a document from a mechanic/garage stating so.

I've been pulled over for speeding a few times -- doing 85mph on the Dulles Toll Road. But it was a VA State Trooper and he let me go.

Another time I was on 95 South in MD near Baltimore. I just paid that ticket. I was racing a Porshe and lost track of the speed limit.