Speeding ticket! (Seattle, Bellevue, Renton: insurance, lawyer, live in) - Washington (WA) -Seattle and King County Suburbs - City-Data Forum

Freebird2007 · 11-16-2008, 03:21 PM

Ok, so I am stopped at a stoplight heading uphill. I took off harder than normal but not going over the speed limit, hitting just over 50. As soon as I get up the hill (it really wasn't that steep however) I see a state trooper coming from the opposite direction about 200-300 feet away. Natural reaction, I slow down a little bit. The trooper sped up but as soon as I got 20 feet from him the trooper turns on his lights and makes a U-turn.

About a few seconds later, my radar detector goes crazy. Now I have an Escort Radar detector that was serviced just recently and I am confident to say no way in hell did the trooper "clock" me. So I pull down my radar and pull over. He comes up to me and asks how I would like to be in handcuffs. Stunned I ask why? He asks why I took down the radar and that it gives him probable cause to put me under arrest and search my car??? So here I am both nervous and embarassed in front of my wife. He comes back and tells me that I was doing 60 in a 45. BALLLLLLLONEY.

Now I don't drive a sports car so there is no way I am going uphill from a dead stop and hitting over 60mph within that short of a distance. Not to mention that my radar detector didn't go off till I passed him (and yes, I made sure that I slowed down to 45) I think the trooper was a little too eager to give out a ticket.

Anyone have any experience fighting a traffic ticket? Is it a courthouse that I will be going to or is it just an office? How are the judges with radars? Will I be going in front of the judge or just a magistrate?

tada · 11-16-2008, 03:35 PM

The cop was probably just trying to make quota. They like to do that by giving out easy tickets, like speeding and jaywalking.

wannabeaTexan · 11-16-2008, 03:36 PM

When I got a ticket in 2003 (didn't have proof of insurance on me, so I went to court to get it reduced), I went to the courthouse. It is done in front of a judge and there are others there for the same thing. They'll just call you up there when it's your turn.

70Ford · 11-16-2008, 06:39 PM

Yeah. I tried to fight a "no use of turn signal" ticket in Cobb County, Ga. As the judge told me, "I have no reason to doubt the testimony of this officer."
That'll be 110 dollars (Can't remember the number) and 2 weeks jail time."

Lump, meet throat.

"Suspended."

What the ****!?!?!?

*******************************
It's a revenue machine. You're in it. Cobb County is crooked as hell. And yeah, honestly, I did use my signal. I was passing on the inside lane of a two lane that was rapidly turning into a one lane. Cop was on the other side of the road driving in the opposite direction. From his angle, I dunno...maybe he couldn't see it. Oh well, lesson learned. Can't fight the establishment. You get jail time.

Cop wears a badge ='s he's honest. You don't ='s you're automatically a liar.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_c...ted_on_ch.html

Haakon · 11-16-2008, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freebird2007

Anyone have any experience fighting a traffic ticket?

Yes, if you honestly didn't do it you have a good chance of having it dismissed. If you quibble with the judge saying you were only doing 50 in a 45 and not 60 you'll lose, you've already admitted you broke the law.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freebird2007

Is it a courthouse that I will be going to or is it just an office? How are the judges with radars? Will I be going in front of the judge or just a magistrate?

It depends on where you got the ticket, in Bellevue it will be a magistrate, in Renton, Redmond or King County it will be a courthouse.

Did the officer show you the radar? If not you can bring that up when you contest the ticket. Tell the judge that according to your speedometer you weren't speeding and the officer didn't show you the radar (assuming he didn't) and you don't believe you were going as fast as he said. I wouldn't bring up the radar detector, if it's in the officers comments and the judge brings it up don't deny it, but don't volunteer it either.

Do not verbally attack the officer in front of the judge, that's a sure way to lose.

I've contested tickets and had them dismissed when I legitimately wasn't speeding, if you did it just suck it up and pay the fine. I've also seen many people with the most unbelievably lame excuses for why they broke various laws in front of the judge get absolutely no mercy, as it should be. Judges have heard it all and have zero patience for people who lie to them or about the police.

The judge or magistrate will make up their mind VERY quickly once you're in front of them, within a minute or two, so you need to be upfront, honest, respectful and reasonable right from the get go - first impressions will make or break it for you with the judge since you really don't have any evidence on your side, just your word. You don't need to wear a suit, but dress nice and don't wear a hat - in King County they'll make you take it off if you do wear one, don't chew gum and so on.

neil0311 · 11-22-2008, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 70Ford

Cobb County is crooked as hell.

I live in Cobb County, GA (NW suburb of Atlanta) and visit Seattle for work quite a bit (hence my reading the Seattle forum). Cobb is NOT crooked, and as a matter of fact, as long as you don't have a bad driving record and long list of violations, the Solicitor will work with you and plead the case down to something like "basic rules violation" which carries no points and only a small fine. Now if you're the type who gets pulled over once a week, then yeah, they will throw the book at you and rightly so.

I have a hard time believing 70Ford's tale of woe, unless he's the latter type who makes a hobby out of getting a ticket. Cobb isn't perfect and I'm sure people have gotten questionable tickets now and then, but to use the term "crooked as hell" is just inventing an alternate reality.

redrum · 11-23-2008, 02:24 AM

Tell the judge that...the officer didn't show you the radar (assuming he didn't)

That is a myth, police are under no obligation to show their radar gun. What would it prove, anyway? There's no way to know if the reading actually came from the ticketed driver's car.

Any traffic violation case basically comes down to the officer's word against the driver's, whether it's speeding, running a red light, HOV violation, etc...and obviously, the court is going to the favor the officer.

If the OP really wants to fight the ticket, I'd recommend hiring an experienced traffic lawyer. I have a couple friends who've gotten out of speeding tickets this way. Just don't expect to save any money, the lawyer was actually more expensive than the ticket, but having a clean record meant more to them.

70Ford · 11-23-2008, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neil0311

I live in Cobb County, GA (NW suburb of Atlanta) and visit Seattle for work quite a bit (hence my reading the Seattle forum). Cobb is NOT crooked, and as a matter of fact, as long as you don't have a bad driving record and long list of violations, the Solicitor will work with you and plead the case down to something like "basic rules violation" which carries no points and only a small fine. Now if you're the type who gets pulled over once a week, then yeah, they will throw the book at you and rightly so.

I have a hard time believing 70Ford's tale of woe, unless he's the latter type who makes a hobby out of getting a ticket. Cobb isn't perfect and I'm sure people have gotten questionable tickets now and then, but to use the term "crooked as hell" is just inventing an alternate reality.

Believe it. I can't make up a story that good. Wouldn't waste my time doing it, either.

Haakon · 11-23-2008, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redrum

Tell the judge that...the officer didn't show you the radar (assuming he didn't)

That is a myth, police are under no obligation to show their radar gun. What would it prove, anyway? There's no way to know if the reading actually came from the ticketed driver's car.

Speaks the voice of no experience. I told the judge exactly that and had a ticket dismissed. So much for your "myth".

redrum · 11-23-2008, 03:37 PM

I can't speak to your experience as I do not know the exact reasoning behind the judge's dismissal, but everything I've read makes it pretty clear that police are not required to show radar, so why a judge would allow that fact to influence their decision is beyond me.

Seattle Traffic attorney advice

You may politely ask why you were pulled over, but don't expect to see the actual radar readout if the violation was speeding. Unlike what you read on some sites, it is not a requirement of Washington law that they show you the radar. In addition, you are not required to sign the citation.