Quote:
Originally Posted by tommyc_37
Guys,
Driving up to Boston this morning, I got pulled over in Connecticut doing 85 in a 65 
$300 ticket, payable by mail.
The cop said that I will not get points on my NJ license, if I mail the payment in.
Does anybody have experience with this?
I'm so pissed. I thought I was going about 75-ish. |
that really sucks, tommy - i feel for ya.
i've driven through connecticut many times over the years and got pulled over once, back in the '90s when i was a freshman in college. my situation was similar to yours - i was on I-95 and keeping up with the flow of traffic, which was moving at a fast pace (about 75 mph) despite being fairly heavy. i was not weaving in and out of traffic to get around the other cars, nor was i tailgating anyone; i was simply driving the same speed as everyone else.
suddenly i saw flashing lights behind me - it was an unmarked ford crown victoria.
the cop told me i was "doing 85" and, before i even had a chance to say anything, he actually said, "and don't try to tell me otherwise - another trooper clocked you going at that speed from the other side of the highway, too."
i was so stunned that i didn't even protest. after writing up my ticket, the cop returned to my window and told me, "i'm gonna cut you a break and say that you were only doing 74. just mail in the ticket and you won't get points since you're from out-of-state."
later, as i was driving away, i got more and more upset because i knew that there was no way i was going 85 mph. plus, my friend who was in the car with me suggested that i was targeted
specifically because i had out-of-state (nj) license plates. he pointed out that even though everyone else around me was driving at the same speed, the cop went out of his way to pull over the one non-connecticut driver in a pack of ct license plates. he also mentioned how he heard from others at our school that connecticut cops are notorious for this (not sure if this true, but i believe it), especially given how expensive ct moving violations are.
i asked around, and several people at my school who'd also been pulled over in ct told me to just do as the cop said - they claimed that simply paying the fine didn't result in any points for them. so i did just that. didn't tell my parents about it because i figured they'd never find out.
a few months later, my dad called me up at school and berated me about getting pulled over in ct and not telling him, and how my insurance rates had now gone through the roof. i explained the situation and told him that i was under the impression that i wasn't suppose to receive any points, and he responded, "well, the insurance company definitely knows about this ticket."
that's when i found out about insurance points, and how they're completely separate from dmv points. while the cop was technically correct that i wouldn't receive nj dmv points, he didn't mention that my insurance company would find out about the ticket anyway and would use that as justification for jacking up my rates. and considering that i was only 18 years old at the time, my insurance rates absolutely skyrocketed after this incident.
i guess things have changed since then, as according to greenbaypackersfan's link above, out-of-state drivers now get dmv points assessed to their license for moving violations. i wouldn't have known about this since i haven't been pulled over in ct since then.
so now the question is, what should you do?
my first suggestion is that you plead "not guilty" and set up a court date to fight this ticket.
then, look up some traffic lawyers in the area of connecticut where you were pulled over. maybe someone on the connecticut forum can point you in the right direction.
traffic lawyers are always tight with the local municipal judges and prosecutors and thus can help you obtain a favorable plea bargain that will reduce the charge to a non-moving violation that does not carry dmv points (and as a result, will not impact your insurance points, either). if connecticut is anything like new jersey, the local prosecutor and judge will be happy to accept a plea bargain, as all they care about is making $$$ off of you. pulling people over for routine/borderline questionable infractions is quite literally a cash cow for the town.
anyway, call at least 3 or 4 lawyers in that area of connecticut who offer a free initial phone consultation, and ask them about your chances of getting a plea bargain that will eliminate the points. if you decide to retain the lawyer, it will cost you about $400-$500 in lawyer fees (plus the price of the plea bargained ticket), but it's worth it if you want to guarantee that the ticket is taken care of.
you can also skip a day of work and fight the ticket in person at the ct municipal court, which may or may not work in your favor. i know that if i were to get pulled over in nj or ny state, i would go with this route rather than the lawyer, since nj and ny courts seem eager to plea bargain with motorists.
but in connecticut, i'm not 100% sure - might be safer to get the lawyer. plus, a lot of traffic lawyers actually represent clients these days without the client having to appear in court, which may alone be worth the lawyer fees.
definitely ask around on the connecticut forum, and find out how receptive the ct municipal courts are to offering non-point plea bargains.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
