Speeding Ticket in Mesa...My Bad :-( (Gilbert: school, DMV)

[CEBMurray]

Hi Everyone!

My husband and I just relocated to Arizona from California and live in Gilbert. I work in Mesa and got caught speeding near Lindsay and Southern with the traffic camera. I admit I wasn't paying attention and didn't notice I was in a school zone with a posted speed limit of 35 mph (normal speed limit is 45 mph). The first time I was doing 46 mph and the second time was 51 mph. Needless to say, the City of Mesa invited me to pay $588 for the privilege of stupidity and I paid the the bill promptly since it was my fault and responsibility to be more aware of the speed limits.

Question - Since I paid the tickets in a timely manner, will I get points on my driving record? If so, can I attend traffic school to dismiss them?

Thanks in advance for your kind assistance!

[goolsbyjazz]

I know that location you referred to and have witnessed a few unsuspecting drivers get the dreaded flash. I am not sure, but your payment of the ticket, according to DMV.org may signify an admission of guilt. Were you offered driving school before you paid the ticket? In any event, here is what I found:
What do I do if get a traffic ticket in Arizona?

Determine whether you want to plead guilty or not guilty and do so within the allotted amount of time, which is usually printed on AZ traffic tickets.

Pleading guilty usually means paying your traffic ticket fine and another other related costs as well as dealing with associated penalties, like point accumulation; pleading not guilty means fighting your ticket in court. Your costs and penalties, or lack thereof, afterward depend on the verdict.

Some drivers are eligible to enroll in*Defensive Driving Program*course to have the ticket dismissed and avoid both paying the ticket fine and accumulating points (though there are still plenty of costs associated with defensive driving school).

Check out our*Paying Your Traffic Ticket*and*Fighting Your Traffic Ticket*sections for more information.

Hope this helps.

[john3232]

Originally Posted by goolsbyjazz

I know that location you referred to and have witnessed a few unsuspecting drivers get the dreaded flash. I am not sure, but your payment of the ticket, according to DMV.org may signify an admission of guilt. Were you offered driving school before you paid the ticket? In any event, here is what I found:
What do I do if get a traffic ticket in Arizona?

Determine whether you want to plead guilty or not guilty and do so within the allotted amount of time, which is usually printed on AZ traffic tickets.

Pleading guilty usually means paying your traffic ticket fine and another other related costs as well as dealing with associated penalties, like point accumulation; pleading not guilty means fighting your ticket in court. Your costs and penalties, or lack thereof, afterward depend on the verdict.

Some drivers are eligible to enroll in*Defensive Driving Program*course to have the ticket dismissed and avoid both paying the ticket fine and accumulating points (though there are still plenty of costs associated with defensive driving school).

Check out our*Paying Your Traffic Ticket*and*Fighting Your Traffic Ticket*sections for more information.

Hope this helps.

I know that spot. I only spend 10-12 weeks a year in Mesa and am generally a cautious driver but missed that spot. However, the car just in front of me got the dreaded flash.

The sidewalks along many of the major streets are often lined with placards and I have at times missed the notice about a school.

For example Falcon Jr. high school in Mesa is another I missed but fortunately the school wasn't in session.

[ElleTea]

You should have done some research first! If you get a ticket in the mail, IGNORE IT! it's not valid unless you are physically served or if you pay it. After 90 days it is dismissed, assuming you can avoid begin served.

[ShampooBanana]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

You should have done some research first! If you get a ticket in the mail, IGNORE IT! it's not valid unless you are physically served or if you pay it. After 90 days it is dismissed, assuming you can avoid begin served.

Yep. NEVER just automatically pay a camera ticket. It's an admission of guilt and the points will go on your record. They have to physically serve you the ticket and THEN you can decide whether or not to just pay or fight it in court. Obviously too late now for you but now you know!

[Dewey59]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

You should have done some research first! If you get a ticket in the mail, IGNORE IT! it's not valid unless you are physically served or if you pay it. After 90 days it is dismissed, assuming you can avoid begin served.

She took responsibility for her mistake, which I think is very admirable. But you apparently have no such standards. We already have too many people like you who are unwilling to be accountable for your actions - please don't encourage others to follow your poor example!

As for the OP's question about points, I am not sure about AZ, but in most states I am familiar with, there are no points associated with tickets from cameras.

[hawk55732]

Originally Posted by Dewey59

She took responsibility for her mistake, which I think is very admirable. But you apparently have no such standards. We already have too many people like you who are unwilling to be accountable for your actions - please don't encourage others to follow your poor example!

As for the OP's question about points, I am not sure about AZ, but in most states I am familiar with, there are no points associated with tickets from cameras.

Its the legality of the matter. People have fought these types of tickets in court and it has been ruled that since they were not physically served the ticket they are null and void.


I assume that you have never gone over the speed limit by even 1 MPH. Or, if you have caught yourself doing such, you immediately went to the police department and turned yourself in. If not, the only difference between the OP and yourself is that she was caught on camera.

[Bummer]

Originally Posted by Dewey59

She took responsibility for her mistake, which I think is very admirable. But you apparently have no such standards. We already have too many people like you who are unwilling to be accountable for your actions - please don't encourage others to follow your poor example!

BEAUTIFULLY STATED, Dewey.

[LeavingCA2016]

I know exactly where you got nailed, I could have written this myself! We moved to Gilbert from CA this year too. In CA, school zones are typically only “when children are present” so during drop off and pick up. I drove down Lindsay ONE time since we moved here to go to a cake shop in Mesa and did not realize that the school zone was enforced at 11am with no kids around. I slowed down on my way back when I realized my mistake but lucky me I had already gotten flashed the first time. I’m planning to do traffic school so I haven’t paid it yet. The way I understood it, you have to be served before you can do traffic school, but that may be wrong? The ticket came with only options to pay or go to court, no instructions on doing traffic school. It’s like they try to trick you into jusst paying without having all of the information :-(

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by LeavingCA2016

I know exactly where you got nailed, I could have written this myself! We moved to Gilbert from CA this year too. In CA, school zones are typically only “when children are present” so during drop off and pick up. I drove down Lindsay ONE time since we moved here to go to a cake shop in Mesa and did not realize that the school zone was enforced at 11am with no kids around. I slowed down on my way back when I realized my mistake but lucky me I had already gotten flashed the first time. I’m planning to do traffic school so I haven’t paid it yet. The way I understood it, you have to be served before you can do traffic school, but that may be wrong? The ticket came with only options to pay or go to court, no instructions on doing traffic school. It’s like they try to trick you into jusst paying without having all of the information :-(

It’s because it’s not a ticket. Just throw it away. You have a right to due process.