So... I got a speeding ticket. Advice? Brylak Law? (Spring: 2014, vehicle registration)

[No Rush]

Hello,
I recently got my first speeding ticket in 15+ years. I thought I was driving ~45 MPH in what I thought was a 45 MPH limit. I passed a Bexar County Sheriff, and got pulled over.

He ticketed me for going 55 MPH... in a 35 MPH zone! Ugh!!

I later drove through the area and confirmed that it is a 35 MPH zone. I'm still shocked at that. I clearly missed the sign. This is on Ingram road, between Ingram Mall, and Culebra. I was headed towards Culebra, driving over the four lane bridge. The Deputy was in the turn lane at the Potranco intersection.

According to the ticket, it says radar was used. I really thought I was driving at 45 MPH. It's very confusing to me because my overdrive gear recently went south, and it takes quite a bit to get to 55 MPH now. I was in no rush, so I don't know how this happened.

Anyway, has anyone ever used Brylak law to get a ticket dismissed? They sent me a mailer about my ticket, and now I'm wondering if maybe I should consider using them. I've never used a lawyer for anything in my life, but maybe this is a good time to try. I found a news article about them from a couple of years ago:

S.A. law firm launches online ticket-fix site


Or... should I just suck it up, show up in court, pay the fines, take the defensive driving course, miss the time from work all of that involves, and take a chance with my insurance rates going up? Maybe this is the more difficult path, but perhaps it's the good citizen paying his dues option?

What would you do in this situation?

[01Snake]

Why don't you contact the court via phone and ask them if they offer deferred adjudication? You'll pay a fine and you must not get another ticket for a certain time period (months) and the ticket is dismissed at the end of the probation period. This saves you the hassle of hiring an attorney and even going to court (typically).

[Bo]

You shouldn't have to appear in court if you're going for deferred adjudication. Just go to the court's web site and take care of the whole thing on the web.

[No Rush]

I forgot about deferred adjudication. Thanks for the reminder. If that's something that can be done online, and without having to show up in court, that might be the best bet. Unless there are more fines involved to make that happen. That could be bad. I'll check their website.

I'm still open to any other ideas/thoughts. Has anyone used Brylak Law? The mailer made it sound so simple and very convenient. I only have a week to make my decision.

Thanks again all.

[Deep Forest]

There's a video kiosk at the Super HEB @ Potranco/1604. If you don't want the hassle of going downtown to see a judge. Works amazingly well.

[SabresFanInSA]

And then make a mental note because BCSD and SAPD run radar on that bridge constantly. They especially love the weekends

[Deep Forest]

Originally Posted by SabresFanInSA

And then make a mental note because BCSD and SAPD run radar on that bridge constantly. They especially love the weekends

It's a certified Speed Trap. Marked/unmarked cars, motorcycles, City/County LE. The only ones not seen are the Constables.

[CyVaquero]

Went through this last Spring on Tally Rd., was clocked at 55 in a 40. When I asked how fast the guy in front of me was clocked the deputy said 43, which I found interesting given that I had been following him from the light at Wiseman. Oh well, not going to win that argument.

Here are is the page with the info with qualifications and steps for doing the defensive driving alternative for deferred adjudication.

Bexar County Justices of the Peace

Qualifications:
- You have a valid Texas driver's license or permit;
- You are not currently taking, nor have you taken a Driving Safety Course to have a ticket dismissed within the one
year immediately preceding the date of the alleged offense.
- You were not charged with speeding more than 24 miles over the posted speed limit.

Cost:
Admin costs & court fees: $117
Copy of driver's record: $10
Online Driving Safety Course: $35

You can email the Court Clerk for permission. I have the name and email address of the one I dealt with but I don't want to give you the wrong one even though I'm pretty sure it will be the same. Just call the court phone # on the ticket and asked about Deferred Adjudication.

I'll let it up to you if that and the time is worth it. FYI - while the exams for the Safety Course are no-brainers the course is administered in a way that runs on a timer with for each section and random questions (subject matter and personal identification info from your vehicle registrations) so that you can't just fly through it or have someone else sit through it - you will have spend the required time. At least you can do it in front of the TV if you do it online.

P.S. You will soon be receiving a bunch of postcards advertising in class courses in town.

P.P.S. While turning in my paperwork I got to witness a SAPD Officer fixing a ticket for his wife at the next window. Was kind of blown away at how blatant he was about it.

[Lee W.]

Just pay it. Going through the hassle and expense of the defensive driving route...it's just not worth it in a case like yours. I did defensive driving this summer and if I had it all to do over again, I would just pay it. Like you, I hadn't had a ticket in a long time and I remembered that many years ago, the defensive driving course was actually easy, fun and fairly inexpensive. Not now!

[Soviet]

Originally Posted by CyVaquero

Went through this last Spring on Tally Rd., was clocked at 55 in a 40. When I asked how fast the guy in front of me was clocked the deputy said 43, which I found interesting given that I had been following him from the light at Wiseman. Oh well, not going to win that argument.

This is precisely why I do not trust traffic enforcement in the least & will actively avoid routes with police posted on apps such as Waze if I can.

A car magazine (Motor Trend?) once made an experiment with police radar units: turned out they were measuring large objects in the distance such as trucks instead of automobile traffic. At least, it reads trucks much easier than automobiles.

And people wonder why I distrust law enforcement.