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I got a speeding ticket in WV this summer and I was told by the officer that i would have to wave my rights to be presence in court since i lived out of state, he instructed me on fillilng out the form and mailing it back in within a certain timeframe. It's been since july and i havent heard anything from the courts, what should i do?? Thanks in advance.
Have you tried to contact the court where you sent it back too. I guess you would of paid the fine at that time as well? It has only been 2 months and if you did pay the fine you may not hear anything from them.
In West Virginia, (and this law must be unconstitutional everywhere else in the USA),
but If a person with a speeding ticket contests the issue, he is charged with a Misdemeanor. If he loses the matter in court, he instantly has a crimminal record with his first charge. This petty form of extortion guarantees that fines will be coming into the coffers with very little arm turning. Don't count on NOT hearing from them...
After the smoke cleared, you would be paying your auto insurance company a higher premium for your being an additional risk.
I would suggest (and I'm not trying to scare you) having your family lawyer look into this and clear it up. It could be in the remotest sense that this matter has filtered into a crack and a warrant exists for you here in West Virginia without you or the police knowing about it. Leaving the idea in my mind that if you were stopped here again at some future date...and having an existing warrant, be arrested promptly.
(The police can now access a persons criminal record in about 45 seconds from their car...they know who you are before they get out to ask your I.D)
This type of cheap extortion is a very feeble idea of an interpretation of what the law should be...and I apologize to you.
In a few short years, with these types of laws in place, every citizen in West Virginia will have a criminal record of some sort.
For years we lived with that horrible speed trap in Summersville...but it HAD warning signs and gave a person notice...
It was so well known, every Canadian driver knew to detour to Charleston.
This spring, I noticed that the largest sign had been removed but the smaller warnings were still in place.
If you were driving 1 mph over the limit you were ticketed.
This issue with the misdemeanor HAS no warning...you get the message when you get the ticket.
At one time our police wore blue and had the motto 'to protect and to serve' Now they wear black and seem to bully.
Its a prison mentality thing...as if we were all ex-cons and not a part of normal society. We really need to look at our courts, laws and the people who want power over us...Its becoming extreme and socialistic. Our gulags are being built everywhere.
Last edited by David Kennedy; 10-14-2007 at 03:18 PM..
Since we're on this subject, does anyone know any other speed traps? Are the police generally pretty nit-picky? I may be spoiled where I live now in Orange county, since minor things like rolling stops, not using signals, fast driving etc. are usually ignored if you look like you belong around here. Of course, we are also real crappy drivers because of it. (Lucky I am not from here, so I do know how to drive.) Any tips aboutm WV driving would be helpful.
thanks
ive never heard of 'having to waive' your right to appear.did you get a returned cancelled check.?if they are satisfied with the money you likely wont hear from them.did they tack on a zillion extra fees like they do in berkeley county?my wife got a speeding ticket with a $40. fine but by the time they added on for the court costs,crime victims compensation fund,widows of troopers fund,jail renovation fund,etc it was like $150.
I wasnt given the cost of the ticket just a ticket and told that b/c i was doing 89mph in a 70mph zone that i would have to mail in a form waiving my right to appear in court b/c i live in another state. The officer said that the courts would decide the cost and notify me by mail at a later date. I figured the ticket would cost me an arm and a leg but what's done is done and I just want to A) get this taken care of without warrants, and B) get this situation behind me. Thanks all for your help!!
One of the new money makers is the ruse of court costs. Each offense is separated and charged accordingly....
hypothecial example: Stopped for moving violation, not stopping completely at a stop sign. fine $65 + court costs. Officer sees that your seatbelt is not fastened, additional $100 + court costs...in checking your paperwork, your insurance card is the old expired certificate and the new one is at home on the dining room table. (No proof of insurance) $350 + court costs...lets add it up. $550 fines + $300 court costs.
Smoking inside a vehicle with a minor present...WAIT! That law hasn't been passed yet....And the list can go on and on...not bad..State gets a hefty % and the county/city gets the rest...
Set up a speed trap and watch the revenue stream flow.
Hundreds of thousands to Summersville...and the major revenue source for that town. All that new development was outside the city limits unless they have annexed.
Where are the speed traps: Rt 50 between Parkersburg and Salem. Rt 119 at Summersville. I-79 at Saltwell. (Spotter is on the overpass and signals to buddy in the medium.) I-68 before Lavelle, Md. I-68 in the low valley between Grantsville and Frostburg, Md. Pennsylvania doesn't seem regular with speed traps on 1-79.
All the small towns in West Virginia! Most have only $800 budgeted monthly for part-time police and that revenue must come from fines...
Belington used to have a reputation...years ago.
I'm sure others will add personal incidents to your list. All of this was taught to these cities/towns in the past 10 years by our legislative representatives. They waved the ideas of these greenbacks in front of those greedy public servants and made their mouths water. No other way for revenue? How about creating jobs throughout the entire state? Particularly the depressed areas. Another travesty of legislative ignorance that West Virginia will endure...mumble, but endure. democratis taxitorium un oblivionis
David K- thanks for the list, I hope others do add to it. I know these places are out there. I've seen them in other states, where the only industry in town is just is sit and wait for someone to pop over the hill or around the bend, going a little over the limit.
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