My Word Against the Officer's

[240ZR]

its worth it for my insurance rates

[Mikelly]

First, I don't see this as that big a deal. Second, You've got a state's attorney IN THIS THREAD giving you advice... I'd be hitting Mr. Maudlin up offline for some advice (Sorry Lewis for throwing you under the bus!) and offering to buy him a HybridZ sticker or hat or tshirt or giftcard to his favorite bath house... OK, maybe not bath house, but you get my point here...

 

THIRD, and this is super important... Don't LAWYER UP unless you can't walk and chew gum while speaking plain english. Go in to court, dressed to impress, and simply tell your story with these pics in hand. Ask the judge the question about the jurisdiction. Tell him you're confused. Enter DOUBT into HIS mind. He's the one who will be handing out the punishment. If you go in and conduct yourself with respect for the court (Dress appropriately and no slang terms) and ask intelligent questions, leave emotion at home, and address the officer with respect when challenging the ticket, you'll be fine. Worst case is you get convicted of the crime. Best case? It gets thrown out.

 

I've posted this before, but I'll post it again. I've been charged with seven or eight (So many I forget) reckless driving offenses, which are the kiss of death in Virginia. These 6 point tickets stay on your record for 10 years... Imagine what they do to your insurance rates. I've NEVER been convicted of reckless driving and I've never Cowboy'ed up for a lawyer.

 

This isn't curring cancer or aids... It's a ticket. The formula is real simple. Look at it like a chess game. Get your notes together, get a hair cut, dress presentably, and practice what you are going to say.

 

You don't want to go in dressed in a tee shirt with jeans hanging down around your waist. You also don't want to walk with a tip, or a slow drag in one leg, and you don't want to speak with any slang... Judges deal with hoods all day long. If you walk in dressed like your favorite raper, you may meet his cousin while being "inprocessed" for your little stint in county lockup. Dress presentably. No, no need for a suit. But dress like you're going to church. It will make a difference.

 

All this does work. It has for me over the years.

Mike

[Twoeightnine]

Mikelly for Mayor!

Copy and paste Mikelly's last post, carry it with you for the next TWO court appearances. his words are golden on this one.

 

I also have only been nailed on one serious moving violation but have been handed at least six over the years. Always and on every visit to the corthouse do as mike said. Always "Respectfully Not Guilty".

A bonus is when you get a ticket on the weekend. Nine times out of ten its a reserve police officer. They have regular jobs during the week. You appear in cour when they cannot. Even if he is a regular, you still have a chance that he will not make it. They are rarely there at the first vist which is where you plead "Not Guilty". Second vist "Not Guilty". If He is not there you "Very Politly", ask that the charges be dropped. The judge usually asks why? They dont really like to give stuff away. You must say that you would like to "Respectfully" request that the charges be dropped due to the charging officers failure to cohoberate his evidence against you.

If it's your day, SMACK goes the wooden mallet. Can't win them all, but you can win most.

If the officer is there, then you can try the technical objections. Not a winning team to be on however.

I wish you the best, but in the end its not a murder rap.

[Mikelly]

One more comment...

 

Every time we get someone posting about a court appearance or ticket, Someone on here always posts that "the man who defends himself in court, has a fool for attorney."

 

Horseshit. This isn't a felony or serious misdemeanor crime. This is a simple traffic offense. If you can't defend yourself in a simple traffic offense, then you've got bigger life issues that you'll need help with along the way.

 

The fool spends his money foolishly on an attorney. This is no different than paying someone else to swap your oil or brake pads when you've got the tools, space and skills to perform the job yourself. If you can't conduct yourself as outlined above, then you might not want to do a LOT of other things in life either!

 

Mike

[Lewis Maudlin]

I was wondering how it went. Most prosecutor's are so glad to meet a nice respectful person that I expect you were able to reach an agreement. The people that come in with attitude or want to argue about their guilt get exactly that, argument. Arguments are not conducive to resolving the issue.

 

BTW, has anyone heard from him? Maybe our advice landed him in jail???

[240ZR]

Another ticket on my record and I go from $675 per 6 months back to $1800 per 6 months... Id take a lawyer and hope for the best

[zeeboost]

DISMISSED!!! (I think)

 

But this was with a complete twist of fait. The judge had to leave early to go to a wedding, so he made his statement about how the court system works, and then let the DA do the rest. There were five of us waiting in the courtroom, and the DA picked us one-by-one into a small office to do the negotiations. While waiting, I found that another person was there to contest a speeding ticket in the EXACT same spot I received mine, at about the same time (12:30 a.m.), and a couple of other people chimed in and said it's a speed trap, and informed me of some other ones around the area.

 

Well, I was last to be picked, and my ticket had two citations on it. The first was for no proof of insurance, and the second was for the speeding. The DA looked at the ticket and said, "So here we have another ticket for no proof of insurance. Did you bring the paper?" After I showed him my proof of insurance, he gave me a lecture on why it's important to keep the proof of insurance with me at all times. After that, he said, "Well, I see you have your proof of insurance, the ticket is dismissed. You can go wait right outside and the clerk will tell you what to do." It all came to me so suddenly, so I stepped out of the courtroom, sat down and waited for the clerk to call me over. I was pretty nervous that they would call me back in, but I wasn't sure if it would be best to tell him I still had another fine, or just let it go. Right when I was thinking that, the clerk came out and told me, "Your ticket is dismissed, you're free to go." Instantly, I shot out of the room, hopped in the '02 Maxima I took over there (not mine, but a Used Vehicle Inspection - Dayum that thing hauls, but anyways...) and flew back over to work...within the speed limit of course.

 

Soooo....I don't think this will come back to haunt me in the future, because the ticket is dismissed, correct? It just sounds too good to be true.

[240ZR]

Congrats.... NOW GET A RADAR DETECTOR AND STOP SPEEDING >_> lol I need an enginer I want to make a radar jammer for my z.....lmao

[zeeboost]

Yeah, I'm between the Passport 8500 or the Valentine V-1. From what I've been reading, it seems pretty simple to build a small device to confuse the radar.

[Pop N Wood]

Another ticket on my record and I go from $675 per 6 months back to $1800 per 6 months... Id take a lawyer and hope for the best

 

Supose another option would be to drive sanely until your record clears up.

 

But don't suppose that will happen.

 

You guys have an insane amount of faith in what lawyers can do. Most yellow page lawyers will be glad to take your fees then file the same paper work, and get the same fine, you could do yourself.

 

I have seen it happen.

[Lewis Maudlin]

The valentine 1 has long been the number 1 high quality radar detector. However, most officers will automatically give you a ticket if they see a radar detector. You are more likely not to get a ticket without the detector just paying attention.

 

Now the jammer is something else. That is what I would try. It is usually a felony and a violation of several federal laws. Also, many policemen have complained that they believe that their radar guns have caused prostrate cancer. All you have to do to get out of the infraction is commit a felony and expose yourself to a possible cancer risk.

 

It reminds me of a local attorney who came to court with his client who was accused of meth dealing for a bond reduction hearing. The attorney had his client testify under oath that he was not one of those dangerous meth users, he merely had the meth so that he could sell it and make money. He had his client deny the D felony punishable by up to 3 years in prison and admit to the A felony punishable by up to 50 years in prison.

[240ZR]

Mount the Jammer up front in the grill and be shooting cancer at people infront of me.. aslo i dont belive its a fedral crime...... hell you know that those door openers are stores use radar.... atleast i think i rember my old anarchists cookbook telling me that was a palce to get a redar detector for free >_>

 

And Yes Mr. Maudlin I pay attention I am nto fearful of cops that are dirving in traffic.. and catching up to me.. I am pretty observant in the car... its the bike cops that hide or the other cops that set up speed traps that get me... or my all my tickets since 16 where mostly bike cops hiding or not in plain view.. like parked in a sidestreet or alley....

[240ZR]

meh its pretty much clear right now.... California insurance is Silly... and the fact I have my Z insured on a stated value plan dosnt not help

[zeeboost]

The only time I ever got a warning for speed was when I had a radar detector. With the detector, I didn't receive any more than two tickets for speeding. I've been driving without one for three years, and I've received roughly 6 additional speeding tickets -- no warnings. I know this makes me sound like an ignorant speed demon, all of the tickets either came from 8mph or under on the highway, or from speedtraps. I've read books on fighting/beating speeding tickets, and they all say that you do have more of a chance for getting a speeding ticket if you have a radar detector, and an even larger one if the officer sees one on your floorboard (thinking that you're trying to hide it.) I feel confident that half of the 6 tickets I received while driving without a radar could've been avoided had I been using a radar.

 

As far as jammers go, check this site out: http://www.radarbusters.com/products/jammers/default.asp

 

I think your best bet for a jammer would be a homemade (illegal) one. From my understanding, I've read that they're illegal because they violate certain FCC laws. Come to think of it, I believe it was the anarchist's cookbook that had instructions on how to build it -- I can't quite remember, though, it's been a while.

 

So Mr. Maudlin, does this mean I'm free? Or can this come back later to haunt me. I'm assuming that since they said the ticket was dismissed, that's the end of it, correct?

[Lewis Maudlin]

Technically, there are two types of dismissals. With prejudice and Without prejudice. With prejudice means that they cannot refile the ticket. Without prejudice means that it could be refiled. Although your ticket was probably dismissed without prejudice, I would say that you are free. There would be no reason for the Prosecutor to ever go back and refile the ticket. You won. Be glad that you were speeding - with insurance - as opposed to without. Sounds like you caught a break. Valentine One by the way has a remote mount system

[Guest norm[T12SDSUD]]

Well you lucked out this time.Congrats!

 

And btw Mike, before you make us all out to be brain dead twerps for hiring lawyers, realize that not all county judges are as forgiving as your own.

 

I got a 73 in a 45 mph 4 years ago. That is a serious offence.Do you think me striding into court looking all dapper would have gotten me off the hook??

 

I paid a LOCAL attorney $125 and the ticket was reduced to improper equipment and I didn't have to miss work or sweat it out for 2 months HOPING that I didn't get our counties hanging judge at trial.

 

My advice stands. If it's a serious offence then get a lawyer,I might add A KNOWN GOOD LAWYER and NOT a yellow page lawyer.

 

If you don't know WHO is the GOOD lawyer for traffic offenses in your county then find out NOW BEFORE you get busted.

 

The same lawyer also got me out of 2 other tickets in the 90's and got various friends out of 9 tickets.

 

The RIGHT Lawyer does work!! HOPING to Get lucky with a judge that doesn't have time to do his job isn't the best way to keep insurance points off your record.

 

 

Later,Norm

[240ZR]

B/c I know when i cop sees/hears my Z he is thinking OMG this guy is in a sports lets give him a ticket RIGHT NOW.... >_>

 

when i had my z31 one i ran to the bank to deposit my pay check, someone backed up into me and cracked my rear taillights pretty bad... on the way home (less then 3 miles) i was pulled over for haing no tail lights..... Now on the other hand i drove a sad volvo 240dl for YEARS as a junkyard car, did a 50 mile drive every other day in it drive with out taillights On the right side, back up lights or left head light for nearly a year and ONLY got pulled over once........

[zeeboost]

Well, hopefully this won't come back to haunt me. Thanks for the replies and support fellas

[Mikelly]

Norm, You never know until you try. Typically for me to get a lawyer in my area for any court appearances, I'm looking at $1500 MINIMUM! And then they will tell you "no guarantees" but I'll see what I can do for you when we go to court!

 

Do a check on the most strict states when it comes to traffic court and you'll see that Virginia is one of the top three. Now, All those reckless tickets I collected over the years, they didn't happen in one county. Remember, I used to commute over 140miles round trip for work every day.

 

I've been pulled over because a helicopter paced me for speeding on I495 going around the beltway towards the GW Parkway. My tickets are legend around CIA headquarters... Nothing like having your employees see you on the local news when the traffic helicopters get tipped to a "high speed chase" in rush hour!

 

Point is that I've pretty much gotten a LOT of tickets over the years and had to fight them in a number of jurisdictions. If you don't feel capable of pleading your own case, and more comfortable letting your fate rest in the hands of a stranger, then GO FOR IT. I trust my own judgement.

 

Fortunately, My insurance for our policy is reasonable for the 97 328iBMW, the 99C5 Corvette and the 2004 Medium Duty 3500 Dodge truck. We're paying about $475 per quarter, or $1900 for the year. Our insurance dropped from $4800 down to $1900 when our 18 year old moved out! That's what young drivers cost their parents... $2900 in "family" policy increases for adding him and a 1990 Honda Civic HF to the mix!

 

Detectors and Jammers:

I've been doing a bunch of research as of late on the whole Jammer/detector thing. Don't get caught with a jammer. There was a guy on Corvette Forum who is in jail serving a two year term for the jammer and other related offenses for ONE traffic stop. They aren't playing around when it comes to this particular FCC violation. The radar detectors I've considered that are under $500 are the V1 (V1.8 or newer) and the Passport 8500. I like the remote view for the V1, although the price for everything on the V1 makes getting into it close to the $500 mark. The Passport is nice, and supposedly right up there with the V1, but some complain of the display. Some like it. Apparently both have state of the art capabilities and Dual pop filters. I don't think you'd go wrong with either.

 

I'll let you know what I end up with.

 

Mike

[Guest norm[T12SDSUD]]

Hey Mike I get the feeling that the fact you worked for the Intelligence community was the main reason the judge let you slide.

Obviously your personal maturity and intelligence level would have to exceed that of the average 18-25 year old in here!

Telling an 18-25 year old to go to court for a serious offense without a lawyer is like sending Jessica Simpson alone to Cell Block D,in other words they are probably gonna get F*&^_!!!

 

LOL

 

 

 

Later,Norm