I got a speeding ticket (45 mph in 35mph zone). Should I plead guilty, not guilty or no contest? I'm 17, have been driving for a year and have a clean driving record.

did you sign the ticket saying you were guilty? or did you tell the cop you wanted to challenge it in court?

I have to show up in court

Wow, this has never come up before. I think Cary should start a forum called "What to do when I fuck up with the cops

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W.W.S.D. what would Scooby Doo

agreed graymoose,

well it would make no since to have to pay court fees and the ticket if you admit guilt. pleading no contest is basically saying you're guilty. so..... say not guilty and try your luck. the worst that will happen is you will have to pay the ticket and court fee

bloody blisters Wrote:
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> did you sign the ticket saying you were guilty? or
> did you tell the cop you wanted to challenge it in
> court?

You have to sign the ticket (or go to jail). The ticket says "Signature is not an admission of guilt"...or something to that effect.

i know you have to sign the ticket. thats why i added "saying you were guilty". if you want to challenge it you tell the cop and he hands you a court appearance date

bloody blisters Wrote:
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> i know you have to sign the ticket. thats why i
> added "saying you were guilty". if you want to
> challenge it you tell the cop and he hands you a
> court appearance date


"did you sign the ticket saying you were guilty?" sounded (to me) like you're saying there's a place on the ticket where you have to plead guilty/not guilty. If that's true, then things have changed.

And I will defer to your knowledge of current procedures.

For many years, Va uniform tickets automatically had a court date on them...you either paid them by that date OR appeared in court on that date. You didn't have to request a court date from the cop.

bloody blisters Wrote:
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> i know you have to sign the ticket. thats why i
> added "saying you were guilty". if you want to
> challenge it you tell the cop and he hands you a
> court appearance date

You don't know WTF you're talking about. There is ALWAYS a court date on the ticket. If you can prepay, (not the case here since he's under 18), the cop points out the phone number to call to find out the amount. Signing the ticket is little more than acknowledgement that you have received it. True, if you refuse to sign, the cop could theoretically take you to jail, but typically, the ticket is just processed normally, with or without a signature.

If I plead not guilty how can I justify it? Will the cop show the radar readings and if yes, how can he prove it was my car?

Sam Wrote:
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> I got a speeding ticket (45 mph in 35mph zone).
> Should I plead guilty, not guilty or no contest?

here's some accurate information.

Quote
when you plead _______, you really mean...

not guilty = "something the cop said is wrong"
no contest = "the cop is right but i would like to add some information to the situation"
guilty     = "i did it"
fuck you   = "i would like to spend a day in jail"

here's how it goes:

• go into the juvenile traffic court and make your case/plead guilty
• judge finds you guilty (it's a kangaroo court)
• you have to pay a fine and take a "driver improvement" class (always happens with minors)
• you spend a very boring saturday and pay $75 for a piece of paper to take to the courthouse.

should you choose to take the improvement course over the peroid of 3 weeks, you will regret it because it ruins each weekend and is usually at night (super boring time).


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Unless any of the respondents are lawyers, I would be wary about taking their advice. I pleaded "no contest" (at the advise of a friend) to a traffic ticket 3 years ago (failure to maintain control of my vehicle) when I encountered something on the road (i.e., radiator fluid) and hit the cop car already there assisting the first guy who lost control. I pleaded no contest and walked out of court paying only the court fees. 2 years later, and though it was a minor fender-bender (no air bags deployed, 25 mph accident), the cop claimed whiplash and sued me. Turns out that "no contest" plea was a mistake - I should have pleaded not guilty.

My philosophy now is to find a good lawyer (who sees these types of things every day) and take their advice. At your age, you have to be concerned about your insurance rates if you plead guilty or no contest.

Sam Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I got a speeding ticket (45 mph in 35mph zone).
> Should I plead guilty, not guilty or no contest?
> I'm 17, have been driving for a year and have a
> clean driving record.

Plead guilty, pay it, and stop speeding.

I got a couple tickets when I was 17, and it really had no impact on my adult life. Plus, it sounds like you know you're guilty, and are just trying to get out of it. If you walk in there asking to see the cop's equipment certifications or start asking him what color your car was, you're just going to piss them off.

Here's the best advice you'll get in this thread: Be humble, wear a suit, look as presentable as possible, plead guilty, and throw yourself upon the mercy of the court. The couple times I had to sit in traffic court around here showed me that, if you really are guilty, there's nothing you can do but be polite and hope the judge got laid the night before. I was in for a speeding ticket once, and people who were fighting their tickets and calling the cops liars were getting the maximum penalty; I pled guilty, said my yes sirs and no sirs, and at least walked away with no points.

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13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

ask the judge if you can do the drivers safety course and have the charge dropped.

Here's what you do for the ticket. Write a letter to the judge explaining your flawless record, and that you obviously made a mistake. See if the judge will give you a drivers education class, and then agree to drop the whole thing. The drivers ed class should add good points to your record, and thus that money could at least go to something decent. At the same time continue the case the first time, to allow for a decent letter that's well written, and so the judge can look at it. Best of luck, but traffic court is basically guilty until proven innocent.

On the flip side, if the officer doesn't show up, ask for dismissal. That probably won't happen though.

bloody blisters Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i know you have to sign the ticket. thats why i
> added "saying you were guilty". if you want to
> challenge it you tell the cop and he hands you a
> court appearance date


Every ticket already comes with an appearance date. Wait, I don't want to ruin it....

Big Mike Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here's what you do for the ticket. Write a letter
> to the judge explaining your flawless record, and
> that you obviously made a mistake. See if the
> judge will give you a drivers education class, and
> then agree to drop the whole thing. The drivers ed
> class should add good points to your record, and
> thus that money could at least go to something
> decent. At the same time continue the case the
> first time, to allow for a decent letter that's
> well written, and so the judge can look at it.
> Best of luck, but traffic court is basically
> guilty until proven innocent.
>
> On the flip side, if the officer doesn't show up,
> ask for dismissal. That probably won't happen
> though.


Especially given the fact that Fairfax implemented a new policy a while back that requires Officers to show up for all of their court dates. Then again, who knows, maybe he'll have a hangover.

CITIZEN Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Unless any of the respondents are lawyers, I would
> be wary about taking their advice. I pleaded "no
> contest" (at the advise of a friend) to a traffic
> ticket 3 years ago (failure to maintain control of
> my vehicle) when I encountered something on the
> road (i.e., radiator fluid) and hit the cop car
> already there assisting the first guy who lost
> control. I pleaded no contest and walked out of
> court paying only the court fees. 2 years later,
> and though it was a minor fender-bender (no air
> bags deployed, 25 mph accident), the cop claimed
> whiplash and sued me. Turns out that "no contest"
> plea was a mistake - I should have pleaded not
> guilty.
>
> My philosophy now is to find a good lawyer (who
> sees these types of things every day) and take
> their advice. At your age, you have to be
> concerned about your insurance rates if you plead
> guilty or no contest.


You hit a cop car because "there was radiator fluid on the road"????

Holy shit, talk about pulling at straws to justify being an inattentive driver who fucked up. Sparkle someone else's eyes.

Just admit that you got hypnotized and distracted by the flashing lights and lost control of your vehicle. It happens when you are looking at a 3" LCD screen answering text messages and then look back up at the road and see all those flashing blue lights.

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The function of conservatives is not to meet every liberal program or scheme with a denunciation or a destructive counterscheme, but rather to weigh its advantages and defects, supporting the first and challenging the second. A declaration of ideological warfare against liberalism is by its nature profoundly unconservative. It meets perceived radicalism with a counterradicalism of its own.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/2009 02:39AM by Thurston Moore.

MrMephisto Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sam Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I got a speeding ticket (45 mph in 35mph zone).
> > Should I plead guilty, not guilty or no
> contest?
> > I'm 17, have been driving for a year and have a
> > clean driving record.
>
> Plead guilty, pay it, and stop speeding.
>
> I got a couple tickets when I was 17, and it
> really had no impact on my adult life. Plus, it
> sounds like you know you're guilty, and are just
> trying to get out of it. If you walk in there
> asking to see the cop's equipment certifications
> or start asking him what color your car was,
> you're just going to piss them off.
>
> Here's the best advice you'll get in this thread:
> Be humble, wear a suit, look as presentable as
> possible, plead guilty, and throw yourself upon
> the mercy of the court. The couple times I had to
> sit in traffic court around here showed me that,
> if you really are guilty, there's nothing you can
> do but be polite and hope the judge got laid the
> night before. I was in for a speeding ticket
> once, and people who were fighting their tickets
> and calling the cops liars were getting the
> maximum penalty; I pled guilty, said my yes sirs
> and no sirs, and at least walked away with no
> points.


Worst mistake ever: NEVER, and I mean NEVER call a Cop a liar on the stand. The Judge is going to side with the LEO 90% of the time under "He Said/She Said" type scenarios.

I had a ticket once for "Running A Stop Sign", even though I damn well knew that I didn't (I had two other witnesses to confirm such as well). I didn't argue with the Officer though, it's simply not worth it, especially when they're not giving you any attitude. The COURTS are for the arguments, and that is the bottom line. As for my case, I made it about the signage and roadway conditions, as opposed to the Officer. All that you need to do is create enough "Reasonable Doubt", and any decent and impartial judge will dismiss/acquit your case.

However, if you were registered going 10 above the speed limit, and you were not on the highway (Where it is usually acceptable), then the only hope you have of creating enough RD is if you can prove a mechanical issue with your car which would create such a difference, or if you were in with a lot of moving traffic and the conditions could have allowed for there to be reason that another vehicle might have been the culprit.

If you plead "No Contest", then you're simply saying that you are not taking a position upon your own guilt, but that you do acknowledge that proficient evidence exists with which to bring a finding of "Guilty" against you by the court. Some of the other advice on here is correct and good. If you really do not feel up to fighting it, and/or you know that you WERE guilty, pleading No Contest will allow you a chance to plea for an opportunity to correct the offense without Points being deducted against you, and to even possibly have it dismissed after a "probationary" period during which you will have to receive NO MORE TICKETS.

CITIZEN Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Unless any of the respondents are lawyers, I would
> be wary about taking their advice. I pleaded "no
> contest" (at the advise of a friend) to a traffic
> ticket 3 years ago (failure to maintain control of
> my vehicle) when I encountered something on the
> road (i.e., radiator fluid) and hit the cop car
> already there assisting the first guy who lost
> control. I pleaded no contest and walked out of
> court paying only the court fees. 2 years later,
> and though it was a minor fender-bender (no air
> bags deployed, 25 mph accident), the cop claimed
> whiplash and sued me. Turns out that "no contest"
> plea was a mistake - I should have pleaded not
> guilty.
>
> My philosophy now is to find a good lawyer (who
> sees these types of things every day) and take
> their advice. At your age, you have to be
> concerned about your insurance rates if you plead
> guilty or no contest.


A lawyer will always help for sure, but the OP's offense is not one with which he can civilly be held liable for anything. In your case, if you had a lawyer, I am certain an agreement would've been signed preventing any lawsuits later on.

hope it helps Wrote:
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> ask the judge if you can do the drivers safety
> course and have the charge dropped.


If you are 17, I don't think you will be appearing in the reglar General District Court. The summons should show the Juvenile Court box checked. At least that's the way it worked with my son for two tickets when he was 17. For the offense (45 in 35) and no priors, your parent (who I think is supposed to attend) or an attorney (if you can afford - sometmes these courthouse lawyers (several firms around Judicial Drive) will do a "juvie" case for less), can arrange a deal involving driving school. The juvenile cort judge might then dismiss the infraction contingent on no offense in the next six months.