Argh, I don't plan on getting a ticket..yeah, i drive like I have all the time in the world.. he he he.. j/k. anyhow, you know what I have a hard time with? Controlling my speed...in my old Toyota Tacoma, I'd have to try really hard to go fast. When I apply the same amount of pedal pressure in my Mini, I just go! So, I've had it for almost a week now, and I almost always have to constantly check the speedometer. I'm too busy to deal with a ticket. Anyhow, if I did get one, I'd probably fight it. But exhibition of acceleration? Please...that ticket is just plain stupid. Fight it!

 

All of us have had a good or bad experience with speeding tickets.
A few things to remember.
1. Police officers are required to show up to court. When you get the ticket, ever notice that the court time is already set up? That is beacuse the officer spends that day in court for all the tickets he or she gave for that day. So they are not just showing up for you only. If they don;t show up, they get in touble. They are usually there more often than not.
2. Traffic officers are there to do things like speeding tickets. That is their duty. When it is set up as a not tollerance trap, that is because there have been complaints in the area or to many infractions or accidents or near a school or neighborhood. It is there for a reason, and people get nailed.
3. Who's word if the court going to believe? Yours? I don;t think so. You have a reason to get out of a ticket. The officer was just doing his job. Sure, some officers lie, but a lot don't. It is your word against his.
4. If you decide to fight, and loose, you might have to pay cort costs. Plus, you might have to take time off from work. What is that worth to you? Plus, it goes on your record and your insurance company would love to raise your rates.

 

>>1. Police officers are required to show up to court. When you get the ticket, ever notice that the court time is already set up? That is beacuse the officer spends that day in court for all the tickets he or she gave for that day. So they are not just showing up for you only. If they don;t show up, they get in touble. They are usually there more often than not.
>>

I realize that this is a technicality, but hey, that's what a lot of this thread is about .... BUT, at least in my state (MA) what MiniMac wrote about the officer having to show up is simply not true. Trust me on this one, I've been contesting tickets in this state for years (about one every 3 years or so) and never once has the issuing officer shown up. Rather, there's a representative of the issuing dept that comes in and s/he represents for ALL tickets being discussed that day. Oh, and BTW, in MA they don't write the court date on tickets. Haven't done that in years... Nowadays, all "court" dates are set later, once the dept knows how many people will be contesting; and further, dates are determined by when the local dept's representative can show up to represent for all of the tickets that his/her dept issued.

Maybe this is different in criminal traffic offenses (those that involve suspensions, injury, property damage, etc.). But for regular old speeding tickets all you get is an administrative hearing with a "clerk magistrate" and a representative officer.