California Speeding Tickets

[High Desert Ranger]

I know that I should just own up to the fact that I was speeding, pay the ticket, and do traffic school, but if I can fight the ticket and win it'll be a lot less, and I really don't have any money to speed on a ticket, I can barely make ends meet right now.

I think that I have a point that my get me out of the ticket:
The speedometer in my truck is off. If I'm doing 55 on the speedometer, I really am doing 70. Might be able to go to get it examined and say that the last I knew I was doing 55mph when I got caught.

Also I had heard that if the officer uses radar, it has to be on a road that has "Radar Enforced" on the speed limit sign.

Lastly, the officer wrote down that my truck is "Gold" and it is more brown than gold, any idea on what the original color would be called and if this is a plausible defense?

 

[LittleBigFoot]

IMO, saying that you have no clue how fast you're really going (Even if you do know. I have to do the math some times too!) due to an faulty speedo would give them ground to deem your vehicle "unsafe"

How much is the fine?

 

[High Desert Ranger]

IMO, saying that you have no clue how fast you're really going (Even if you do know. I have to do the math some times too!) due to an faulty speedo would give them ground to deem your vehicle "unsafe"

How much is the fine?

Haven't received the summons yet, but I can say that the last time I checked my speedo it said 55 and didn't alter my driving between then and the 1 mile down the road when I got stopped.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

if you say you dont know how fast you were going because your speedo is off theyll still make you pay your speeding ticket and they will probably give you a fix it ticket on top of that. i got nailed for doing 75 in a 50 cause i put different gearing in mine and the speedo wasnt corrected. i toild the cop i was on the way to the parts store so i could fix it, but he didnt care. the best thing to do is just pay it, it goes back into the road funds anyways, right?

 

[LearjetMinako]

Don't use the "speedo is off" excuse. They will most likely throw another ticket on top of your current ticket. As for the color correction of your truck. You maybe able to slide with that.

When it comes down to it. Its his word against yours. And the law is not on your side.

 

[blackbronc]

I wouldn't even contest it. you will lose. I got stopped going up the hill from Desert Center to Parker in my Scout II. He got me on radar at 92mph but my speedo said 70(35"s make a big error). I knew I was speeding and the CHP wrote me for 75. He couldn't believe a Scout would go that fast uphill. It was a mandatory appearance and the Judge couldn't have cared less about an explanation. If you're speeding, you're speeding. On another ticket the officer stated on the stand he observed my BROWN BII doing a violation. I countered with pointing out the window at my BLACK BII. Judge didn't care. The legal system works like this. It's a business and with budget cuts continuosly they try to make it self supporting. If an officer judges you to be in violation the court accepts his testimony (even only his sig on the ticket) as trained expert evidence. In most cases you will be presumed guilty since an innocent person would not have been stopped or be in court. I doubt any of your defenses would do you any good, I'd guess less than 10% chance of you winning. Plead guilty and request Traffic School and payments for the fine. Good Luck and slow down.

 

[MAKG]

I have to agree. These are very obviously excuses, and treating a judge like an idiot is a sure way to lose case.

You were speeding. Trying to weasel out of it -- regardless of how "good" your reasons are -- is at best a rationalization. The right thing to do is to pay the fine, do traffic school if the county you were cited in allows it (most do), and make up the difference in disposible income for a time. Like truck modifications or going to the movies.

It sucks, but honestly, it's what you have to do. You'll only make it worse for yourself if you make excuses.

Now, you CAN ask the judge for reduction based on what your real problems are, but you will shoot yourself in the foot if you make silly excuses like "that's not brown!"

 

[blackbronc]

Also I wouldn't count on a court hearing and the officer not showing up. Judges lately have been inclined to postpone trial rather than dismiss a surefire case. If there's a patrolled by radar sign within 20 miles of where you were stopped you will lose. I got a parking tic in downtown Long Beach. There was a "No Parking" fine print "Mondays this side of street " It was so faded you couldn't even guess what it said. The whole block was parked full and every vehicle there was ticketed. I had to go to the next block after getting the ticket to find a sign that was legible and submitted photos of the "blank" sign to the Judge. He didn't care that I hadn't driven on any other blocks of the street and didn't live in the neighborhood and thereby have previous knowledge of the restrictions. Judge didn't care again, "Ignorance of the law is not an excuse"

 

[kunar]

try to fight it and they will just hit you with more fines, honestly your defenses just wont cut it. it is your fault your speedo is off and you know its off. on top of that, gold, tan or brown, it doesnt matter, its close enough. mail in the fine so you dont have to miss work....

 

[dogboy]

If I were you, I'd watch it becuase they could tack on a ticket for your speedo being off as well. Which is just as illegal as speeding as far as I know. Your speedo is supposed to be accurate. And I agree with Kunar completely. You would probably come out ahead if you just pay it rather than missing work to get it reduced at best and still have to pay, as well as getting a smaller pay check... Just my opinion though.

 

[alaskan155]

you can atleast pay the ticket in payments if you talk to the judge, but every ones right, i wouldn't say anything about your speedo esp in california, they may decide to ticket you for that, then you have to repair your speedo to get out of that ticket. so its just gonna cost you more.

 

[alaskan155]

oh yeah, the only way you may get out of the radar is if you had the cop show you the speed saved on the radar at the time of the ticket, or the cop car wasn't in plain site, beside that dosent matter weather the speed sigh says radar enforced

 

[blackbronc]

Fraid you're FXXXXD Dude. Best you can do is make it worse.

 

[Kaiserhsoze]

I got hit for 62mph in a 50mph zone in my old infiniti. I went to the courthouse and requested a 30 day extension for the ticket. After that, I request a court date on the last day of that extension. The officer didn't have any other cases that day, so mine was dropped. Worst case scenario of showing up is you pay the fine and request traffic school anyways.

 

[1987 DANGER RANGER]

Basicly pay the fine and be done with it. I doesn't matter what color the LEO puts on the ticket as long as he can testifey your vehicle was the one he observed doing the infraction. They dont have to be in plain sight nor do they have to show you the radar gun (urban miths). As far as the sign about being patroled by radar have no clue not from Cali, but you can bet if the LEO did not give you a warning based on your aftermarked tire size why would the judge.