I just got a speeding ticket going 75+ in 65 zone (he wrote 75+ mph).
Now I never received a speeding ticket for the last 8 years of driving so I do have some questions.
Anyone know the reason why he did not put an exact speed number?
I'm assuming he eyeballed me so he couldn't tell exactly how fast I was going.
Should I fight this or hire a service that goes and fights for me like theticketclinic.com?
Or should I pay the fine and traffic school?
Oh btw, anyone know how much I'm looking at if I do the last option?

Thanks in advanced.

 

^^It all depends. Look at your ticket. See if radar was checked. If it was, he radared you and your chances are slim if you contest. CHPs are no joke. They really will get you on anything. The judge will tend to take their side. If you had proof that you were only going 75mph, (You need lots of supporting and proper evidence) you can surely contest. Just out of curiosity, was that in a construction zone? If so, you are looking @ double fine zone. I would just pay off the ticket and take traffic school online.

 

He circled Patrol Vehicle No, not Radar. This was not in the construction zone thankfully.

 

Personally, I usually just pay the ticket. Usually it isn't worth my time and hassle to go in and dispute something that I was probably guilty of anyways. The exception is the last time I got pulled over and got handed an unfair fine. Luckily my dash cam shows the real story and I will be disputing the fine in court.

 

Is court appearance required? If so when u go in u talk to the prosecutor and they usually knock it down a little. If u don't have to go in prob just easier to pay the fine.

 

Try fighting it through mail. I use to get tons of speeding tickets and would always try this first. If it fails you can request a new trial and fight it in person...or just drag it out and hope the cop doesn't show up.

http://www.ticketassassin.com/

 

Not sure how Cali works, but over the past 5 years I've gotten 3 speeding tickets (don't judge me lol) and I've gone through ticket clinic every time. The first two they won and I only payed court fees. The third one I lost the case and had to pay for the ticket but I still didn't get any points on my license, which was the main reason I took it to ticket clinic. Similarly I believe if you opt for driving school you pay the ticket but don't get the points. I hear the four hour class is boring though...

 

I used the mail.
I was driving 90+mph but the cop only wrote 80+ miles on 65. I fought through mail and my excuse was it was night time and everyone was driving 80 and if i stayed the speed limit people would tailgate me and honk me. Therefore its not safe to drive within the speedlimit.
Got my money back

 

Damn, cant believe he pulled you over for doing+75mph on a 65 zone (you were probably going a lot faster than that or appeared to be faster than that).
The based speeding ticket is only about $35. Unfortunately, If you are stopped for speeding, in addition to the base fine the driver will be subject to additional fees that may include:
State Penalty Assessment $100.00
County Penalty Assessment $70.00
DNA Penalty Assessment $50.00
Court Facility Construction Penalty Assessment $50.00
20% Surcharge (allowed on all tickets) $20.00
EMS Surcharge $8.00
So you are looking at about $300 if you plead guilty.
Welcome to the Democratic People Republic of California.
I strongly recommend you fight the ticket and go to traffic school to keep it off your driving record because the insurance company will jack you up some more.
good luck

 

Thank you for all the responses.
I'm still not clear on what I should do. I might just pay the fine at this point..
I heard cops do show up more often these days so I don't think I'm going to contest it either..

 

I usually pay a lawyer $200 and it goes away! It's worth the extra $60 to not have to pay extra on my insurance.

 

Definitely fight the ticket (either by yourself or get a lawyer). You got nothing to loose but a few hours of your time. I am guessing that you are under 30 years old? I could almost guarantee that your insurance will go up by at least $100 (for the next 3 years).

 

Sounds like the process is a lot different in the US than Canada. Here you dispute it then wait a year or two for a court date then go in front of a judge and dispute your case against the cop's evidence. If the cop doesn't show, you get off free.

 

I'm still speeding ticket free (*knock on wood*) but I'm liking this Canadian process ^

 

That is awesome you guys still enjoying a fair process in Canada. Enjoy it while it lasts because some politicians will figure out traffic tickets are great way to generate revenue.
Most of the states dont even require the ticketing officer to be presented; they only need to send a "representative"