there are a lot of law enforcement officers here, right? Need a little help...

I derive greater satisfaction in driving well, to a high standard, than to driving fast.

Hell, a chock of wood on an accelerator can drive a car fast, perhaps consider improving your standard of driving (and judgement!) by learning to drive well, that way, something good comes out of your experience.
 
1st get a free consultation from a reputable lawyer prcticing in the city that you received the speeding ticket in.

2nd their is a traffic class you can take online and take a short test. DMV online has a link to it if i remember right. You will receive a certificate for this.

3rd Get your speedometer callibrated. If you have an older vehicle your speedometer may be way off.

This is what the Attorney is gonna tell you but you will be better off with him by your side.

When you get to court you have a better chance of getting the ticket reduced to inproper driving.

This is the best advice anyone can give you.

I am a Leo in Virginia. Hopefully this helps. Slow down brother and be safe.
 
Where I live, if you want traffic school, or to make some sort of deal with the officer, you HAVE to plead not guilty when you first appear, and let them set a trial. If you go in and plead guilty, they expect payment right then and there, no deals. This is the exact opposite of Morimotom's state. Also, here, most cops will cut a plea bargain on a traffic ticket. Typical would be plea guilty, pay money to crimestoppers or something, take a traffic class, remain free of further citations (or arrest) for 90 days and the ticket will go away through a deferred sentence. Worth a try if you can contact the issuing officer. You'll never know if this is done in your jurisdiction if you don't ask.
 
My little bit of advice, which I don't think has been stated yet, is that if you pay your citation it is the same as admitting guilt. You already admitted to us that you did it, and that's great. But if you plan on taking it to court, don't pay it. There should be a court date on your citation. As long as you don't miss that appearance AND fail to pay your fine, you're still okay.

Oftentimes, by appearing in court the officer and the judge will recognize that you realize your mistake and will be more willing to work with you to resolve the problem. Oftentimes, the traffic classes are a viable option. You also hear rumors of tickets being dropped because the officer didn't show up at court, but all of the officers I know are pretty careful about trying to be at traffic court, so don't count on that possiblity.
 
ibanezplayer470 , Please let us know what happens. Inquiring minds want to know.

I once got two tickets in the same week from the same cop. One was for doing 45 in a 35 zone and the other was for doing 35 in a 25 zone. Both were in the same block. :confused: In those days you could pay tickets through AAA and they would check to see if they were legitimate. One ticket was thrown out and the other was reduced to 5 mph over the speed limit. (I was 20 at the time and driving a Sunbeam Alpine)
 
As a fellow Virginian and a high school teacher I have a lot of experience with 17 year olds getting speeding tickets. Sign up for a driving class. It helps with court and insurance. The judge is going to make you go any way so just get it out of the way now. Some will also look highly on parents punishment if they go with you to court and explain what they have done to punish you. Under 18 can mean a lot of thing in VA though; lost license, the obvious fines, probation, driving school, I have even seen them give kids community service for speeding. I am pretty sure you are not going to just pay this one though. They hit new drivers pretty hard. If you think you really need to get a lawyer lord knows Northern Virginia is full of them. Keep us updated though.

HAK
 
ibanezplayer470 said:
how did they decide if they were legitimate or not?
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AAA knew what the speed limit was where I got the tickets. It appeared that the cop didn't. The actual speed limit was 35, so the 2nd ticket was bogus. I don't know how AAA got the ticket reduced. I didn't ask.

That was about 48 years ago. I doubt that AAA provides that service anymore.
 
There's probably a website for that these days.

Also, in the old days before computers, a lot of tickets just "got lost." Before he got back to the station to submit them, the officer's copy would get lost or damaged and so while the driver had his copy, it would never get entered into the court system. AAA would, I'm sure, call the court to see if the ticket in question had been entered.
 
LAWYER UP NOW! Cheaper in the long run. LEO's are not the best group to ask this question. They WRITE the tickets. They dont want you to get out of them!--KV
 
Ren the devils trailboss said:
Pay the ticket...then it will go smooth...Dont pay and it wont be smooth..then slow down..
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I take EVERY ticket to court & talk to the prosecutor.I've rarely ever had to even see the judge.The prosecutor will probably work out a deal with you,like you pay a little extra fine,but no MV/insurance points.

Don't just pay it!The insurance companies will rob you for years to come,if you just go online or court & pay the fine!!
 
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