Advice for court-getting a ticket reduced

[Lincoln]

So last month I got a ticket for 65 in a 40 cause I was late to work. Well if it's 25mph over, my city won't let you take defensive driving or get probation. So I went up to the courts to pay the fine of $233 and the chick said that an alternative method is to talk to the judge in court to see if I can get it reduced.

It would allow me to have a 3 month probation before it gets wiped off my record, instead of 3 years of increased insurance rates. My court date is tomorrow at 8am and its my first one ever. Any tips on talking to the judge? I have some hope because the clerk said its usually about 50/50 on who gets lowered. I assume if I say the right things, he will reduce my punishment

[SpurinDallas]

So last month I got a ticket for 65 in a 40 cause I was late to work. Well if it's 25mph over, my city won't let you take defensive driving or get probation. So I went up to the courts to pay the fine of $233 and the chick said that an alternative method is to talk to the judge in court to see if I can get it reduced.

It would allow me to have a 3 month probation before it gets wiped off my record, instead of 3 years of increased insurance rates. My court date is tomorrow at 8am and its my first one ever. Any tips on talking to the judge? I have some hope because the clerk said its usually about 50/50 on who gets lowered. I assume if I say the right things, he will reduce my punishment

Damn, what city do you live in, Highland Park?

[Lincoln]

McKinney tbh

[Reck]

Just smooth talk the judge and hope he's not in a bad mood.

The fact this is your first time getting ticketed bows well for you.

Just dont make the "I was late for work" excuse because the only thing you'll get from the judge is, "I've heard that line before."

Fez up to speeding and say you wont do it again. Honesty works best in these cases, trust me.

[SpurinDallas]

McKinney tbh

Damn Mega-Burbs

[Trill Clinton]

had something similar.

He offered to lower it with the 3 month probation deal. I didn't really talk to him much, it looked like everyone was being offered to either pay it all in full there or do the probation.

[Lincoln]

had something similar.

He offered to lower it with the 3 month probation deal. I didn't really talk to him much, it looked like everyone was being offered to either pay it all in full there or do the probation.

What do I plead though? Guilty or not guilty?

Just a lil nervous cause I never been in court before so I don't know what I'm doing :lol

[Lincoln]

Just smooth talk the judge and hope he's not in a bad mood.

The fact this is your first time getting ticketed bows well for you.

Just dont make the "I was late for work" excuse because the only thing you'll get from the judge is, "I've heard that line before."

Fez up to speeding and say you wont do it again. Honesty works best in these cases, trust me.

So I should plead guilty and just admit I was speeding and politely say it won't happen again? Tell him it's my first ticket and I'm usually a good driver?

[Trill Clinton]

What do I plead though? Guilty or not guilty?

Just a lil nervous cause I never been in court before so I don't know what I'm doing :lol

ehhhh I don't think you have to plea guilty or not guilty unless you want to get a lawyer and fight it.

I had a speeding/ no proof of insurance combo. I brought in my insurance and they dropped that then gave me the payment plan with 3 mo's probation to drop it off my record.

[Reck]

So I should plead guilty and just admit I was speeding and politely say it won't happen again? Tell him it's my first ticket and I'm usually a good driver?

Dont be that dense.

You have to realize these judges do this every day. Lying your way through is not the best idea because they'll pick up on it and call bullshit.

If you're lucky enough than the judge himself will offer some type of deal like he did with Trill but otherwise put your sad face on and plead your case imo.

[jjktkk]

So I should plead guilty and just admit I was speeding and politely say it won't happen again? Tell him it's my first ticket and I'm usually a good driver?

Pretty much this. Don't try to BS the judge, or try to insinuate that the cop was in the wrong. Unless the judge is a total prick, or you have a history of speeding tickets, you got a decent shot at probation imo.

[CubanMustGo]

Dress professionally. Last time I had one of these I went to court in a full suit and they ended up throwing it out before the case was called because the officer "didn't remember the details of the case." A lot of the other people (same officer) were dressed and acted like morons and the cases proceeded. Don't dress and act like a moron. :-)

That said, you're in McKinney where they like to be tough on crime. Be polite, respectful, and when your case is called asked the judge for deferred adjudication due to it being your first offense and the fact that you realize you made a mistake in breaking the law. If you have been driving for "X" years without a ticket or accident be sure to mention that.

All that said, there IS the risk that your request will not be granted; not only will you have to pay the full fine, but you'll have to pay court costs.

[SpurinDallas]

You should probably get tatted up like D Stevenson first. I'm sure the judge would see you're harmless and let you walk.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

Two routes:

The nice route: Show up in court tomorrow, be honest, act sorry, etc. Bring up work only if he asks you why you were speeding, and say that you'll plead guilty and attand traffic school if it gets pled down to civil speeding (since I'm assuming this was criminal speeding which is why you can't go to traffic school for it). Be prepared though, because if you go this route by being apologetic and admitting guilt, there's no turning back.

Fighting it: If you wanna gamble and try to clear it completely, then the first thing to do is file for a 60 day extension today. If you've never gotten one before it shouldn't be a problem and your court date won't be for another 60 days. This makes it so the officer who gave the ticket is more likely to lose track of information regarding your ticket. In the meantime during these 60 days you can change your mind and go the other route once your new court date happens.

On the new court date, you'll plead not guilty and then a hearing date will be set (before you plead not guilty, figure out what's gonna happen if you lose though and can no longer plead, because pleading not guilty is the point of no return). Wait till a few days before the hearing and if you haven't heard anything, ask for the hearing to be delayed for some bullshit reason. Make the delay as long as possible. If in the event you do hear from them and the cop wants to change the date of the hearing, refuse to change the date because you've already cleared your schedule for that day and you have the right to a speedy trial. Most likely if the cop can't get the date changed, he'll file a request to dismiss since it means he doesn't wanna be in court that day.

At this point there's a really good chance it doesn't make it this far, but in the event it actually makes it to a trial where the cop shows up and a judge hears it, there are tons of questions you can badger the cop with and site supreme court rulings that say the cop needs to be able to provide certain things (i.e. proof his radar gun was working and tested correctly).

If you plead not guilty hit me up on facebook and I'll send you the information I gathered for a ticket awhile back. The cop was a no show but especially with criminal speeding where you need to be found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt some of these questions are useful.

[Lincoln]

:lol I'm still considering if it's worth it...I don't have experience so I don't want to look like an idiot. Maybe I should just pay the fine and be done with it.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

Oh and the one excuse to NEVER make, whether it's a cop, judge, etc., is that "everyone else was going just as fast." Cops have heard that one 1,000 times and know how to make the people arguing that defense look stupid. Judges also hate that excuse and basically dismiss any chance at clearing everything once you use it.

[Lincoln]

If I were to go the nice route, what's the worst that can happen, be denied of getting it reduced?

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

If I were to go the nice route, what's the worst that can happen, be denied of getting it reduced?
Yes, but if this is your first speeding ticket and if you act/dress professionally, the chances of the judge not reducing it are slim. It's the much safer route than fighting it. Only reason I fought my last speeding ticket was because a) I couldn't go to traffic school again and b) it was in some backwater town between Tucson and Phoenix where I know the cop was two thirds to a retard and wouldn't give a shit.

If you can still file for a 60 day extension though to reschedule the court date I don't see how that does any harm. Try calling over to the court and requesting it, I've done it by phone before.

[redzero]

You are going down a bad road. Next thing you know, you'll be a 30-year-old who works at Taco Bell and raises a son who isn't his.

[Trill Clinton]

lol its just traffic court, he doesn't have to wear a suit.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

lol its just traffic court, he doesn't have to wear a suit.
This too. CubanMustGo iirc is in his 40s (could be wrong), so a middle aged guy wearing a suit to traffic court didn't look weird. Someone Lincoln's age wearing a suit to traffic court could rub a judge the wrong way.

When I dealt with my ticket last year, I went to court in slacks and a button down dress shirt with no tie or suit. Someone 25 or younger should do that, anything more is overkill and could come off as arrogant. Chances are, Lincoln doesn't wear suits very often so he wouldn't look like someone comfortable wearing one. That affects body language which is really important for court.

Wearing a suit however is better than dressing like someone who thuggin' and buggin' like other people do for traffic court. Don't wear baggy clothes at all.

[Lincoln]

Yeah I was thinking dress shirt, slacks, and tie. Alright looks like I'm going to go through with it and ask the judge if I can get driving school/deferred probation. Ill mention it's my first ticket ever and admit I was speeding.

[mingus]

It is quite uncommon for me to speed. I usually show up early to where I need to be. I've only gotten one speeding ticket.

However, when I am running late and I know i will speed, just in case i bring along my fart-making toy (the one you have to blow up). If I get caught speeding, I will use it and tell the cops I was speeding to get to my house to use restroom. I think it may work.

As for your question, I can't help you.

[clambake]

sure, talk to the judge, but don't be late this time.

[CosmicCowboy]

Dress professionally. Last time I had one of these I went to court in a full suit and they ended up throwing it out before the case was called because the officer "didn't remember the details of the case." A lot of the other people (same officer) were dressed and acted like morons and the cases proceeded. Don't dress and act like a moron. :-)

That said, you're in McKinney where they like to be tough on crime. Be polite, respectful, and when your case is called asked the judge for deferred adjudication due to it being your first offense and the fact that you realize you made a mistake in breaking the law. If you have been driving for "X" years without a ticket or accident be sure to mention that.

All that said, there IS the risk that your request will not be granted; not only will you have to pay the full fine, but you'll have to pay court costs.

This. maybe not a suit, but dress nice. Ask for deferred adjudication. You will pay a fine PLUS a fee for deferred adjudication, but the judge will set your probation period (usually 4-6 months) and if you don't get another ticket that will not report it to insurance.

[CosmicCowboy]

Oops. You are probably screwed unless the judge drops it to 24 over the speed limit.

http://www.mckinneytexas.org/municipal_courts.aspx?id=15342
DEFERRED DISPOSITION
Deferred Disposition is a type of probation that can dismiss your citation if you meet certain criteria. You will be on probation up to 180 days, depending on the kind of violation.

ADVANTAGES
When you successfully complete Deferred Disposition, there is no final conviction and the complaint may not be used against you for any purpose. A conviction will not be reported.

ELIGIBILITY
You must answer the following questions to determine if you qualify for Deferred Disposition::

Do you have a valid Driver’s License?
Was there an accident involved at the time you received your citation?
Are you now on Deferred Disposition for a citation anywhere?
Have you been placed on Deferred Disposition within the 12 months preceding the date of this citation?
Your answers will determine whether you are eligible for Deferred Disposition; if you are under 25 you will be required to take a Driver Safety Course as a condition of Deferred Disposition. If you qualify, you will be required to pay a special expense fee and court costs at the time of the application. Deferred Disposition is a way of having your citation dismissed after satisfactory completion of the probationary period in which no additional convictions are received and all requirements imposed in the Deferred Order are satisfied.

DISQUALIFIERS
You were charged with going 25 miles or more over the speed limit.
You are charged with a violation in a construction or maintenance work zone when workers are present.
You hold a Commercial Driver's License or held one at the time you were cited for the offense.
You have successfully completed Deferred Disposition in the last 12 months.

[Lincoln]

Yup, I'm hoping the judge can drop my speed a bit to allow me to do probation or defensive driving. 25 over was the cutoff and unfortunately I was right at 25.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

Cop is kind of a prick for not giving you the benefit of the doubt with that close call. The reason I felt bad for playing games with the backwater cop who gave me my last ticket was the fact he dropped my speed down and didn't cite me for speeding in a construction zone. Most cops drop the speed so the person can do driving school.

[CubanMustGo]

Cop is kind of a prick for not giving you the benefit of the doubt with that close call. The reason I felt bad for playing games with the backwater cop who gave me my last ticket was the fact he dropped my speed down and didn't cite me for speeding in a construction zone. Most cops drop the speed so the person can do driving school.

Doesn't surprise me, McKinney cops are hard-assed like most Collin county types.

[Lincoln]

:lol true, McKinney cops are tough but Allen/fairview from what I heard are the toughest. I'm hoping the judge tomorrow will be a lot different though, the last thing I want to happen is to be intimidated by the guy who will determine my consequence.

[Jacob1983]

Say that you recently came out of the closet to your parents and are under a lot of stress as a result. Or maybe say that you recently converted to Judaism and have been under a lot of stress. Last, say that you've come out of the closet and have recently converted to Judaism. Might get some sympathy as a recently converted gay Jew.

[thispego]

What do I plead though? Guilty or not guilty?

Just a lil nervous cause I never been in court before so I don't know what I'm doing :lol

The smartest thing you can do is wait til the night before to prepare :lol dumbass

[Lincoln]

Court starts in an hour, hopefully this judge is chill and will give me probation.

[thispego]

$500 says Lincoln walks out with the same ticket he walked in with :lol

[Lincoln]

$500 says Lincoln walks out with the same ticket he walked in with :lol

We will see, McKinney cops are major dicks but will the judge be as well?

[thispego]

Judges aren't cutting any breaks to motorists who are going >20 mph over the speed limit. They aren't in the business of doing favors for nobodys. Good luck though, scrah :tu

[Viva Las Espuelas]

Maybe I should just pay the fine and be done with it.

That

[Lincoln]

Just went through the courts and the judge pretty much embarrassed me, he knew every trick in the book. He was cool though and gave me probation for 180 days+defensive driving. Still had to pay $250 though but the best part is the speeding offense will be wiped off my record after the probation period.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

[Blake]

Just went through the courts and the judge pretty much embarrassed me, he knew every trick in the book.

:lol it's definitely worth the embarrassment though.

[SpurinDallas]

Just went through the courts and the judge pretty much embarrassed me, he knew every trick in the book. He was cool though and gave me probation for 180 days+defensive driving. Still had to pay $250 though but the best part is the speeding offense will be wiped off my record after the probation period.

Thanks for the advice everyone.

You should have told him, "Only God can judge me" when he gave you his "punishment". :lol

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

Just went through the courts and the judge pretty much embarrassed me, he knew every trick in the book. He was cool though and gave me probation for 180 days+defensive driving. Still had to pay $250 though but the best part is the speeding offense will be wiped off my record after the probation period.

Thanks for the advice everyone.
You had to pay $250 plus the cost of whatever defensive driving class you do?

You got ripped the fuck off :lol

[Reck]

You had to pay $250 plus the cost of whatever defensive driving class you do?

You got ripped the fuck off :lol

Wow definitely.

Are you sure this was your first trip there?

He got about the same penalty that a repeat offender would have.

Lincoln, you got fucked without the vaseline. :lol

[Lincoln]

No cost for defensive driving but yeah I gotta take it.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

If there's no cost for defensive driving then it was a good plea. Defensive driving, at least in AZ, costs close to $200 alone. If you pay the $250 ticket, get free DD and that clears it off your record then you basically pled it down to civil speeding.

[Lincoln]

Yeah instead of $250 +3 years of havin a ticket on my record, I walked out with $250 + free DD/6 month probation while having the ticket wiped of my record after the DD.

A little more work than just paying the fine but I'm glad that I can get my record clean again as long as I don't fuck up the next 6 months.

[Jacob1983]

Why speed? Seriously, is it really going to help you in the long haul? Saving a few extra minutes or a few hundred dollars? I'll go with saving money. I usually drive ths speed limit or 5 miles under the speed limit. Can't afford a fuckin' ticket.

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

lol Gaycob1983

[GoodOdor]

Crofl I got my first speeding ticket like 6 months ago and was considering going through the same thing:lol

In the end I said fuck it, just paid my fine and did the defensive driving class. Ain't gonna go in front of a judge and cry about how I'm just a poor scro working a minimum job at Taco bell, I ain't thispego.

[CubanMustGo]

Yeah instead of $250 +3 years of havin a ticket on my record, I walked out with $250 + free DD/6 month probation while having the ticket wiped of my record after the DD.

A little more work than just paying the fine but I'm glad that I can get my record clean again as long as I don't fuck up the next 6 months.

No matter what, you were going to pay the $250, so you really did as well as could be expected given that you were nailed for 25 over. Congratulations.

Once you complete DD, let your insurance company know (you don't have to tell them it was for any specific reason) as you'll get a break on your collision converage. If you want to be paranoidally safe, wait until after your probation is over so there won't be any chance of them doing a records check.

[CosmicCowboy]

lol Gaycob1983

X2

fucker probably does it in the left lane too.

[Jacob1983]

With your mom.:rollin

[DUNCANownsKOBE]

X2

fucker probably does it in the left lane too.
I can't stand when some slow fuckstick in the left line pulls up right alongside someone in the right lane and matches their slow speed so no one can get around them :lol