Speeding Ticket in NC...Need some advice!!

Discussion in 'General VFR Discussions' started by Rollin_Again, Oct 4, 2010.

  1. Rollin_Again

    Rollin_Again Member

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    Well it's been a couple weeks since I got back from Deals Gap but on the way home I was pulled over in Cherokee, NC by the NC State Patrol. I was doing @ 80-85 mph on US129 South (60mph limit) around 7:30am with very little traffic on the road. The trouper was very polite and did not lecture me at all. He stated that he dropped the speed on the ticket down to 75mph so that I could mail my fine in rather than have to go to court. When I look at the ticket details it indicates that the fine is $166 total which consists of $136 court processing fee + only $30 for the actual violation. I was talking to a older rider at work about this whole ordeal and he told me that he has had about 4 tickets in NC and he has always been able to go to the court and talk to the District Attorney and have the speed reduced to just a couple miles over the posted speed. He basically would agree to pay the same fine and court fees to keep the state happy and they would reduce the violation so that it had little to no impact on his insurance. Anyone ever heard of something like that? Would it be worth it for me to take the day off and ride back up there to pursue this or should I just mail in the fine?

    FYI...I have a fairly good driving record and this is only my 2nd ticket in the past 10 years. The first ticket was in my cage for 15mph over posted speed limit.

    Rollin
     
  2. mrvfr

    mrvfr Banned

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    around here if you go fight the ticket and the officer does not show up the ticket gets thrown out.

    of course the last time i tried that it didnt work, the cop showed up, and the kid in front of me was fighting a ticket, his argument for why he shoudlent have to pay the 5 over ticket "who gives a ticket for that".

    i knew i was screwed, my reasoning wasent much better.
     
  3. 26.2 man

    26.2 man New Member

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    I haven't had to address this issue in a few years (knock on wood), but back then, you would show up early the day of court. Talk to the D.A. or Asst. D.A. and explain you have a good record and would like for them to consider prayer for judgement. Most likely they will accept that; if not ask for exceeding a safe speed. You really do not want to plead guilty to 75 mph in any speed zone. Last time I HAD to, it cost me $2000 in insurance premiums. N.C. Highway Patrol is not to be toyed with; I can testify to that.
     
  4. jev.

    jev. over there

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    Too much of a hassle to take the day off, spend the extra money for fuel, and maybe have the same outcome as just paying the fine. I'd pay up just to avoid the annoyance of it all. After all, it sounds like a legitimate ticket.
     
  5. wrestler

    wrestler New Member

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    Don't be in denial, Rollin. Just pay it. Not worth the trouble. It is a bunch of money but on the other hand if going up there in person backfires, you are out a bunch more. As an NC land owner, I would suggest you pay the sucker.
     
  6. captb

    captb New Member

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    The fact that the cop lowered the speed on the ticket would be a red flag for me to show up in court to fight it. I'm sure if the cop shows he will remember or have it noted somewhere.
     
  7. VFRod

    VFRod New Member

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    Too easy there in the States :smile: Back here you would have got a bigger fine AND lost your licence. I wish we had your system :frown:
     
  8. Mac

    Mac New Member

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    It's up to the discretion of the DA. For 15 over, I doubt that you will get much sympathy.
    I would just pay the road tax by mail, things like that don't always get back from state to state, even in the modern computer world.

    Mac ( NC Native )
     
  9. GreyVF750F

    GreyVF750F Member

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    Here's a site that can help you fight tickets: The NMA Traffic Justice Program

    I fought one some years back and won in Cleveland OH. It took a lot of time, which I had, to subpoena the officers training on radar usage, radar gun records for maintenance and daily tuning etc. Cop didn't show and prosecutor didn't have subpoena info. I won. Other friends of mine have had charges not filed on their license and just paid the fine by working a deal with prosecutor. Which they do all the time. Cause they don't want or have time for the trial proceedings for just a ticket.

    IF you have the time for all the running around and need not to have the points on your license it may be worth your trouble. Otherwise pay the ticket.
     
  10. afpierce489

    afpierce489 New Member

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    Rollin, here's my $0.02. Being active duty Navy I had to go to court with my guys whenever they got in trouble. This was anything from a speeding ticket to domestic violence. I've been to court with 8 of my guys over the years and in different states. In all cases, when they talked to the DA/ADA everything got reduced. Now when they went in, they were in their dress uniforms, clean shaven, were using their best manner (sir/mam), and were very remorseful. I'm not sure about the law in NC, but I'm pretty sure that the fines will not got up if you go there to talk about it. So, here's what you have to ask yourself, is it worth the trouble (time, finances, frustration) to go back and talk about it, or are you better off just paying it and dealing with the consequences of that? Which one of the scenario's sits better with you?
     
  11. Pliskin

    Pliskin New Member

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    I'm assuming NC is reciprocal with GA.

    My experience has been that the D/A or prosecutor would definitely negotiate with you. LEO sounds like he was reasonable, cutting you some slack, but that may be noted on the courts copy of the ticket.

    Fighting it probably won't make it worse, but let's face it: the counties/states just want their money. Even if they reduce the ticket to $10, they can arbitrarily increase costs and associated fees.

    Here's one to try (ask me how I know...lol): Pay the ticket, but actually pay slightly MORE than what it is. Instead of $166, send them $178.87. They take your check, cash it, entered it as paid in their system. Their system now shows you've met your obligation. Then they send you a check back for the difference you overpaid. Don't ever cash that check - just throw it away. Until their return check clears their records, it will show as an open transaction, and they will not report it to GA until they can officially close their file on it. Does it work? Ahh, that's the $166 question. I can say "sometimes"....
     
  12. diverdave

    diverdave New Member

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    I live in NC and my wife, kid and I have all got speeding tickets in NC. I was advised by my co-workers to get a lawyer which we did. In all three cases we ended up pleading guilty to a much less offense e.g defective equipment (speedo wrong). The lawyer will cost about $100 and you won't need to show up in court.

    Typically 2 weeks after the offense you will get at least a dozens lawyers writing to you offering their services. This is how the system works in NC.

    It is not worth trying to fight it your self much easier with a lawyer.
     
  13. blackhonda

    blackhonda New Member

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    I don't know where your from but most states don't don't give points on your license for out of state tickets, unless its major ,like reckless driving or d.u.i.. If you don't get the points its likely you won't get the premium increase. At least that what I've seen. I have had several tickets in and out of MD and the ones in state are the only ones i've seen as a reason to raise my premiums. It seems as though as one falls off my record I get another to replace it so I don't even sweat the premium increase it's usually the same anyway.
     
  14. Rollin_Again

    Rollin_Again Member

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    Well I've already gotten 3 letters from lawyers in North Carolina offering their services from $175 to $300 to go to court and handle the case for me. I'm almost certain that GA and NC have an agreement to share traffic violations so I'm pretty sure it will affect my insurance rates if I just pay through the mail. I haven't ruled out making the trip myself but I am seriously considering going the lawyer route.

    Rollin
     
  15. 26.2 man

    26.2 man New Member

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    Again, let me say, unless your state is different than N.C. you do not want to plead guilty to speeding 75 m.p.h.
     
  16. JTC

    JTC New Member

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    Lawyer up big homie... and not one of those "beat my ticket" websites either. See, what you gotta do is get you one of dem dare fancy Beverly Hills lawyers. Sure it'll cost 2-3 times the price of the ticket, but your record will stay clean. One thing I learned from my good friend OJ Simpson is that if you have enough money then you can get away with Murder. So a traffic violation aint shit. In California, if you want to fight it then you have to pay bail. Which is equal or greater than the amount of the ticket. Then you have to get a lawyer which will be twice as much as bail. IE:$1000 ticket = $1,226 bail = $3000 lawyer = >$4000 to beat. Let me give you a short run down of my personal experience.
    Charge 1- Exceeding 100mph
    Charge 2- Unsafe lane splitting
    Bail- $1,226
    Lawyer- $3000
    Not Guilty or Case Dismissed- PRICELESS Lawyer beat the case on the grounds that I was pulled over by a squad car and not another motorcycle therefore there was no way this particular officer could have paced me at over 100mph while I was lane splitting.
    Keep in mind this was the same reasoning I tried to use during my arraignment when I attempted to have the case dismissed on my own. Judge did not want to hear it. It took a $3000 lawyer to get the court to listen.
    Moral: what's right and what's reality are seldom the same.
    (BTW... I was really doing 80 in a 70)
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2010
  17. kd4ysi

    kd4ysi New Member

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    lawer defently nc dont play
     
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