Missed Speed Limit Change So Now Have First Ticket = HELP!!!

[RED2003COBRA]

Was taking my wife's jeep to base the other day to change the oil and I got pulled over for speeding on the intertate. Turns out that I didn't see the speed limit change from 65 to 55. I was cited for going 71 in a 55 and it's a 4 point $180 ticket. The policeman said I can go to court and the judge will probably cut everything in half. This is my first ticket and I've never been to court so some advice would be welcome. How many point's till your insurance is affected? How should I plea? Stupid question but what do you wear to traffic court? I'm a military officer so should I go in uniform? The funniest part of this was that I was driving the slow jeep and not my 03 Cobra. Any suggestions would help. Thanks.

Lance :mj:

 

[FordSVTFan]

Do NOT wear your uniform! If the judge is a prick he will think you are trying to influence the court and will not be happy. He will ask you what happened and tell him you were driving to the BASE. He will get your point that way and he will decide what to do with the info, not by you throwing it in his face.

 

[COBRA90GT]

FWIW, a suit & tie is great court attire.

 

[EvergreenSVT]

Next time give your military ID to the officer with your DL. If he asks, say your CO or Sargeant told you to do that if you are contacted by the police. Many officers are former military and cut military guys brakes, at least according to the .mil guys I have discussed this with. Or he might get mad 'cause he couldn't get into the service due to flat feet. YMMV.

 

[Lawman85]

Do NOT wear your uniform! If the judge is a prick he will think you are trying to influence the court and will not be happy. He will ask you what happened and tell him you were driving to the BASE. He will get your point that way and he will decide what to do with the info, not by you throwing it in his face.

Just a bit of advice. The judge probably won't dismiss the case because you are in the military. Think of the media frenzy that would cause because he showed favortism. It may work to reduce your fine but don't rely on it to get off of the ticket completely. You may want to go back and see if there are any speed limit reduction signs and check your state law on it. It is rare now a days that an agency is out of compliance on their signs, but it still happens sometimes.

 

[bsmith9165]

if it is your first ticket he might throw it out if you have a spotless record and one ticket usually wont make your rates go up but you do have an 03 Cobra. I wouldnt take a chance. I would hire a lawyer.

 

[SE01]

You're military and he still gave you a ticket? That is a little odd.

 

[RED2003COBRA]

I even gave him both my military ID and my drivers license at the same time. I've done that before and have been given only warnings. This guy just threw my military ID back in the car onto the passenger's seat. It was the 30th of the month so maybe he was getting his quota.

 

[LTHL VNM]

You're military and he still gave you a ticket? That is a little odd.

that's what i was thinking

 

[Lawman85]

You guys with this quota thing cracks me up.

 

[EvergreenSVT]

You guys with this quota thing cracks me up.

It's not a quota, it's a performance evaluation. You have to maintain a certain number of "contacts" with the public in order to show that you're doing something. If you screw around at the beginning of the month trying to arrest druggies or something, you have to play catch up at the end, writing tickets and such.

At least thats in one part of the country, where an aquaintance of mine is an officer.

 

[FordSVTFan]

At least thats in one part of the country, where an aquaintance of mine is an officer.

An aquaintance of yours tells you this and that relates to an entire part of the country? That maybe the way it is in that county or town but certainly there is no indication of anything more than that. Your sample group needs to be quite bigger than 1 person to state that happens in a part of the country.

 

[JTSVT]

I was always told (or it was known) that you do wear your uniform in court....Your in NC so Im just assuming your in the Marines??....BUT as fordsvtfan stated its a 50/50 chance.....it will either really help you or he might feel obligated to slam you.....I received one ticket in Norfolk and I wore my uniform and it worked well for me....althought it wasnt completely taken away it was minimized to a minor traffic violation (2point)....Good luck and I hope it all works out for you....Sir......lol.....JT

 

[EvergreenSVT]

An aquaintance of yours tells you this and that relates to an entire part of the country? That maybe the way it is in that county or town but certainly there is no indication of anything more than that. Your sample group needs to be quite bigger than 1 person to state that happens in a part of the country.

Just venting. I know quite a few officers (on another forum) who say their department does it this way. They don't like the system, btw, because it removes their discretion.

 

[Lawman85]

Just venting. I know quite a few officers (on another forum) who say their department does it this way. They don't like the system, btw, because it removes their discretion.

I don't know of any local agency here that has such a thing. We do have performance evaluations just like every job, but it's not based on how many tickets you write. I have never been graded on that.