Should I fight this ticket? I know I wasn't speeding.

[someotherguy]

Most places allow you to reschedule, at least once.

Since courts are open when most people are working, how would it help?
Like I work 9-5 mon-fri, there isn't a day I could go to court without missing a workday.

I'd say you argue by mail, if possible, but no point in dragging your butt to court, unless you think you can do this in half day, and still get paid for half day of work.
I don't see guilt/innocence as indicators of who's at fault, it's a simple matter of balancing punishment against other priorities (like how much you're willing to spend on lawyer, etc).

[Spectral]

Since courts are open when most people are working, how would it help?
Like I work 9-5 mon-fri, there isn't a day I could go to court without missing a workday.

I'd say you argue by mail, if possible, but no point in dragging your butt to work, unless you think you can do this in half day, and still get paid for half day of work.
I don't see guilt/innocence as indicators of who's at fault, it's a simple matter of balancing punishment against other priorities (like how much you're willing to spend on lawyer, etc).

I have no idea what other places are like, but the traffic courts I've been to are always scheduled at night.

[Logonov]

Wow that sucks, if evidence doesent even work =/ though i wonder what evidence you can have

I've only heard of two cases of getting out of a speeding ticket. The first being the officer never show up to the court date, this is about a 1 in a billion chance.

The second is a case a few years ago, a teenage boy got pulled over for speeding with a fairly advanced gps in the car (i believe it was his parents car). The boy knew he wasnt speeding, and his father in his wisdom somehow got the time vs distance traveled from the gps and proved that the boy was traveling much slower than what the officer had accused the boy. The information was substantial enough that they walked away without the fine or points on the record.

[Spectral]

The second is a case a few years ago, a teenage boy got pulled over for speeding with a fairly advanced gps in the car (i believe it was his parents car). The boy knew he wasnt speeding, and his father in his wisdom somehow got the time vs distance traveled from the gps and proved that the boy was traveling much slower than what the officer had accused the boy. The information was substantial enough that they walked away without the fine or points on the record.

I don't think time versus distance traveled would show much, as it gives the average speed rather than max speed. A good GPS system might be able to show that though, I'm not sure. It would make sense.

[slime]

sadly it's your word against a machine's. The machine doesn't care and has nothing to lose, yet you do - so unless you have proof or are a real kiss-up (ass kisser) type fighting this might prove impossible. In this case it will be less about proving you weren't speeding - more about showing the judge you are an honest person and that he/she can take your word that you weren't speeding over a machine - which says you were.

[someotherguy]

I don't think time versus distance traveled would show much, as it gives the average speed rather than max speed. A good GPS system might be able to show that though, I'm not sure. It would make sense.

That's probably a fantastic app idea, for those who use GPS on their phones. As long as data cannot be altered, and can be used in court. hmmm
btw, thanks for your earlier reply about scheduling traffic court at night, the couple of times I was called, it was in the morning, and I haven't even considered they might be open at night, will check next time.

[Kaibhan]

Always reschedule when contesting a ticket. You're allowed to at least once and chances greatly increase that the officer who gave the ticket won't show granting dismissal of your case. Chances of the officer not showing increase because they usually handle all of their contested tickets at a time rather than waste police time going back and forth to court. If you reschedule and get a day where you are the only dude on that officers docket for the day you could easily slip through the cracks.

[Gheld]

Always reschedule when contesting a ticket. You're allowed to at least once and chances greatly increase that the officer who gave the ticket won't show granting dismissal of your case. Chances of the officer not showing increase because they usually handle all of their contested tickets at a time rather than waste police time going back and forth to court. If you reschedule and get a day where you are the only dude on that officers docket for the day you could easily slip through the cracks.

It's not an officer controlled radar. It's done by a machine inside a car parked at the side of the road, operated by a private contractor. All the officer does is review the image and then issue a ticket based on the image.

[Sills]

sadly it's your word against a machine's. The machine doesn't care and has nothing to lose, yet you do - so unless you have proof or are a real kiss-up (ass kisser) type fighting this might prove impossible. In this case it will be less about proving you weren't speeding - more about showing the judge you are an honest person and that he/she can take your word that you weren't speeding over a machine - which says you were.

This really is the biggest issue and since your key argument is "there was a thing in the way" then Im afraid the court will take the word of the machine over that of yourself. Programming is tough to fight unless you get lucky and a malfunction is indeed found. The camera says you did it and has proof that you did. It may be flimsy but since the camera went off its sensors indicated you were speeding. You need to be able to counter that with something and unless you have a camera trained on your speedometer, you really can't. It will be your word against this camera's "evidence". Bonne chance!

I always chuckle at the people who decide to go to war over these things because "its the principle". Well at the end you end up missing work, and getting into a huge pain in the *** (any country's justice system is a complete pain in the rear) and deal with the stress of the whole situation. In 8 yrs Ive never gotten a speeding ticket, however I would just shut up and pay them as a way to get it out of my life and move on. I make more in one day than a ticket would cost so it's just not worth the hassle or the money.

[Rotted]

Hm, here (Wales) our local speed cameras have a +/- of 3MPH, so for an example, if the limit was 30, and you get clocked at 30, in reality you could of been doing 27 or 33 MPH,

for example, my mother was in a similar situation as you, going through a quiet village (30 MPH) and she got clocked going down hill at 32 MPH, She got her ticket in the post, she phoned them up and said,

1. You patrol car was sitting at the bottom of a hill
2. Natural acceleration going down hill
3. The cameras are a +/- 3 MPH,
4. Where the patrol car was parked, is actually on the sign border where the speed limit ends, so you should start to accelerate around that point to get up to national speed limit as you pass the sign.

The guy completely agreed, and the ticket and 3 points got scrapped.

Also I don't know about the states, but if you are clocked, and accept it, and pay upfront within 30 days I think it is, you can get half the fine, no points, but you have to attend a speed awareness course,

[goodwrench]

let me start off by saying that as a police officer, ALL police officers hate photo tickets, they're a plague that needs to end. Fist off for radar to work correctly the unit NEEDS to be calibrated before and after issuing any citations. The angle that the unit is off the road is referred to as the cosign, the cosign is ALWAYS in the errant drivers favor. If I am 20 feet off the roadway and I get you doing 80 in a 65 you're really doing 85+. Radar will ALWAYS pick up the biggest object in the roadway, I had a Ferrari the other day doing ~110 and my radar read the 65 that the Mack truck next to him was going. In the US you have a right to face your accuser as only a uniformed officer an issue traffic citations, in the case of camera tickets they would still be reviewed and signed by a officer and you can, and should face him in court.

Did I mention that all police officers HATE photo tickets? HATE!

[Deleted]

I've only heard of two cases of getting out of a speeding ticket. The first being the officer never show up to the court date, this is about a 1 in a billion chance.

The second is a case a few years ago, a teenage boy got pulled over for speeding with a fairly advanced gps in the car (i believe it was his parents car). The boy knew he wasnt speeding, and his father in his wisdom somehow got the time vs distance traveled from the gps and proved that the boy was traveling much slower than what the officer had accused the boy. The information was substantial enough that they walked away without the fine or points on the record.

ohhh, the last one is pretty cool. maybe people should try and find it out more often if possible! no idea how it works though

[Zoranon]

Not sure how applicable this is outside of my own country, use at your own peril:
A) Check the foto if you can be identified from it

B) If not go to the court and simply refuse to testify on who the driver was

C) Profit, no fine to pay

[smelltheglove]

What country and state are you in? Where I come from (New York state), you're guilty if the cop said you did it, period. Evidence and argument are wholesale irrelevant to the pissant judges there.

it's the same in my neck of the woods. cops word = from the mouth of god in traffic court around here. also, dont drive through cape girardeau, mo. you will get a ticket whether you are speeding or not. they tagged every member of a funeral procession for a family member a few years back, and actually had the gall to brag about it

[LilSaihah]

You gotta FIGHT
For your RIGHT
To paaaaaaaaaaaaaaar ty

(Fight it, cops can and will do everything they can to harvest the speed cameras.)

[Waaldo]

Is there a picture of you driving, or is it a picture of the back of your car?
That could help your case, there is no proof that it is you driving.