[ba] traffic attorney?

[Steve Buchholz]

Hey Shayne!

Sorry to hear of your fortune ... certainly an odd one!  You joked about it, but there's little doubt a "shouty" red S4 is going to make you more obvious to the Revenue Enhancement Officers ... 

While you will face an uphill battle compared to people fighting radar speedtrap tickets (which are supposedly easy to beat), I would give serious consideration to fighting the ticket.  On my soapbox a little ... I believe the system is deliberately set up to get people to pay their "sin tax" rather than fighting the ticket.  If more people went to court instead of traffic school there'd be a bit less incentive to write tickets in situations like yours.  Over the years I've fought two tickets ... lost both, but I'm still glad I did it.  

I'm a bit torn on the thought of getting an attorney ... I think you'd get less credit from the judge with a lawyer.  The thing is that a lawyer might be more skilled in approaches for discrediting the officer if you know there are points where his documentation of the event is flawed.  If you had any passengers who you can use as witnesses it might be enough to put you over the top.  

The thing is that you will have to put your time into preparing the case.  My first tilt at the windmill was a speeding ticket where I'm sure the rules for use of radar were not met.  I was told they had the traffic surveys at the court, but when I got there I learned that you had to subpoena them ... that pretty much shot me down there.  I was also convinced that the lights were timed for faster than the posted limit, which I documented by measuring the distance between lights and timing ... didn't help.  You might consider sitting in at the court just to see how things go before you commit yourself ...  

So ... no recommendations on lawyers ... look a couple up and ask them what they think about your chances of beating the ticket, and what they would bring to the table if you engaged them ... 

OBTW, the other ticket I fought was a "driving on the shoulder" ticket I got while lane splitting coming up to a metering light on a ramp.  Half the traffic at the metering light was on the shoulder (there was supposed to be only one lane, but traffic always made two ... not just the motorcycles).  I took pictures of the situation and did what I felt was a good job of explaining things in court ... but the commissioner still went with the REO.  Not long after my case CalTrans restriped the ramp to make it more clear that there was a single lane.  

Good luck!
Steve Buchholz

----- Original Message -----

so a week ago i got a speeding tix on the 580.  only prob is (for once) I
WAS NOT SPEEDING!  i am sure i was "randomly" singled out of a crowd of
cars.  even tho i was reported to be in lane 1, i was actually in lane 2
being passed by a diesel mercedes WAGON with biodiesel plastered on the back
of of it.  piss on me for driving a red s4 with a shouty exhaust.  i guess i
should sell it for an old diesel MBZ or a prius.

ANYWAY, anyone know of an attorney in alameda county (oakland PD) that could
handle my tix?  i have not been pulled over in 10+ years and i ain't about
to start funding the city's coffers.

thank you all.




Shayne

PARTING:
1972 mercedes benz 280 se 4.5
1986 audi 4000 cs quattro
1990 audi coupe quattro
1995 audi S6
http://spokane.craigslist.org/pts/1831227937.html
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/pts/1831261447.html



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