Cosine Effect, Math Wiazrds - (Speeding Ticket)

[urq]

... remember here that the goal is to convince the court that either the
evidence is inadmissable or the officer running the equipment does not
understand how it works ... not necessarily to teach the court a science
lesson.  It is an uphill battle for sure, but it is my understanding that of
all the different types of tickets you can get out there, RADAR tickets have
the highest dismissal rate.  Out here in California there is a book put out
by Nolo Press called "Fight Your Ticket, and Win" ... I bought it to try to
fight a non-speeding ticket that I felt was unfairly issued.  The book was
gear more toward the speeding ticket, so it really wasn't much help.  Since
the laws will vary from state to state, it is best to try to find an
authority in the area in which you live.  Realize that to have the best
chances of beating the ticket you need to research the laws and the way the
courts operate in your area.  Another thing to consider is talking to a
lawyer ...

HTH!
Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)

... so far batting .000 on the tickets I've fought ...


> Steve wrote:
> >I've heard it attempted, but never with much success -
> >If you intend to take an analytical approach in attempting to get out of
> >a ticket, keep in mind that the people working in the courtroom would
> >probably have other jobs if they understood much beyond elementary
> >science and math. When you say something they don't understand, their
> >eyes will become glazed (remember math class?) and your case will be
> >over. Know your subject and rehearse your explanation in advance.
> >Remember the KISS principle.
>
> I tried a somewhat analytical approach once in a courtroom in Ohio. I had
> been ticketed for 93 mph in a 55 zone by a State Trooper on a county road.
> I was sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that the maximum speed I could have
> been driving was maybe 70 mph and I doubted that it was over 65 mph. Why
> was I so sure I was not travelling 93 mph? Well, I was driving a VW Rabbit
> with whatever puny engine it had been blessed with - a 1.6 liter gasoline
I
> believe. Furthermore, there were 4 passengers in the car with a combined
> weight of around 760 lb and about 200 lb of luggage in the trunk. We
> encountered the radar in a moving patrol car travelling the opposite
> direction as we crested a long grade that the old Rabbit found challenging
> with a single passenger, let alone the heavy load we had that afternoon.
>
> So, I appeared in court armed with the circumstances of my story, a
> photocopy of a Car and Driver road test on a VW Rabbit similar to mine
that
> showed the best C&D could do was a top speed of 91 mph on a flat closed
> track with a professional driver, and new knowledge about dynamics fresh
> from my recently completed second year of mechanical engineering school.