Ticket - Should I dig myself deeper? (LAC)

[Jeff]

If I can make it to the court date I will always plead not guilty.  When you go there they will almost always reduce the charges even further - lower fine etc. and then send you on your way.

If you do choose to go before the judge chances are not in your favor.

jeff


---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Benjamin Kaupp <bkaupp at ugconnection.com>
Date:  Thu, 17 Oct 2002 11:05:04 -0700

>So... the last day I had my car before I went to college, I was pulling
>out of a stoplight and (apparently) I peeled out a little and
>accelerated rather rapidly. Now, I'm not denying anything, including my
>own stupidity, but I'm wondering a few things about the ticket I got...
>a) it was for exhibition of speed. Does anybody know the official CA
>definition for this?
>b) I was doing 50 when he pulled me over (according to the ticket)... E
>of S is a $540 min + poss jail + 2 points on license... Should I go
>fight it? Oh, and I have a point on my license, but I can get 4 in 1
>year.
>c) the cop said it wouldn't show up on my insurance, said he was doing
>me a favor by not getting me for speeding instead... But looking at
>other tickets, I think I may have wanted speeding...
>
>The gory details:
>came out of a light too fast, shift-shift-shift (i don't got no speedo,
>so I can't confirm the 50, but I think I was going faster) in a 25
>zone, no beep from the fuzzbuster, but he says he paced me (no, I
>didn't look in the mirror, yes, I am stupid), he wrote the ticket for
>23109(a) which is a race against another vehicle or a timer... Wrote in
>the wrong addy, too... I just got a thing yesterday saying my court
>date had been moved to the 19th of November and the violation had been
>changed to 23109(c) which states "no person shall engage in exhibition
>of speed on a highway." If anybody on the list lives in the Santa Cruz
>area, it was on upper Bay Street, where it's a 25 mph divided 4 lane.
>
>I'd appreciate any advice, BTDT, etc. on or off list depending on if
>you think others would benefit
>
>TIA, everybody
>-Ben Kaupp
>'87 4kcsq - feelin' neglected, but getting new rear Bilsteins and
>bushings soon
>
>