Re: Speeding Ticket: Any hope?

["Sherry & Chuck Clark" <clark@rmi.net>]

Hey Tom, 

         Sorry to hear about the bad luck. All I can suggesst  is to 
show up in court and like another Q-lister suggested-ask about his 
certification to operate the radar gun. Here in Colorado, just by 
showing up in court, they reduce the fine and drop it by one point if 
it's a four pointer. Drop it two points if it's a 6 pointer. I've 
only had 7 speeding tickets by the old age of 26 so I know exactly 
how to plea bargain these things. I always show up in court on the 
day of the hearing and plead not guilty. Then they send you to the 
District  Attorney so that you can plead your case. I ALWAYS ask for 
a deferred sentence.  The time frame varies depending on how many MPH 
over the posted speed limit you were doing. Usually 6 months to a 
year is the maximum amount of time you'll have to drive like your 
grandmother and if you haven't had any traffic violations in this 
time frame, they'll wipe it off your record. Bottom line- only two of 
the seven speeding tickets have ever been recorded on my driving 
record. License wise I'm fine-plenty of points left. Insurance wise, 
most of the time they will not check your driving record unless there 
is a reason too-I.E. an accident or worse. So I guess I'm rather 
lucky with reasonable rates considering what I've been through.

 Sorry this was so long. Hope it gives you some ideas if Mass. law is 
anything like Colorado's. Also,  the officer got you with 
instant-on(no warning from detector cuz the cop flipped the gun on 
while passing you-happens all the time here) So no radar/laser 
detector can prevent this from happening. 
      
                                       Chad Clark