If I got pulled over by a cop for speeding 55 in a 35, yet he did not put reckless driving on the ticket should I go to court or just pay the fine?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If I got pulled over by a cop for speeding 55 in a 35, yet he did not put reckless driving on the ticket should I go to court or just pay the fine?
I have a clean driving record prior to the ticket. I am on the fence about going to court or just paying the fine. He did not say anything about a radar detector of any kind, so there isn’t really a way to prove that he caught me doing 55 in a 35. I am also taking a driver’s improvement course on my own terms.
Asked on January 19, 2015 under Criminal Law, Virginia
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 9 years ago | Contributor
1) You will lose if you try to contest the charge--the court will, in 99%+ of cases, believe the officer's testimony over yours.
2) However, you may be able to get a lesser charge and punishment (e.g. fine) if you have a clean record otherwise, can show that you are or are willing to take a driver's course, and show contrition (i.e. that you're sorry and have learned your lesson). Therefore, it may be worthwhile to go to court to meet (conference with) the prosecutor and see if, for example, he'd knock the charge down to, say, 10 miles over the speed limit.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.