Traffic Citation Help

#26
#26
GreyWolf1129 said:
That's an ambulance chaser tactic. Some places do it (Jacksonville, FL for instance), and some don't. It's usually the refuge of a hungry, or not very good, attorney. They pull the dockets for pending court dates, and reach out to people who have yet to adjudicate their case. Popular move for pending DUI's and other serious traffic offenses (chargeable accidents, etc). I wouldn't count on it in this case.
Click to expand...

I received letters from at least 5 different attorneys wanting me to hire him/her and fight the ticket.......which I did not do. I felt I was lucky in that I was clocked at 88 by the Trooper, but he reduced my speed to 77 which made my ticket around $175.00. The Trooper said at 88, he was supposed to "take me in" due to reckless driving, endangerment, etc., so I was happy to just pay a ticket.
 
#27
#27
MR_VOL said:
I received letters from at least 5 different attorneys wanting me to hire him/her and fight the ticket.......which I did not do. I felt I was lucky in that I was clocked at 88 by the Trooper, but he reduced my speed to 77 which made my ticket around $175.00. The Trooper said at 88, he was supposed to "take me in" due to reckless driving, endangerment, etc., so I was happy to just pay a ticket.
Click to expand...

88 in a what, 70?

Not claiming the moral high ground here, but just want to show you how different, different agencies can be.

My S.O. covers roughly 27 miles of I-95. The speed limit is 70. We are not revenue driven. We do write a lot of tickets, but most of us "draw the line" at 85, which is 15 over. Georgia is a Super-Speeder state, but the way the law is written is good intentions gone bad. Here, you're automatically a super-speeder (add $200 to the normal fine) at 85 (or lower, depending on the prima-facie speed limit). None of us like it. So we normally lower the checked speed.

The normal "pace" through here (flat and straight) is around 80, so I rarely look at anything below 85. Up to 90, I generally drop you to 81, which is the most I can do. 90 and above, you get what you get; no way you didn't know you were speeding.

GA troopers generally follow the same unwritten rules, but not all local agencies subscribe.

None of the local attorneys like to face a speeding citation here, as they know our policy. They'll cash the check if they get hired, but what they won't tell you is that they almost never prevail. RADAR / LIDAR certs and equipment records are current and maintained. We do it right here.

This far south, we have heard about Virginia, and especially Virginia troopers. Their world is apparently black and white. In some areas, Florida is the same. Just never sat well with me. Spare me the lecture on "illegal is illegal". You ever been passed by a trooper / deputy / police officer running 10 over, and not running code? Yeah, I thought so. Minus lights and siren, LEO's are not exempt from the MV code. Nationwide.

I've been known to drive 80 on the "I" on my way to work, or the grocery store, or on vacation. Hard for me to make a case against someone doing what I do on a regular basis.

So...if it was 88/70, legit stop. Nice of him/her to drop it to 77. Obviously saved you some money, but before you name your next cat after that cop, the true motivation was probably just to avoid having to appear in court. FWIW, I haven't had a contested speeding citation in almost 2 years. Why? Already told you: below 90 I lower to 81, and who in their right mind will walk into a courtroom with a 94/70 coupon and try to argue it?

Yeah, you were lucky, but the jails are not full of miscreants who got checked at 18 over. There was some gamesmanship there, IMO.

I don't mind telling you the truth, because everything I do is on camera. I have nothing to hide.

Be safe out there.
 
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#28
#28
GreyWolf1129 said:
88 in a what, 70?

Not claiming the moral high ground here, but just want to show you how different, different agencies can be.

My S.O. covers roughly 27 miles of I-95. The speed limit is 70. We are not revenue driven. We do write a lot of tickets, but most of us "draw the line" at 85, which is 15 over. Georgia is a Super-Speeder state, but the way the law is written is good intentions gone bad. Here, you're automatically a super-speeder (add $200 to the normal fine) at 85 (or lower, depending on the prima-facie speed limit). None of us like it. So we normally lower the checked speed.

The normal "pace" through here (flat and straight) is around 80, so I rarely look at anything below 85. Up to 90, I generally drop you to 81, which is the most I can do. 90 and above, you get what you get; no way you didn't know you were speeding.

GA troopers generally follow the same unwritten rules, but not all local agencies subscribe.

None of the local attorneys like to face a speeding citation here, as they know our policy. They'll cash the check if they get hired, but what they won't tell you is that they almost never prevail. RADAR / LIDAR certs and equipment records are current and maintained. We do it right here.

This far south, we have heard about Virginia, and especially Virginia troopers. Their world is apparently black and white. In some areas, Florida is the same. Just never sat well with me. Spare me the lecture on "illegal is illegal". You ever been passed by a trooper / deputy / police officer running 10 over, and not running code? Yeah, I thought so. Minus lights and siren, LEO's are not exempt from the MV code. Nationwide.

I've been known to drive 80 on the "I" on my way to work, or the grocery store, or on vacation. Hard for me to make a case against someone doing what I do on a regular basis.

So...if it was 88/70, legit stop. Nice of him/her to drop it to 77. Obviously saved you some money, but before you name your next cat after that cop, the true motivation was probably just to avoid having to appear in court. FWIW, I haven't had a contested speeding citation in almost 2 years. Why? Already told you: below 90 I lower to 81, and who in their right mind will walk into a courtroom with a 94/70 coupon and try to argue it?

Yeah, you were lucky, but the jails are not full of miscreants who got checked at 18 over. There was some gamesmanship there, IMO.

I don't mind telling you the truth, because everything I do is on camera. I have nothing to hide.

Be safe out there.
Click to expand...

Thanks, good information to know as I travel a great deal.

I was on I-81 traveling South bound near Witheville, Va when I was stopped. The Trooper was a very nice man of few words. I completely agree in that there is no way I'm going to contest a speeding ticket at 77 when according to the Trooper I was doing 88. To be honest, I think he was just "estimating" (guessing) my speed as I was probably running at least 90 if not faster.

Evidently, Virginia is a state where each Trooper must write a minimum number of tickets each day as I see a lot of Trooper (and LLE) activity on I-81.

Believe it or not, Atlanta is probably my favorite place to drive simply due to the speed. I like the way the people move on regardless of traveling on a city street or interstate. It's hard to adjust (slow down) after driving there.
 
#29
#29
GreyWolf1129 said:
88 in a what, 70?

Not claiming the moral high ground here, but just want to show you how different, different agencies can be.

My S.O. covers roughly 27 miles of I-95. The speed limit is 70. We are not revenue driven. We do write a lot of tickets, but most of us "draw the line" at 85, which is 15 over. Georgia is a Super-Speeder state, but the way the law is written is good intentions gone bad. Here, you're automatically a super-speeder (add $200 to the normal fine) at 85 (or lower, depending on the prima-facie speed limit). None of us like it. So we normally lower the checked speed.

The normal "pace" through here (flat and straight) is around 80, so I rarely look at anything below 85. Up to 90, I generally drop you to 81, which is the most I can do. 90 and above, you get what you get; no way you didn't know you were speeding.

GA troopers generally follow the same unwritten rules, but not all local agencies subscribe.

None of the local attorneys like to face a speeding citation here, as they know our policy. They'll cash the check if they get hired, but what they won't tell you is that they almost never prevail. RADAR / LIDAR certs and equipment records are current and maintained. We do it right here.

This far south, we have heard about Virginia, and especially Virginia troopers. Their world is apparently black and white. In some areas, Florida is the same. Just never sat well with me. Spare me the lecture on "illegal is illegal". You ever been passed by a trooper / deputy / police officer running 10 over, and not running code? Yeah, I thought so. Minus lights and siren, LEO's are not exempt from the MV code. Nationwide.

I've been known to drive 80 on the "I" on my way to work, or the grocery store, or on vacation. Hard for me to make a case against someone doing what I do on a regular basis.

So...if it was 88/70, legit stop. Nice of him/her to drop it to 77. Obviously saved you some money, but before you name your next cat after that cop, the true motivation was probably just to avoid having to appear in court. FWIW, I haven't had a contested speeding citation in almost 2 years. Why? Already told you: below 90 I lower to 81, and who in their right mind will walk into a courtroom with a 94/70 coupon and try to argue it?

Yeah, you were lucky, but the jails are not full of miscreants who got checked at 18 over. There was some gamesmanship there, IMO.

I don't mind telling you the truth, because everything I do is on camera. I have nothing to hide.

Be safe out there.
Click to expand...

So you’re one of the ones I see in the middle on my way to. Brunswick....... are you one of those that drive opposite traffic on the shoulder? There’s a few I’ve seen, usually around Darien.....
 
#30
#30
Asking Wolf if outta State tags are treated differently? You always here about troopers liking out of state money.
 
#31
#31
alaVOL said:
Asking Wolf if outta State tags are treated differently? You always here about troopers liking out of state money.
Click to expand...

A car full of younger people with out of state tags have a higher chance of bringing their weed along with them. Easy money.
 
#32
#32
tumscalcium said:
So you’re one of the ones I see in the middle on my way to. Brunswick....... are you one of those that drive opposite traffic on the shoulder? There’s a few I’ve seen, usually around Darien.....
Click to expand...

Nope, I'm south of Darien (McIntosh County), and Brunswick (Glynn County). And I'm only part-time now, so you'll only see me out there about one weekend a month, or sometimes over the holidays to give one of the young bucks some time with their family.


I (we) will run the shoulder against traffic for emergencies only (accidents), because in some areas you have to drive 5 or 6 miles past the scene to find a place to flip around. Darien is...well, it's just Darien. If you know the area, then you know the only reason they annexed that section of I-95 is so they could run traffic up there ($).


MRVOL: Please don't let me cost you money by assuming that what we do here is what they do everywhere. Many, many years ago, I got a ticket from a MD trooper for passing her on the interstate. The speed limit then was 55, and she was in the center lane going exactly 55. Me being from the south, I just eased past her at maybe 60-62, and got a ticket for my scofflawish behavior. Some agencies will gig you as low as 5 over, so know the policy for your state / area.


alaVol and K-Town: I won't try to convince you that out-of-state (or more accurately, in-state) tags are not treated differently. It depends on the agency, but what with Sheriff's in Georgia being elected officials, lighting up the locals is a good way to be a one-term Sheriff. I'll just leave it at that. What I will tell you is that I try to look at the driving behavior, and not the tag. My warning / citation ratio is right around 50/50. Remember, "enforcement" is the third leg of the traffic safety triangle, and should be the last option. My wife, neighbors, and friends drive those same roads, so if you're driving like an idiot, expect me to get your autograph. Likewise, if you were going 87, you're 10 hours into a 12 hour drive, the kids are restless, and the dog has puked in the back seat, I'm probably going to write the warning, or lower your speed to 11 over at the most. You've already had a bad day. I don't want to be the a**hole you remember for the next 10 years.


And as for the "car full of young people with out-of-state tags"...during Spring Break, any NASCAR event at Daytona, or any of the biker events in Florida, you can throw a tennis ball and hit a vehicle with weed in it. Seriously, it's like fishing with dynamite. I don't dig for it, but if you're honest with me, I've been known to let you dump a small bag of traveling herb. If it's over an ounce, well...not much I can do about that.


There 'ya go. Told you too much already. Keep safe, and get where you're going. An hour late is better than not at all.
 
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#33
#33
GreyWolf1129 said:
Nope, I'm south of Darien (McIntosh County), and Brunswick (Glynn County). And I'm only part-time now, so you'll only see me out there about one weekend a month, or sometimes over the holidays to give one of the young bucks some time with their family.


I (we) will run the shoulder against traffic for emergencies only (accidents), because in some areas you have to drive 5 or 6 miles past the scene to find a place to flip around. Darien is...well, it's just Darien. If you know the area, then you know the only reason they annexed that section of I-95 is so they could run traffic up there ($).


MRVOL: Please don't let me cost you money by assuming that what we do here is what they do everywhere. Many, many years ago, I got a ticket from a MD trooper for passing her on the interstate. The speed limit then was 55, and she was in the center lane going exactly 55. Me being from the south, I just eased past her at maybe 60-62, and got a ticket for my scofflawish behavior. Some agencies will gig you as low as 5 over, so know the policy for your state / area.


alaVol and K-Town: I won't try to convince you that out-of-state (or more accurately, in-state) tags are not treated differently. It depends on the agency, but what with Sheriff's in Georgia being elected officials, lighting up the locals is a good way to be a one-term Sheriff. I'll just leave it at that. What I will tell you is that I try to look at the driving behavior, and not the tag. My warning / citation ratio is right around 50/50. Remember, "enforcement" is the third leg of the traffic safety triangle, and should be the last option. My wife, neighbors, and friends drive those same roads, so if you're driving like an idiot, expect me to get your autograph. Likewise, if you were going 87, you're 10 hours into a 12 hour drive, the kids are restless, and the dog has puked in the back seat, I'm probably going to write the warning, or lower your speed to 11 over at the most. You've already had a bad day. I don't want to be the a**hole you remember for the next 10 years.


And as for the "car full of young people with out-of-state tags"...during Spring Break, any NASCAR event at Daytona, or any of the biker events in Florida, you can throw a tennis ball and hit a vehicle with weed in it. Seriously, it's like fishing with dynamite. I don't dig for it, but if you're honest with me, I've been known to let you dump a small bag of traveling herb. If it's over an ounce, well...not much I can do about that.


There 'ya go. Told you too much already. Keep safe, and get where you're going. An hour late is better than not at all.
Click to expand...

I don’t know why, but for some reason I thought you were in Kansas and a fed. (Maybe retired)

You do have a vette though, correct?
 
#34
#34
Obsessed said:
I don’t know why, but for some reason I thought you were in Kansas and a fed. (Maybe retired)

You do have a vette though, correct?
Click to expand...

Must be thinking of someone else. I'm retired military (Navy - Subs); semi-retired LEO (~24 yrs w/3 different agencies); got a cool Fed gig now as an instructor (Marine); never been to Kansas; and own a Nissan Frontier 4X4.


Boy, wouldn't I love to have one of those ZR's, though...


Go Vols.
 
#35
#35
GreyWolf1129 said:
Nope, I'm south of Darien (McIntosh County), and Brunswick (Glynn County). And I'm only part-time now, so you'll only see me out there about one weekend a month, or sometimes over the holidays to give one of the young bucks some time with their family.


I (we) will run the shoulder against traffic for emergencies only (accidents), because in some areas you have to drive 5 or 6 miles past the scene to find a place to flip around. Darien is...well, it's just Darien. If you know the area, then you know the only reason they annexed that section of I-95 is so they could run traffic up there ($).


MRVOL: Please don't let me cost you money by assuming that what we do here is what they do everywhere. Many, many years ago, I got a ticket from a MD trooper for passing her on the interstate. The speed limit then was 55, and she was in the center lane going exactly 55. Me being from the south, I just eased past her at maybe 60-62, and got a ticket for my scofflawish behavior. Some agencies will gig you as low as 5 over, so know the policy for your state / area.


alaVol and K-Town: I won't try to convince you that out-of-state (or more accurately, in-state) tags are not treated differently. It depends on the agency, but what with Sheriff's in Georgia being elected officials, lighting up the locals is a good way to be a one-term Sheriff. I'll just leave it at that. What I will tell you is that I try to look at the driving behavior, and not the tag. My warning / citation ratio is right around 50/50. Remember, "enforcement" is the third leg of the traffic safety triangle, and should be the last option. My wife, neighbors, and friends drive those same roads, so if you're driving like an idiot, expect me to get your autograph. Likewise, if you were going 87, you're 10 hours into a 12 hour drive, the kids are restless, and the dog has puked in the back seat, I'm probably going to write the warning, or lower your speed to 11 over at the most. You've already had a bad day. I don't want to be the a**hole you remember for the next 10 years.


And as for the "car full of young people with out-of-state tags"...during Spring Break, any NASCAR event at Daytona, or any of the biker events in Florida, you can throw a tennis ball and hit a vehicle with weed in it. Seriously, it's like fishing with dynamite. I don't dig for it, but if you're honest with me, I've been known to let you dump a small bag of traveling herb. If it's over an ounce, well...not much I can do about that.


There 'ya go. Told you too much already. Keep safe, and get where you're going. An hour late is better than not at all.
Click to expand...

All is good. I try my best to be alert and cautious while driving as I understand each state is different in traffic law enforcement. I have 2 Tennessee Trooper friends who's magic numbers are 77 and 78 respectively, so I know a lot of the enforcement is simply based on the LEO making the stop. Also, like you, both puts much emphasis on the manner in which the person is driving.
 
#36
#36
MR_VOL said:
All is good. I try my best to be alert and cautious while driving as I understand each state is different in traffic law enforcement. I have 2 Tennessee Trooper friends who's magic numbers are 77 and 78 respectively, so I know a lot of the enforcement is simply based on the LEO making the stop. Also, like you, both puts much emphasis on the manner in which the person is driving.
Click to expand...

Love those THP cars. Beautiful graphics. I have a model above my desk, and a THP hat and t-shirt I got from one of the troopers who came through one of our schools a couple of years back.


Sometimes we're our own worst enemy, but there are a lot of good cops out there. Sounds like you know a couple of them.


Hope I helped.
 
#37
#37
GreyWolf1129 said:
Must be thinking of someone else. I'm retired military (Navy - Subs); semi-retired LEO (~24 yrs w/3 different agencies); got a cool Fed gig now as an instructor (Marine); never been to Kansas; and own a Nissan Frontier 4X4.


Boy, wouldn't I love to have one of those ZR's, though...





Go Vols.
Click to expand...

My apologies.
The ZR’s are a beast.
 
#38
#38
Obsessed said:
My apologies.
The ZR’s are a beast.
Click to expand...

Hottest thing I've ever driven was a track-rated Charger SRT down at Daytona a few years back when we were invited down by Dodge to test a pursuit-rated Durango they were thinking of selling to the LE market. We drove on the interior (road) course, but they had a couple of SRT's they were running up on the tri-oval. There were some guys from the Richard Petty Driving Experience there, and they let us take a few laps up on the big track. They put a car in front of you, and tell you "follow me, and drive the line I drive"; you're on the radio with the lead driver the whole time. They will go as fast as you can go.


Took me four laps, but I got up to 157. Had no idea how strong the g-forces were on that banking, and at those speeds. I grinned for a week after that.


Honestly, I don't see how the Vette, Porsche, Ferrari-Lambo, and crotch-rocket crowd do it. While I routinely run 100+ in an LE Tahoe or Charger (depending on what I can borrow), things start to get blurry around 130, and sometimes I wonder how I made it this far.


Old age, I guess. Reminds me of the young bull / old bull joke.
 
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#39
#39
So she tried calling those numbers:

"No luck. I did get a number for ticket accountability in Nashville. But she said usually she could look it up. But they are changing their system over and cannot. She said just wait til I get a letter in the mail saying I haven’t paid my ticket. I said: So could I call back next week? And she said no they are entering them all in by hand it will be a couple months."

SMH

I guess I may try my contact at the local sheriff's office
 
#40
#40
kiddiedoc said:
So she tried calling those numbers:

"No luck. I did get a number for ticket accountability in Nashville. But she said usually she could look it up. But they are changing their system over and cannot. She said just wait til I get a letter in the mail saying I haven’t paid my ticket. I said: So could I call back next week? And she said no they are entering them all in by hand it will be a couple months."

SMH

I guess I may try my contact at the local sheriff's office
Click to expand...


Have her try this:


Lost Traffic Tickets in Tennessee | DMV.org


Note that this is a private website, not a government one. Not sure if it will work or not.


Otherwise, yeah, might just have to wait for the letter from the state. But if she could maybe remember "about" where the stop occurred, call that THP post. They should have a copy of the citation.


Again, good luck.
 
#41
#41
GreyWolf1129 said:
Love those THP cars. Beautiful graphics. I have a model above my desk, and a THP hat and t-shirt I got from one of the troopers who came through one of our schools a couple of years back.


Sometimes we're our own worst enemy, but there are a lot of good cops out there. Sounds like you know a couple of them.


Hope I helped.
Click to expand...

Yelp, those THP vehicles are beautiful when traveling in the opposite direction I'm going.......

Both friends are good guys and seem to be reasonable. The son of one is also a Trooper and is on some kind of list (as a substitute) to "protect" the head football coach at UT.......he got to protect Butch twice.

What is your position on:

(1) driver's who ride in the far left lane that create a bumper to bumper jam (and will not move out of the way)

(2) when 2, 3, 4 vehicles all travel the same speed creating a bumper to bumper jam

(3) semi-trucks traveling side by side creating a bumper to bumper jam

(4) have you ever stopped anyone for traveling to slow
 
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#42
#42
I just had to pay a freaking ticket today. Ugh. $300. Also did online traffic school to keep it off my record. Total damage $350
 
#43
#43
SDV said:
I just had to pay a freaking ticket today. Ugh. $300. Also did online traffic school to keep it off my record. Total damage $350
Click to expand...

I have never heard of online traffic school. How does it keep a ticket off your record? Is this a government [State of Tennessee] course? Was it a speeding ticket?
 
#44
#44
MR_VOL said:
I have never heard of online traffic school. How does it keep a ticket off your record? Is this a government [State of Tennessee] course? Was it a speeding ticket?
Click to expand...

California. It was a moving violation for ignoring a posted sign. If you complete traffic school, the citation is dismissed and no points against DMV driving record
 
#47
#47
MR_VOL said:
Yelp, those THP vehicles are beautiful when traveling in the opposite direction I'm going.......

Both friends are good guys and seem to be reasonable. The son of one is also a Trooper and is on some kind of list (as a substitute) to "protect" the head football coach at UT.......he got to protect Butch twice.

...
Click to expand...


Got to or had to?
 
#48
#48
pismonque said:
I've done that one before. It was actually kind of lame, and very much just part of a cottage industry which makes you cynical wondering how that particular legislation originated. But it beats the hell out of eating the points.
Click to expand...

I didn’t read a single thing. Took 5 quizzes and a final exam in about 10 mins. Lol
 
#50
#50
MR_VOL said:
Yelp, those THP vehicles are beautiful when traveling in the opposite direction I'm going.......

Both friends are good guys and seem to be reasonable. The son of one is also a Trooper and is on some kind of list (as a substitute) to "protect" the head football coach at UT.......he got to protect Butch twice.

What is your position on:

(1) driver's who ride in the far left lane that create a bumper to bumper jam (and will not move out of the way)

(2) when 2, 3, 4 vehicles all travel the same speed creating a bumper to bumper jam

(3) semi-trucks traveling side by side creating a bumper to bumper jam

(4) have you ever stopped anyone for traveling to slow
Click to expand...

#1 and #2 always make me suspect cruise control addicts. Set it on 69 or 74 and just roll along, including driving up someone’s rear before disengaging.

Be a left lane bandit at 55 because by golly, the law is the law, no matter your effect on anyone else. effect on traffic.

A truck that pulls into the left lane to pass another and whoops, suddenly there’s a slight uphill gradient and he can’t pass, but he won’t drop back to the right.

gah
 
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