First time getting a ticket
 

so I got my first speeding ticket in my Z today :mad: Because its my first time, I dont know how much the ticket will cost me. I was going 75 on a 65 highway (yeah, I know this is such a bs way to get pulled over).

Can anyone tell me the approx. cost of the fine? thanks

go to the website on the back of your ticket, itll tell you the fines there

You'll also get a letter in the mail with the fines on them. It's gonna be some ridculously high fee but this is usually the maximum fine they can put on you for your violation. Going to court to plea will almost always reduce the amount.

(I got pulled over a while back for not coming to a complete stop before turning right on red. Initial fine was $560. I asked for traffic school and ended up only paying $320. Still pretty high but not as bad)

You are probably looking at something in the $80 to $120 range. The administration fee varies by county so give or take a little.

You really got pulled over for going 10 over on a 65 mph highway in Cali? That's crazy... I guess I'm lucky I didn't get pulled over for going 25-30 over just keeping up with the fast lane of traffic.

I'm surprised you didn't get a break. Cop must have been a hard *** or was simply jealous of a car he couldn't possibly afford on his crappy salary. Or you were a **** about it :P

I got nailed at 82 in a 70 here in Indiana and paid $116.
Of course that doesn't really tell you anything, but just a fun fact. :rolleyes:

Time for driving school...

dont worry, plenty of socal coppers can afford 370z's:tiphat:

expect the ticket to be about 300 bucks. im not a traffic cop (LAPD) so did chp hit you up? they have been giving other coppers tickets lately....they are ruthless!

edit- is 75k/yr for a 24 yr old really that crappy? i must live under a rock......

heck i'd be living good if i made 75k/yr, but prolly not so much if i was living in Cali though. everything there is expensive.

If you have the option of taking traffic school at least once (unlike 5 times per driver in the State of Florida), take up on it. Maybe the individual that pulled you over gave you a break in speed and lowered it in your favor.

If you go to court for it, he/she has the right to amend the ticket to reflect actual speed you were going at the time.

if it helps, 88 in a 70 is $345 in Southern Cali :shakes head:
I got pulled over in OC a few weeks ago for "75" in a 65 but it was an 'estimate'(no proof/radar). He had no chance...
:tiphat:

that is such a BS ticket. what a ****

usYou think that is ***, I was coming home form an install on sep 11th passed a cop on the side of the road. Two minutes later I get pulled over. He asks if I knew why I was pulled over. I was going 80 in a 65 but staying with traffic. He says that and changing lanes rapidly and have illegal covers on my tags. The same weather tech covers I have had for 5 years been through two inspections with them and been pulled over at least 5 times with them on. NEVER ONCE did anyone say anything about them. But wouldn't you know it, he gives me a ticket for that a 85 dollar ticket for covers that are legal. Meh cops are having fun now a days.

Depending were you live, not in Northern Virginia or DC.

You should fight the ticket and see if you can get it reduced. Plead not guilty. That's what I did a few years back, but i'm not sure how it works in Cali.

Boss just got a ticket and the cop told him it could be up to $500, though he was going 83 in a 65 as the radar tells it. Yours should be much smaller and you may want to try fighting it, no harm done in trying right?

-Scott

Showing up to an arraignment (where you plead guilty, not guilty, or traffic school) will almost always reduce the fine.
(This isn't taking the ticket to court. That happens if you plead not guilty).

The initial fine you get when you receive your ticket is the maximum applicable fine for whatever violation you commit. Some people decide to just pay and not show up to plea at all and that is the fee they end up paying. But if you do take the time to show up to make a plea, your fee will almost certainly be reduced no matter what action you decide to take.

If you do decide to take it to court (not guilty plea), sometimes, the police officer won't show up to court and in those cases, you win by default.
Bear in mind that if you do decide to take it to court, it'd be best to hire a lawyer. While possible to represent yourself, when it's your word against a cop's, the judge will always favor the officer's. Of course, hiring a lawyer means paying legal fees whether or not you get the ticket thrown out.


Btw, how did you get caught? radar? lidar? pace?

I got a ticket today too! 65 in a 55 "work zone" which was 8 miles long and they were working in a 1/4 mile stretch that I wasn't close to being in. Doubled my fine to $180, what a crock of sh*t. I haven't had a ticket since 1995! Not sure that I can take driving school since I was in a work zone. I have to call the court tomorrow.

The funny thing was the cop was going the other way with traffic slammed on his brakes, busted a U since there were no places to turn around and sped up to catch me in the brazen act of 10mph over the limit. Stupid azz clown.

I'd be interested in hearing how he clocked you going 65 while he was busy driving the other way.

Cops have quotas, whether it's official or not (it's not legal to, however) and sometimes they are focused in just filling the numbers.

I was pulled over and given a ticket for reckless driving and "driving at an unsafe speed" a few years back when I had to avoid a car that pulled out in front me, swerving into the other lane and then having to swerve back to avoid another car. I was polite, explained what happened, he still wrote the ticket.

I pled not guilty. I showed up to court in a suit and tie, with a briefcase and the works...judge instantly dismissed it.

Just found this gem on the website.

They do it all the time, even across divided highways, which this was not. The whole work zone thing is a complete scam.

I don't what the laws are like in OR, but I'd think about fighting it. Make him prove you were actually going that speed and you could possibly get it reduced.

When you get a ticket for going a certain speed, the cop has to be able to prove you were going that speed, not just a subjective judgment.

I think.

Edit: Nevermind. Saw the disclaimer you posted. That sucks.

Yeah and I'd have to take time off of work and spend half of my day down there, not really worth the $180. We don't get points on our licenses here, and I doubt one ticket will up my insurance rates.