How To Beat A Speeding Ticket

Here's How It All Went Down...

While driving between Indiana and Ohio over the Thanksgiving holiday, I was napping in the car while Jim was driving (fast). Quite honestly, he had fully intended to keep it at "9-mph-over-the-speed-limit" for our entire trip.

(Mostly because of all those speeding tickets piling up so quickly ...AND the warning letter from the State of Tennessee's Dept. of Safety informing him that his license was in danger of being revoked should he incur any more "points" on his license).

In all fairness, Jim does drive all across the country for a living (in excess of 30,000 miles last year alone!), so his odds of:
a) going over the speed limit; and
b) being caught for it

...are significantly greater than most people's. It's just a shame that his perfect driving record caught up with him this year.

So, on a 2-lane old highway in Ohio, he had just passed a truck that was going the 55 mph speed limit. Seconds after that, the cops nailed him at 75.

How Jim "Plea-Bargained" His Way Out Of A Traffic Ticket

I won't go into the specifics of his "defense" here, but trust me when I say that there WERE some legit questions about the whole situation -- beyond the mere fact of how fast he was or was not going.

Not wanting to add another "point" to his record (...let alone 4 in this case!), Jim sent a letter to the Ohio court, pleading "not guilty," and in effect plea-bargaining for the lowest fine and fewest points possible.

He did a great job of making his point without coming across as belligerent or a know-it-all. He offered several reasons that he believed the police officers using the radar guns might have been in error. AND he asked for all sorts of documentation should his "plea-bargain" be rejected and he be required to go to Ohio for court.

I thought this was one of the funniest lines from his letter:

"I have pictures. My wife took them... she thought it was comical that I'd gotten a speeding ticket."

The day the "officials" received Jim's letter, they phoned him. It was a conference call with the magistrate and the clerk of the court, and together they asked Jim exactly what he would be satisfied with in this situation (...fewer points? court costs vs traffic fine? lower the radared speed?)

He immediately phoned the Tennessee Dept. of Safety and inquired about the technicalities of "points" and such. In the end, he walked away with a simple fine, a lowered speed, and only 1 point.

Looks like he's safe for another few months of driving -- at which point some of those earlier points will drop off.

I just thought some might be interested what worked for Jim. You might consider utilizing the appeal process in whatever state YOUR ticket was issued in.

For the record, he had done a fair amount of research on the Internet before typing his appeal letter to the court. He was simply exploring his rights, possible scenarios and outcomes.

---> Your Best Defense At Fighting A Speeding Ticket <---

Do Cops Write More Tickets On Holidays?

For the record, I got pulled over on Thanksgiving morning several years ago -- on my way from Orlando to Tampa to celebrate the holiday with my relatives. Check out the time I got my OWN Thanksgiving Day ticket...

Thanksgiving truly IS the a time for giving (...TICKETS!)

Are Traffic Tickets A Money-Making Scam?

Check out John Stossel's stories about bad cop behavior in Warren Michigan and cops writing tickets for bonus pay.

From the report:

• As one judge explained to a woman who insisted she had come to a full stop, "Both statements cannot be true. I find Officer Kanapsky's testimony to be credible. He is an unbiased witness." Is Kanapsky really unbiased? The more tickets he wrote, the more overtime he got.
• Rolling through a stop sign in Michigan puts two points on your driving record. That hikes your car insurance premium. Fighting the ticket could cost even more. So to avoid the points and legal fees, most people plead guilty to a lesser offense: impeding traffic. The court sounds like an assembly line, " ... no points ... $135 ... "

Here's the video... Traffic Court: Moneymaking Scam or Moving Violation?


RELATED:

• Dumb Laws, Criminals, Warnings & Facts


• Parking Tickets Paid For Christians


• National Motorists Association: Breaking News From All States


• "Mr. Bumper Sticker Writer" Lyrics, Audio & Other Car Humor


• Will Your Insurer Find Out About Your Ticket?


• How To Spot Unmarked Cars On The Highways


• Police Warning: "Do Not Park On Street"


• Slightly Overpaying A Speeding Ticket Will Keep Points Off Your License?


• How To Avoid A Traffic Ticket