Court today! - Speed trap town near us.....

punkeemunkee'smom wrote: I have court today! I got a ticket for speeding on an exit ramp although the officer said I was going less than the speed limit when I reached the access road. I was not happy and told him I was coming off the highway and if I slowed down to 40 on the highway where it is 70 I was afraid to cause a wreck. I said I thought that the exit ramps were meant for you to slow down and he said yes but it is up to the officer's discretion and he felt I was using excessive speed- 58 - I said I was just going 70 2 blocks ago on the highway Anyway did not want to argue so I am going before the judge today to try and at least keep it off my record...It really stinks I love these shoes at the mall but I am probably gonna spend any fun money for this week on this ticket Keep your fingers crossed for me that I can at least keep it off my record and before anyone blasts me-Yes I do acknowledge that if the speed limit on the ramp is 40 then yes I was speeding,but so far in all the traffic laws I have looked at exit ramp speeds (yellow and black) are the suggested speed to slow you down for the access road.

I have a friend who works in this town (it is now the place of a big shopping center) and she says it is becoming a very common ticket.

luvmykids replied: Good luck, hope the judge is more reasonable than the cop was and you can get your shoes!

BAC'sMom replied: Good luck

JP&KJMOM replied: I remember the day you got it. Good luck today and maybe the will do defered so it says off your record. KUP!

punkeemunkee'smom replied:
That flippin *free* hampster!

redchief replied:
Plea it down to a non-points ticket. They'll usually allow that on the first offense. Of course you could always plead not guilty if you were on an exit ramp with a warning sign that says "ramp speed 40". If the sign is an orange-yellow square or diamond (not black and white), it is a suggested speed and not covered by law unless you commit another dangerous act while exceeding that suggested speed. Good luck!

Oh, yes... BTW, judges often do not like officer's discretion tickets.

C&K*s Mommie replied: What a jerk! I hope you succeed in fighting it from being on your record.

Hope you get those shoes that you want, too!

MommyToAshley replied: Good luck! I have gotten off with a warning from the judge and didn't have to pay the ticket but still had to pay court cost. I think you always have to pay the court cost, but I am not sure?

Let us know how it goes.

redchief replied:
If any guilt whatsoever is found, you pay court costs. A not guilty finding gets you out with only whatever time you've lost that day.

JP&KJMOM replied:
Eww I just re read my post. I think I should have proof read it. Maybe I should just go back to bed for the day.
Yes I was thinking of the *free hampster* and at the same time. Didn't Tay have to go to the bathroom really bad too during all that.

NikkiM replied: Good Luck!

Ashlynn's Mommy replied: Am I reading this right? They pulled you over on a ramp because you slowed down, so that you wouldn't cause an accident??

Kaitlin'smom replied: you know I dont think I have ever seen an exit ramp with a speed or suggested speed limit. I will be looking now. espically when we travil. Honestly never heard of it. I hope you dont have to pay for it, sounds a bit stupid when you were slowing down.

mammag replied: Good luck!!!! Hope it goes your way!

MommyToAshley replied:
Ahhh... that makes sense. And, guilty I was. I think the judge just felt bad for me because I was hurrying from class to work.


So... I hope you don't have to pay a dime!

AlexsPajamaMama replied: Good luck in court today!
Maybe just a reduction in your fine would be nice!

TheOaf66 replied: I think you have a strong case, I would try to get it either reduced or discarded

redchief replied:
Heheh... I could be wrong, but I kind of noticed... The guys all seem to want to fight the ticket, and the ladies would prefer it all just go away. Am I getting that about right?

ashtonsmama replied:


ARG.

punkeemunkee'smom replied: Well it did not go well! First of all let me say I was the 3rd person today with a similar ticket in the same place in town... Well the officer wrote all of our tickets at different points on the acess road (where he pulled us over respectively) anyway the access road is posted a 45 mph zone. So my friend and our attny had both said use that as a faulty ticket defense. The officer wrote the ticket for the (Ed you are right) suggested speed of the exit ramp but wrote it on the access road where the speed is actually posted 45...I know it gets

Anyway I had a picture of the sign and so did one of the other people but the prosicuter (you meet with him for any questions) told us they changed those signs recently and so the pics were void...I took mine the NEXT DAY!!! he said they must have changed the signs between those times...between 6:27 PM and 11 am?????? Yeah because they work that quickly-right?!? Anyway $172 dollars later I feel like crap! Bill works SOOOOO hard and this was just wasted $$$

Thanks for all the support though!

luvmykids replied:
How fast were you going on the access road? If you weren't speeding there, sounds like entrapment to me.

Sorry things didn't go your way today, that cop sounds like he's on a power trip.

punkeemunkee'smom replied: He says I was going 43 on when I got to the acess road BUT the officer is able to write tickets at his disgression IF he feels you were using an unsafe speed...15 miles an hour over is reckless driving(and I had a child in the vehicle) EVEN THOUGH I was coming off the highway where it is 70...we need a smilie exploding here!!!

I was going to go to jury trial BUT they said if I was found guilty I would be ascessed all fines that occur for that (about $800) Oh well lesson learned! I won't expound on what lesson

redchief replied: Sounds like a kangaroo court to me. Some municipal courts exist to pad the city's coffers. We have a town like that directly to the south of us.

luvbug00 replied:

JP&KJMOM replied: Aww Abbie I am so soory. I got my very fist ticket a couple of weeks ago for **per the ticket running a red light** but I know that the light was yellow and never turned red while I was in the intersection. Since that morning I have seen the same cop sitting in the exact same spot nearly EVERY morning on my way to work. $156 later I am still mad but yes lesson learned!

MommyToAshley replied: Oh man... I am so sorry. I agree with Ed... sounds like they just want to make a little cash.

TheOaf66 replied: sounds like a lose/lose situation so you are probably doing the right thing, sorry though

holley79 replied:
I was just thinking the same thing.