[MrSlacker]

I got my very first speeding ticket today. I got written up for 60 in 45. Because I was in New York State, I am facing 4 points on my license which absolutely blows.What can I do not to get the points on my license? Is hiring a lawyer my best bet? I live in NYC and this happened in Catskills... 140 miles away.



Any help is appreciated.

 

[immtbiker]

It used to be, if you got a ticket in another state that wasn't in NY's computer system, if you paid it in the appropriate timeframe, it wouldn't go on your license (only NY, NJ, FL, CT all talked to each other in the 80's/90's), but not so anymore.
That and you are still in NY State even if you are in Western NY which can be up to 450 miles away.
The best that you can do, is pay $100 and take a 9 hour defensive driver course and knock some of the points off of your license.

Otherwise, your 4 points will fall off in 18 months. If you get 2 more points (for a total of 6) they tack on a $300 surcharge onto your already existing pain, and if you get another ticket, they will suspend your license for 90 days, except for work or school.

A lawyer won't help if they used a handheld radar detector. They got pics of you in the act and have to state that the radar was calibrated B4 nailing you, so lawyers can't beat the ticket like they used to be able to do.

 

[MrSlacker]

Yeah I know that it doesn't matter where in NY I am, I still get points. Funny thing is I always take Route 17 to I-87 so I can go through NJ as much as I can so if anything I don't get points.

What happened was I was driving and cop was going the opposite way. He did a U-Turn and busted me. I don't own a car and not on my parent's insurance because I have a different address, but I still do not want to have points for some BS.

 

[wuwhere]

Is their a ticket clinic in NY? If there is try them.

 

[Endzone]

Man NY is brutal on that. In Dallas, Texas (where I lived for almost 3 decades) you just pay a ticket lawyer $40 to defend it. Then, about a year later the lawyer tells you that you must pay courts costs and you get probation for one to six months and that is the end of it.

 

[krmathis]

Well, you obviously were speeding and hence asked for it...
Why not just suck up the ticket and the 4 points?

I know it sucks, as I have been caught myself.

 

[olblueyez]

Pay the ticket, take a driving class to have some points removed from your license. Or, take the driving class before you go to court, if you haven't then your wasting your time going to court.

 

[Cinders]

I got a speeding ticket once, 84 in a 70. >_>

Anyways all I did was pay the fine, and take an online course which took barely any time at all and was extremely easy, then I printed out a certificate, mailed it to the clerk of courts and that was that.

 

[BlindTiger]

What township got you?
Ashokan has one or two cruisers that gives a lot of tickets.
they're really strict on the speed limit. must be a big revenue generator.
I'm assuming it's a township because the limit was 45mph.

 

[Dzjudz]

Why hire a lawyer? You were driving too fast, they caught you doing it. Pay the fine and don't do it again. Simple enough. It's not like because it happened 140 miles away from where you live that it doesn't count.

 

[meat01]

Can you go to traffic school and have the points removed? I have no idea how the laws in New York are. I have gotten a few tickets in AZ. I have taken school, gone to court and just paid the fine.

When I went to court, I did not hire a lawyer, but they had a public defender there and my fine was reduced. Points still went on my record.

Insurance companies do not always check your traffic record every 6 months or every year when you renew. I have had points on my license and my insurance never went up. In AZ, the points go off your record after 3 years. Of course if you want to switch insurance companies, you will need a clean record to get a good rate.

If you were speeding, I would face the consequences.

 

[immtbiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wuwhere /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is their a ticket clinic in NY? If there is try them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by olblueyez /img/forum/go_quote.gif Pay the ticket, take a driving class to have some points removed from your license. Or, take the driving class before you go to court, if you haven't then your wasting your time going to court.

Quote:

Originally Posted by meat01 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can you go to traffic school and have the points removed? I have no idea how the laws in New York are.

Isn't that what I said?

Quote:

Originally Posted by immtbiker /img/forum/go_quote.gif The best that you can do, is pay $100 and take a 9 hour defensive driver course and knock some of the points off of your license.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by olblueyez /img/forum/go_quote.gif Or, take the driving class before you go to court, if you haven't then your wasting your time going to court.

This wouldn't work. If he takes the course before the points get applied to his license then it wouldn't knock them down.

 

[immtbiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSlacker /img/forum/go_quote.gif ... but I still do not want to have points for some BS.

Gotta pay the fine, if you did the crime

It's not BS, you didn't "Respect his au-thor-i-ty"

Mr. Slacker, my longtime Head-Fi friend, what's really B.S. is when you get a ticket and points for something, when you really didn't do wrong and they are beefing up their quota. That's BS.
I was driving down a tight street in Brooklyn (your turf) and I slowly passed a cop who had someone pulled over and the cop had his lights on. He jumped out in front of my car and told me to pull over.
He gave me a ticket for "Failing to Yield to an Emergency Vehicle with it's lights on".
I asked, "What was I supposed to do, wait until every cop finishes writing a ticket for someone in NYC", and he responded, "Yes", with a sh-t eating grin on his face. That's BS!

Take the good with the bad. Think of all the times that you speed and don't get caught. You'll have to cross your "T's and dot your I's" for 18 months.

 

[MD1032]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrSlacker /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah I know that it doesn't matter where in NY I am, I still get points. Funny thing is I always take Route 17 to I-87 so I can go through NJ as much as I can so if anything I don't get points. What happened was I was driving and cop was going the opposite way. He did a U-Turn and busted me. I don't own a car and not on my parent's insurance because I have a different address, but I still do not want to have points for some BS.

That doesn't sound right. Was the cop operating his radar while driving? How do those things even work? Can it really get an accurate reading on a car going in the opposite direction while the cop was moving?

 

[immtbiker]

He can't tag him for speeding in the opposite direction, (if 2 trains leave their stations in NY and Albany, traveling towards each other at 60 mph...), however, he could nail him while following him if Mr. Slacker was still above the speed limit while the cop was trailing him.

Unless he was on the other side, sitting still, with his radar gun facing either side of the highway.
Either way, a day spent in court will still yield a ticket because these traffic court judges hear moaning 24/7 and always side with the cop. So now you lose a day and still have to pay the fine.

You can always do the "overpay" trick. Overpay the fine, and never cash in the refund check. They cannot apply the points to your license until the transaction is finalized.