skyavonee

CHP wrote me up for 78 in a 65. He didn't have a radar or lidar reading on me; he just claimed to have paced me from ~400 feet back. The total cost to me will end up being $318 ($234 ticket, $64 traffic school fee to the gov't, and $20 fee to the actual traffic school).

I'm sure some of you have been in this position before...
Does a traffic attorney stand a good chance of overturning the citation, since the cop didn't get an actual reading on me? And if so, about how much should I expect to pay the attorney?

Thanks.

bearphoto

Unfortunately he did get an accurate reading on you from a speedometer pace. CHP has used speedometer pacing for over 75 years and the officers are specifically trained for it. Their speedometers are calibrated quarterly (might be yearly) as i recall and I'm sure yours has never been calibrated.


The decision is yours but i'm thinking your traffic school is your best option. I never lost a case in which a traffic attorney represented a client.

oldC5

Just pay it. Stop crying. I hate when people speed then cry about the amount of the ticket.

dbratten

You could try a Trial by Declaration but that only works if the officer doesn't respond. CHP is very good at responding and in showing up in court if you go that far. They'll beat a lawyer if you go that route. Whatever you do, the goal is, at the worst, to end up in traffic school.

Be happy to be tagged "old school" by being paced. It strikes me as a fair way to catch speeders vs. LIDAR off an overpass.

Dave68

Back in the 80s, a friend of mine had this super-wide rearview mirror that really helped him avoid "pacer" CHPs who tried to sneak up behind him. In the 10 years I knew this guy, he was never stopped for speeding and I'm convinced that mirror helped.

degaux

Be glad it wasn't a red light camera.... my wife got popped in Santa Monica for $527..

skyavonee

Re-read my original post. Do you see any crying? I'm simply attempting to explore all my options - what's wrong with that? There's only one whiny brat in this thread so far, and it's you.

Been there, done that, although mine was "only" $446.


Thanks to everyone else for the input. Sounds like my best bet is to just pay the ticket and take an online traffic school.

171soon

About two years ago I gambled on the officer not showing up (he didn't), and the case was thrown out.... CHP as well, superior court downtown. I knew that they were writing massive amounts of tickets (still are), and I figured this guy couldn't show up to all his dates. I had something to say if he did show up as well (my name was misspelled on the ticket)

171soon

I spend a LOT of time looking in my rearview, and still I sometimes don't see them come up. I would love to have a mirror(s) that open up that huge right rear blind spot

ip-do-tan

This is the traffic school I used. http://www.gototrafficschool.com/

Got a ticket in the motor home for 42 in a 35. What a load of cr*p that was

oldalaskaman

http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=C...=convex+mirror
here ya go, might look a bit odd

ip-do-tan

oldalaskaman

thankyou

Dennis Wilson

I remember them, I think they were called wink mirrors. No blind spots! Lots of today`s drivers dont know what rearview mirrors are even for. Let alone how to adjust them. (end of old fart mini rant!)

Varmit

I would first request a "Trial By Decleration" Does not cost you anything, and what the hell you may just get lucky.

If that failed I would do traffic school no biggie. We all get a few of our tail feathers pulled once in a while. Just be more careful next time if it is a biggie for you. It happens!!!

Good luck

C6Ray

Mike I got 1 for going over 90 miles an hour Paid the fine when to traffic school not on my Reckitt know two canyon runner That did trial by declaration Both lost

Dirty Howie

Just to rub it in

106K miles and no tickets on my bright JSB. Also dont have radar detector. Use my mind and eyes.

I got close one day. I spotted a CHP cruiser slowly gaining on me. I gently slowed down to 70mph. He pulle up next to me and held his two fingers together, indicating that is was "that close" to a ticket


DH

RickintheOC

Many L.E. agencies now discipline officers if they don't have a valid excuse for missing a traffic court appearance, so hoping the officer won't show up is not a good idea. This is in response to complaints from citizens who stated they took the day off to appear in court and the officer wasn't there. Seems to me they would be happy their ticket was dismissed. Secondly, the way I was trained, you only cite vehicles traveling 12 MPH or faster, but don't hold me to that if you get cited for for less than that, as one post has already mentioned.

mike100

My feeling is that CHP likes the opportunity to get paid to work indoors and never miss court dates.

I would pay $99 for a traffic lawyer in a heartbeat to take your chance with the sheriffs or city cops, but CHP- maybe not. BTW, I have never been pulled over while I had the radar detector. They may pace you, but usually have the radar on where you can sniff them out in time. Both of my tickets last year were due to being lazy and not grabbing the detector out of the other car.

skyavonee

Thanks, I'll look into this. Sounds like I wouldn't have anything to lose.

Lucky m'fer...