Just got a speeding ticket

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75 in a 65 way out in the middle of nowhere. He reduced it to 70 in a 65 but even that is going to cost me $69.00. I'm not even a chronic speeder, it just crept up and I didn't notice it until it was too late. Dang it anyway.
  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    The middle of nowhere is no longer safe - these little towns need the money!
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Grossman
    I've always wondered, do you have to list that ticket if you fill out an employment application that asks if you've ever been convicted of a crime?

    The text on the ticket says something to the effect of by signing and paying the ticket, you are pleading guilty to the crime and agree to be convicted with that fine.

    Never had a chance to ask an employer since I'm self-employed, but I did once get a ticket for not having my registration card signed. (Yep, I'm a criminal now).
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    • Profile picture of the author Rich Struck
      Originally Posted by Dan Grossman View Post

      I've always wondered, do you have to list that ticket if you fill out an employment application that asks if you've ever been convicted of a crime?

      The text on the ticket says something to the effect of by signing and paying the ticket, you are pleading guilty to the crime and agree to be convicted with that fine.

      Never had a chance to ask an employer since I'm self-employed, but I did once get a ticket for not having my registration card signed. (Yep, I'm a criminal now).
      Unless your job is driving related I can't imagine that they would care. I guess if you had a DUI or killed someone you'd probably have to list that but otherwise I wouldn't say anything.
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      • Profile picture of the author Jeff Henshaw
        The text on the ticket says something to the effect of by signing and paying the ticket, you are pleading guilty to the crime and agree to be convicted with that fine.
        In the UK, many people consider minor offences such as dropping litter and speeding (at just over the speed limit) as Civil Offences, when in reality they are Criminal Offences. That means - breaking the law!

        Civil Offences are things like divorce, trespass on land, libel or slander, breach of contract and so on.

        I suspect that the situation is similar in the USA and most of the English speaking world - although there will be 'local' variations.

        So if you are filling out an application form for employment or for anything else, then you need to consider declaring any and all criminal offences. Just bear in mind the vast amount of data that the government and other institutions hold on all of us - better to be 'upfront' with everything, rather than being confronted with something after checks have been made.

        Let's be quite frank here, most potential employers, or other authorities are hardly likely to be over concerned about minor criminal offences that hundreds of thousands of people commit every day.

        Just my thoughts,

        Jeff.
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    • Profile picture of the author ThomM
      Originally Posted by Dan Grossman View Post

      I've always wondered, do you have to list that ticket if you fill out an employment application that asks if you've ever been convicted of a crime?

      The text on the ticket says something to the effect of by signing and paying the ticket, you are pleading guilty to the crime and agree to be convicted with that fine.

      Never had a chance to ask an employer since I'm self-employed, but I did once get a ticket for not having my registration card signed. (Yep, I'm a criminal now).
      You haven't committed a crime, it's a traffic offense.
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  • Profile picture of the author KimW
    Every ticket Ive seen says by signing you are NOT admitting guilt but just acknowledging receipt of the summons.

    Rich Struck, it's going to cost you $69? Brother, that is a darn cheap ticket.
    Where I live you pay $61 in courts costs (even if you prepay and don't go to court) plus the fine.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dan Grossman
      Originally Posted by KimW View Post

      Every ticket Ive seen says by signing you are NOT admitting guilt but just acknowledging receipt of the summons.
      I just dug it out of the filing cabinet to check

      You must plead Guilty or Not Guilty within 10 days of the receipt of this citation (Read the Reverse side of the Citation). If within 10 days of receipt of the citation you enter a guilty plea and pay the fine and costs indicated on the citation, the summary trial will be cancelled. If you are charged with a violation of 75 Pa.C.S. S 1543 or any other violation that provides for the imposition of a prison sentence, you must appear on the above date with counsel. If you fail to appear for the trial, you are consenting to the trial in your absence. If you are found guilty, the collateral deposited will be forfeited and applied toward your fines and costs. Within 30 days of the entry of a guilty plea or adjudication of guilt you have the right to appeal for a trial de novo in the Court of Common Pleas.
      And on the reverse

      ... PLEAD GUILTY by notifying Philadelphia Traffic Court in writing, signing the appropriate plea below, and by forwarding an amount equal to the Total Due as specified on the traffic citation.
      And the "Mail In Portion (Cut Here)" to pay the ticket says "I plead GUILTY" next to the signature line.

      The question wasn't whether an employer would care about a traffic ticket, but whether it counts as a conviction. Falsifying that line on your application is a legitimate reason to fire you down the line if they are looking for a reason.
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  • Profile picture of the author KimW
    Dan,
    In rethinking this,we both could be right. I do know where I am, Virginia, we have to sign for receipt of the ticket. I know this because I too recently got a speeding ticket.
    And it specifically says we are not admitting guilt by signing, just receipt.
    We can pay it online though, so we don't have to sign admitting "guilt" and send it in.But it does say that by paying you are admitting guilt.
    I didn't pay it though,I went to court and fought it. I know that's pretty useless nowadays,because in my expereience, cops almost always win,especially trafiic violations, but because I had a good driving record the Judge gave me the option of taking a driving course and upon completion he will dismiss the ticket. I jumped at that.
    Then came my next surprise;Where I am you can take the driving course online. A few more hours over the next few days and I ill have completed it.
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  • Profile picture of the author derekwong28
    Right now everywhere, governments are trying to raise revenue in whatever way they can. I have been caught a few times at a particular spot near my home. It was a pure and simple trap. Imagine having to drive 50 km/h in a 3 lane highway. By nature, I am a very cautious and safe driver and I consider that trap to be totally unethical.
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  • Profile picture of the author nix0807
    Not cool on ticket... I'm still waiting for my insurance to go down from a speeding ticket 2yrs ago ...Talk about a rate hike! Maybe fight it, if it will give you any negative points on your license.
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  • Profile picture of the author Marcus91
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    • Profile picture of the author KimW
      Originally Posted by derekwong28 View Post

      Right now everywhere, governments are trying to raise revenue in whatever way they can. I have been caught a few times at a particular spot near my home. It was a pure and simple trap. Imagine having to drive 50 km/h in a 3 lane highway. By nature, I am a very cautious and safe driver and I consider that trap to be totally unethical.
      Derek, I agree wholeheartedly with you. Sadly, my county is full of traps by the cops, usually speed ones, but other kinds also. What they like to do where I live is hide where the speed limits sign is that changes ,say from 55 to 45, and give you a ticket is you haven't dropped to 45 by the time you pass the sign. :rolleyes:


      Originally Posted by nix0807 View Post

      Not cool on ticket... I'm still waiting for my insurance to go down from a speeding ticket 2yrs ago ...Talk about a rate hike! Maybe fight it, if it will give you any negative points on your license.
      From everything I've always heard, tickets increase your insurance for five years, not two. Maybe you know that and I'm just misunderstanding you post.


      Originally Posted by Marcus91 View Post

      Cops are little more than revenue agents. They give out instant tax notices for the government and they quite often don't even need an excuse to do so. They can make something up to justify their action.

      But we have to pay the tax or they will take away our "privilege" to drive...and it doen't matter if we can afford to pay or not.

      Screw 'em, that's my attitude. I drove an entire year all over the U.S. without insurance and with expired tags just to see if I could.

      Never got stopped once. Saved me almost $800, too.

      Did you at least make the ******* chase ya for a few miles or did you wimp out and pull over right away?
      You were lucky.
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  • Profile picture of the author BlaineGlynn
    Originally Posted by Rich Struck View Post

    75 in a 65 way out in the middle of nowhere. He reduced it to 70 in a 65 but even that is going to cost me $69.00. I'm not even a chronic speeder, it just crept up and I didn't notice it until it was too late. Dang it anyway.
    Hey, at least it was only $69. My "fun" car is "pull me over orange" and every speeding ticket I get is around $200, and I'm not a chronic speeder either.

    Actually not long ago I was getting on an onramp, and accelerating...faster than most cars do, then got pulled over and accused of street racing. Seriously, racing? on an onramp?!
    That one ended in court and I actually made friends with the officer afterwords, still had a fine to pay however.

    If you have the time to go to court you could try to fight it, and I believe where I live if the officer does not show up to the court date you automatically win and don't have to pay your fine... so its worth a try.

    ~Blaine
    Good luck.
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  • Profile picture of the author KimW
    "If you have the time to go to court you could try to fight it, and I believe where I live if the officer does not show up to the court date you automatically win and don't have to pay your fine... so its worth a try."

    Actually, I don't know if this is true or not, but I do know that when you are given a ticket, you are scheduled to go to court the day as the officer that tickets you.
    Now some "get out of your speeding ticket" advisors recommend changing your court date to a date that the officer isn't scheduled to be in court,but most places are wise to this and don't allow that to happen.
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    • Profile picture of the author ThomM
      Ya'll need to come to NY and see what the revenue creators are like here.
      For example the city of Albany has a summer concert series every Thursday night called Alive at 5 and they serve beer there.
      After the concert all the municipalities around the area set up DWI checkpoints covering every road that people would take leaving the concerts, over 100 police officers on the checkpoints plus more patrolling and pulling over any vehicle that try's to not go through one.

      This summer the State Police are running motorcycle checkpoints "for our safety" issuing tickets for any type of infraction even though the Supreme Court has ruled those type of checkpoints to be illegal.
      These motorcycle only checkpoints target a particular group of individuals which has been determined to be unconstitutional. The Supreme Court of the United States of America has repeated held that "the citizen who has given no good cause for believing he is engaged in (criminal) activity is entitled to proceed on his way without interference" Bandrinegar, supra; see also Terry v. Ohio, supra.
      New York Gang related bills* 2007
      Here it's a fine plus $60 court cost.
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      • Profile picture of the author Dave Patterson
        Originally Posted by ThomM View Post

        Ya'll need to come to NY and see what the revenue creators are like here.
        Very good choice of words...

        I passed by the get off to Troy (Rt 9?) and yelled howdy at you Thurs... then preceded to mind my manners on the Thruway.

        I don't like donating to revenue collectors ANYWHERE.
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        • Profile picture of the author ThomM
          Originally Posted by Dave Patterson View Post

          Very good choice of words...

          I passed by the get off to Troy (Rt 9?) and yelled howdy at you Thurs... then preceded to mind my manners on the Thruway.

          I don't like donating to revenue collectors ANYWHERE.
          Exits 23 (787) or 24 (I-90) off the thruway get ya to Troy.

          I don't have to tell you the Thruway is thick with them.
          The checkpoints are bad enough, but all the speed traps set me off.
          No matter where I drive daily there are always cops with radar on a road.
          Now the state park police in Saratoga state park want to carry tazar's because they had 100 arrests during the 2 Dave Mathews concerts last weekend. Most where for underage drinking and drugs and there was over 50,000 people at each nights show.
          Between NY being a police state and now our legislators being in gridlock and not showing up to work (except to vote on them continuing to get paid) I'm about sick of this state.
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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    I was just in backwater WA a month ago and got a ticket for speeding in a school zone.
    I took pictures of the sign to court with me to prove that the sign said "when flashing" yet there is not a flasher in the area. Instead of dismissing the ticket - I got it cut by 100 bucks and a deferred sentence because the cop lied and said there were buses there when I got a ticket. I said out loud that it was "bovine defication" and asked that he supply proof. He used his "word" as proof.

    The day after I got my ticket another woman in my census taking group got one too and another remarked that she got away because the cop got the other woman.

    What a freaking racket.

    I'm so torqued that I'm looking up the sign ordinances and thinking about suing the city for entrapment and whatever else applies if the Senator I'm contacting doesn't do something about it.
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