beat: I get speeding ticket

[Micro2Macro]

So I'm on my way home from Toronto after spending 2 and half weeks in Europe. My flight was delayed about 3 hours, and while at the security check I had 3 swiss army knives packed away in boxes that were in my carry on which I forgot to put into the right suitcase the night before. Weapons obviously aren't allowed on a plane so what were supposed to be gifts for family ended up being confiscated (they gave me an option to leave airport with them, mail home, then come back but by then I'd miss my flight - didn't find out about the delay till I was seated on the plane). I'm exhausted and pretty eager to get home. So now I'm on the highway doing 130km/hr in a posted 100 the next day just 30 minutes from home now and get nailed for speeding. Funny thing about all this is the only event that wasn't my fault was my plane delay.

fml

Anyway, has anyone here in Canada (Ontario specifically) gotten a speeding ticket before or know how this works? Apparently I can go to court to 'fight it' or something...but since its a speeding ticket, and I was speeding, I pretty much have nothing in regards to getting out of this. I don't expect to get out of it actually, but maybe I have a chance at getting the fine reduced?

I have to pay $180. The officer said I was doing 130. According to my friend Google, if your speed in Ontario was less than 30 over, not only is your ticket less $, but you also don't get as many demerit points. So would it be worth showing up to court and just hoping the judge is nice enough that I can convince him I thought I was doing just under 130 (like 128) and therefore should pay less and receive fewer points? I mean, is there a way the cop can prove I was doing 130 or more (like does it register it or something in their computer from the radar?) or is there actually a chance I can convince the judge the officer rounded up to fuck me over.

My plan at first was just pay it and move on, but I do have the court option. I'm thinking about trying to convince the judge I was doing less than 130 and the officer just rounded up out of hatred for young drivers. Only problem is I'm very unconvincing and would probably do something stupid enough to get a bigger fine.

If this wasn't entertaining enough we can make this thread nsfw and just post tits. I appreciate any input though, thank you ftr.

[oskar]

You have a chance of drastically increasing it, not the other way around.
If it's anything like the laws here you have zero chance in fighting it. When it's testimony vs testimony they are going to rule in favor of the cop every time. That and it might not even be possible to fight it. Around here minor traffic penalties cannot be fought in court. It might be different elsewhere, but I still don't think it's wise to fight it.
The most I ever payed was $500-ish for getting towed from a private parking lot that wasn't maked correctly. I have the option to pay and leave it behind or I can go to court without much evidence which will cost me lots of hours, stress and potentially thousands.
Don't mess with cops. He could have done a lot worse and wouldn't face as much as a payed vacation.

Just pay up and let it go.

[bode]

oskar, why the hell does he run the risk of INcreasing his ticket? If he just goes in to dispute it and say he was going 125 or something, the judge is either going to believe him and drop the price, or believe the cop and leave the ticket as is. lol at the judge upping the price of the ticket just because he shows up to court.

[XTR1000]

Wait, there is no evidence other than a cop estimating your speed as you drove along? I mean, did they actually measure your traveling speed with some cop-gadget-speedy-measuring-device or have any video footage? If so, you can always question whether their measuring device was calibrated correctly, in which case they have to prove it to you (at least thats what its like here). I did that a couple of times and got away with it twice, one time their protocol wasnt complete, another time their speeding-gun-thing wasn´t calibrated at all.

[oskar]

oskar, why the hell does he run the risk of INcreasing his ticket? If he just goes in to dispute it and say he was going 125 or something, the judge is either going to believe him and drop the price, or believe the cop and leave the ticket as is. lol at the judge upping the price of the ticket just because he shows up to court.

Cost of proceedings. Plus there might be a clause whereas charges go up if they are not payed immediately because of the additional paperwork.
But obviously if you're like XTR and live in lala land where women can carry their body weight in beer and motorway speeds are unlimited then wtf do I know.

[dranger7070]

I agree with XTR and bode, there isn't a chance you're going to get fined more for just saying you went 127 not 130. If you get a judge that isn't an asshole, he'll let you off with a smaller fine for sure. GOGOGOGOGOOGO

[jyms]

You will if the cop reduced the ticket and you fight it. In Ontario traffic court, he can re-issue the ticket to the original speed.

[WillburForce]

in England, if you fight it and judge doesn't agree you'll get stung for the court charges etc. not worth the hassle.

You were speeding, pay the fine, don't do it again (or make sure there are no rozzers around when you do).

[kiwiMark]

Yeah I'd be surprised if the chances of getting it reduced are worth the court costs.

[BooG690]

Welcome back.

Now time to read this dumb story

Edit: I love how tits is your fallback for saving any thread of yours.

Real Adivce: ALWAYS fight your ticket. The cop may have lost his notes, not show up, judge may go easy on you, etc.

ALWAYS FIGHT YOUR TICKET. I have a shitload of experience with tickets if you wanna chat on IRC. If the judge is a bastard and is really looking for your side, tell them your speedometer wasn't working well or something and you were under the impression that you were going 11x. He may lower it down to a 128 ticket which is ldfo +EV than your current situation. Good luck dude.

[dranger7070]

Welcome back.

Now time to read this dumb story

Edit: I love how tits is your fallback for saving any thread of yours.

Real Adivce: ALWAYS fight your ticket. The cop may have lost his notes, not show up, judge may go easy on you, etc.

ALWAYS FIGHT YOUR TICKET. I have a shitload of experience with tickets if you wanna chat on IRC. If the judge is a bastard and is really looking for your side, tell them your speedometer wasn't working well or something and you were under the impression that you were going 11x. He may lower it down to a 128 ticket which is ldfo +EV than your current situation. Good luck dude.

What a surprise, a minority that has run ins with the law.

[Reidak]

Hey man, I just got nailed going southbound on Allen doing 94 when it changes to 60.

15-29 is 3 points, 30-49 is 4 points. It's really not much different.

Fight it. I went to OTT legal and paid $280 for representation because im young and the ticket would make my insurance cost xxxx more per year for years, so its worth it to me.

But certainly fight it. First, when you get a court date; if it's 14 months away you can argue that under 11b (right to a fair and speedy trial) you have been violated in terms of the 'speedy' trial and it can be thrown out. Additionally, when you fight it you first meet the prosecutor out of court. Hopefully you can convince them to knock it down to 14 over, which is 0 points and probably won't affect your insurance. The guy who I talked to said they usually don't mind knocking 16 off or so. I was going 34 over so I'm in a bit tougher of a spot.

So if your court date is soon and the prosecutor isn't going to offer you a good deal, go to court and sometimes the cop won't show; then it's pretty easy for you to win. Even if he does show up, say you were going with the flow of traffic or something. The judge can knock down the fine.

Good luck

[Reidak]

And you won't get an increase. As mentioned, if the cop nails you at 43 over and cuts it to 20 over to help you out; if you take it to court he can say you were doing 43 over and he cut you a break but since you took it to court he can make it 43 again. It sounds like that won't happen to you.

[Reidak]

and its unreal you got nailed for doing 130 on the 401. thats so fucking standard it's not funny.

[d0zer]

I've had 3 tickets in ontario and fought the one where the cop didn't drop it.

I was nailed for 124 in an 80 and it was gunna be like $350 and 4 points or some shit. I basically walked in the courtroom and when it was my turn talked to someone who was like ok the judge will give you this, you can accept it or fight it moar. I forget how much it got dropped but it ended up being like $100 and 2 points so totally +EV for a wasted morning.

The last ticket I got was 109 in an 80 and cop dropped it to 95 or something. When he gave it to me he was like "so now that i've dropped this boy, you ain't gunna waste nobody's time in court AREYA?". "no sir".

So yeah, if they've dropped it, don't push your luck. Else fight it to encourage cops everywhere to continue this practice

[BankItDrew]

I live in Ontario.
I've had many speeding tickets.
I fought two of them.
One was reduced on the spot by the cop.
Both were snap reduced by the judge to 15 over, to avoid any points.
The court costs may have been like $20.

If you don't fight it, you're loosing a fuck ton of money in the long run and you're not taking advantage of the weak ass system that is the Ontario Courts.

[wufwugy]

i'd pay the ticket long before i wasted my life going to court

[flomo]

what if the court had WiFi?

[wufwugy]

[Warpe]

Yeah, always fight them. In Manitoba traffic court you can plead "guilty with an explanation" and you usually get your penalty reduced if you come off as at least half sincere. The biggest plus is the cop has to be there as well, and if he doesn't show (and they often don't) your ticket usually gets thrown out.

[Warpe]

i'd pay the ticket long before i wasted my life going to court

you wouldn't if your insurance went up because of your demerits, like it does here.

[Micro2Macro]

Yeah I'd be surprised if the chances of getting it reduced are worth the court costs.

I'll be representing myself.

Hey man, I just got nailed going southbound on Allen doing 94 when it changes to 60.

15-29 is 3 points, 30-49 is 4 points. It's really not much different.

Fight it. I went to OTT legal and paid $280 for representation because im young and the ticket would make my insurance cost xxxx more per year for years, so its worth it to me.

But certainly fight it. First, when you get a court date; if it's 14 months away you can argue that under 11b (right to a fair and speedy trial) you have been violated in terms of the 'speedy' trial and it can be thrown out. Additionally, when you fight it you first meet the prosecutor out of court. Hopefully you can convince them to knock it down to 14 over, which is 0 points and probably won't affect your insurance. The guy who I talked to said they usually don't mind knocking 16 off or so. I was going 34 over so I'm in a bit tougher of a spot.

So if your court date is soon and the prosecutor isn't going to offer you a good deal, go to court and sometimes the cop won't show; then it's pretty easy for you to win. Even if he does show up, say you were going with the flow of traffic or something. The judge can knock down the fine.

Good luck

orly?

and its unreal you got nailed for doing 130 on the 401. thats so fucking standard it's not funny.

lol yeah no kidding

I've had 3 tickets in ontario and fought the one where the cop didn't drop it.

I was nailed for 124 in an 80 and it was gunna be like $350 and 4 points or some shit. I basically walked in the courtroom and when it was my turn talked to someone who was like ok the judge will give you this, you can accept it or fight it moar. I forget how much it got dropped but it ended up being like $100 and 2 points so totally +EV for a wasted morning.

The last ticket I got was 109 in an 80 and cop dropped it to 95 or something. When he gave it to me he was like "so now that i've dropped this boy, you ain't gunna waste nobody's time in court AREYA?". "no sir".

So yeah, if they've dropped it, don't push your luck. Else fight it to encourage cops everywhere to continue this practice

lol, after you mention this court is clearly my only option.

[Micro2Macro]

Wait, there is no evidence other than a cop estimating your speed as you drove along? I mean, did they actually measure your traveling speed with some cop-gadget-speedy-measuring-device or have any video footage? If so, you can always question whether their measuring device was calibrated correctly, in which case they have to prove it to you (at least thats what its like here). I did that a couple of times and got away with it twice, one time their protocol wasnt complete, another time their speeding-gun-thing wasn´t calibrated at all.

This sounds like a good topic to ramble about in court and the judge will either be convinced or just be sick of listening to me talk and make a decision. I hope I can bring notes with me

also oskar your country is fucked, the police own you. in Canada we own the police which is why the are such bitches compared to other countries.

[BankItDrew]

When I went, all I had to say was: yes or no. No need to talk more than asked. They also appreciate simplicity and honesty.

[Keith]

But certainly fight it. First, when you get a court date; if it's 14 months away you can argue that under 11b (right to a fair and speedy trial) you have been violated in terms of the 'speedy' trial and it can be thrown out.

kind of ironic wording considering the offence.

[oskar]

coincidental, keith. coincidental.

also oskar your country is fucked, the police own you. in Canada we own the police which is why the are such bitches compared to other countries.

:'(
true

$20 court costs, wtf? Doesn't that mean that every yahoo can (and will) fight anything and you pay for it with your taxes?

[JKDS]

what the fuck is with 62mph roads? You metric bastards are weird!

[Micro2Macro]

When I went, all I had to say was: yes or no. No need to talk more than asked. They also appreciate simplicity and honesty.

This is good for me because I would probably freeze up trying to talk for too long.

coincidental, keith. coincidental.




:'(
true

$20 court costs, wtf? Doesn't that mean that every yahoo can (and will) fight anything and you pay for it with your taxes?

pretty much.


also to you ontario guys, what do I do to get a court date? do I call a number or something? it doesn't actually say on the ticket. there is a spot where I can fill out my option checking off that I intend to appear in court and shows the address of the court I have to go to..so I guess I just mail the ticket there?

my options are: plea guilty - voluntary payment of total payable, plea of guilty - submissions as to penalty, and notice of intention to appear in court (enter a plea of not guilty). So I'm taking #3 since I was actually doing like 128 or something and the guy is a donkey who can't read.

[kiwiMark]

coincidental, keith. coincidental.




:'(
true

$20 court costs, wtf? Doesn't that mean that every yahoo can (and will) fight anything and you pay for it with your taxes?

I'm with oskar, jaysus.

[BankItDrew]

also to you ontario guys, what do I do to get a court date? do I call a number or something? it doesn't actually say on the ticket. there is a spot where I can fill out my option checking off that I intend to appear in court and shows the address of the court I have to go to..so I guess I just mail the ticket there?

I don't remember. What I did was call the court house. There will be a nice old lady that will tell you everything you need to know.

[spoonitnow]

I got something like 48 in a 35 in a school zone by a state trooper, flirted with the clerk and got her to call an assistant DA and get it dropped to improper equipment since I had no priors.

[caddie444]

Haven't read the thread but I was in your EXACT spot M2M recently.

I was caught speeding back in September, got caught going 130 just before highway 400 turns into the 401. I chose option 3 on the ticket, had to go to a ticket offense office in barrie (though I'm sure you could go to Toronto) to give them the ticket saying I would like to have a court date to 'dispute the charges' or whatever even though I only was seeking a reduced fine.

Anyways they shipped me a court date letter stating show up at this time at this location blah blah. Anyways the court date was last week I showed up at the York civic centre on Eglinton, told the prosecutor I was seeking a reduced fine, and since the officer which wrote me the ticket wasn't present when I was called to the stand I was " free to go ". Didn't have to pay a thing.

So my obvious advice is to fight it, make sure you show up to the court date on time though, the judge got super pissed at a guy who showed up at 10:30 who was supposed to show up at 9 and ended up kicking him out lol courtdramaments

It's late and I'm tired so any q's hit me up if I wasn't clear

[kingnat]

lol, Canadian money.

[dranger7070]

Canadian money ~= USA money

[BennyLaRue]

lol at non-Ontarians answering in this thread and double-lawl at the non-Canadians

Drew is wise ITT. I had a similar experience when I lived in TO. I forget if you're a student right now but being one is like a snap-reduction as long as you're not an ass to the judge.

[wufwugy]

Shut the fuck up, Your Honor, before I ho slap your grandma and shove this ticket down your chubby hamburger hole