Can somebody help me interpret this ****? The cop was a ******bag and didn't explain anything to me. Also...should I have asked to see the speed on the radar?

I was coming off the highway getting onto a 3-lane main road, approaching a light in an area unfamiliar to me and I was looking for a turn....apparently I was doing 68 in a 45 but I feel there is not a snowball's chance in hell I was going that fast.

He took my license and registration, didn't even ask me if I knew why he pulled me over or where I was going....no chit chat like they usually do. Came back after 10 minutes and said

Cop: Here, sign this.
Me: What is it?
Cop: It's a summons.
Me: For what?
Cop: If you decide to go to court.
Me: What's the fine?
Cop: I have another sheet that explains that.

So I sign the summons, confused and in disbelief that I was actually going 23 mph over the limit when I was looking for a turn...Then he hands me this orange sheet with all this **** on it and he says "Here read this" and walks away.

Ticket:



Other sheet:






So.....what the hell is my fine? lol

 

I thinking, its $115 (23mph over the limit @ $5 per mph over) but I don't know...I would call the State of VA and say this ******** didn't explain the ticket before he had you sign (which I believe is against the law) and you need explanation before you admit guilt to something and pay the fine...Are any points associated, etc...

 

$115 is the way I read it to. It looks like 46.2-87x (can't read the writing for the last digit). It says he got you with Lidar. I'd call and ask how many points you would get because I think they will transfer over to MD from VA but I'm not sure about that. If it's only the fine that goes on your record I'd just pay it.

 

it looks lke one of the tickets you have to show up to court..just not send in the fine. Isnt 23 mph over a class 1 misdemeanor?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...062201781.html


Say you are driving 78 mph on the Capital Beltway and a state trooper tickets you for "reckless driving -- speeding 20 mph over." You will probably be fined $200 by the judge. But then you will receive a new, additional $1,050 fine from the Old Dominion, payable in three convenient installments. So convenient that you must pay the first one immediately, at the courthouse.

 

I had this same problem and the numbers I called were useless. Eventually I missed the pay by date, and got a letter saying I needed to pay the fine in 10 days or my license would be suspended. Luckily this letter had the fine amount so I sent that in. Unluckily it seems they didn't care and were nice enough to send another letter 25 days later saying that my license was suspended and that I would need to pay another $85 at a VA DMV to get it back. So my license is still suspended according to Virginia (YOU MUST PAY IN PERSON IN ORDER TO PROVE YOU"RE IN THE COUNTRY), but when I called the PA DMW it is valid.

Moral of the story, Virginia's ticket system blows, make sure you pay the right amount and have it done with right the first time.

THe ticket seems to say 46.2-878, that would be $5 per speed over plus that processing fee plus whatever else they are wanting to charge you.

 

I believe those wacky fines are just for residents of Virginia

 

Hooray!

Hrm so I just need to find out how many points the ticket is. It's probably 4 points or something like that....I will fight that.

 

28/29 is risky. i always see cops under the 29 overpass

 

So you are going to go to court? The judge can decide whether or not to give you the points. There is an agreement so share points between 5 or so states on the mid atlantic. MD,VA, and PA are most likely one of these, but I had a friend who they gave no points for showing up.

I don't know how the points can transfer, since a four point offense in VA is a 2 point offense in PA. Also, if I ever recieved any for my incident, they certainly didn't transfer, since my PA license would have been over the limit and invalid.

 

You dont have to go but its generally accpeted that 9 times out of 10 its better to go to court.

Yeah its a pain in the ****, but in the best case maybe that ***** of a copper doesnt show up and you get it thrown out. Also you show up in a suit, you can plead your case, show that your are not some bum, the cop will say that you were cooperative if you were, then you appoligize, show your decent driving record and beg for forgiveness.

 

God bless VA.

 

Apparently, they are the worst state in the union to get a ticket in...

 

That doesnt always work but its defintely a good game plan.

You're lucky he didnt charge you with reckless driving. I would just pay the fine.

 

Communistwealth of VA

 

Chris (Tonk),

Good news is that you are not obligated to pay the civil penalties which are $3K for reckless, however, as everyone seems to suggest, I would recommend going to court and pleading your case. Be amicable, come with the evidence, but also be prepared for them to throw the book at you as seeing that is what VA does. Take an online driving course (recommend www.trafficschoolonline.com to see if that works), this way it shows that you are doing something about making improvements to your "DRIVING", but you might want to rethink that b/c that could also set you up for an admission of guilt that you were speeding. If you honestly weren't speeding, then, definitely plead that case. Also, if you want, get your speedometer calibrated. I know a guy in Springfield/Alexandria who can do it for you. If you want, I also have a lawyer friend who represents me and was a FFX County Cop, Former Prosecutor in FFX County and still trains the cadettes at the Academy. Let me know.

G/L

Berk