Howdy all,

May be some silly questions but I was hoping to get some advice on this and after searching around this seemed to be a decent forum to use for that purpose.

It was a moderately heavy traffic day on I-95, but traffic was moving fairly fast as usual, I'd say most cars in the left most lanes doing at least 75.

I am in the far left lane. On the left up ahead I see a trooper that had pulled someone over with his lights going, and being courteous as I am I start thinking about moving over one lane to give him room (plus I think that is technically required by law, even if most people don't bother. I make a point to always do this if possible.) My mind for the moment forgets about my speed, and I concentrate on getting over. To do so I have to slightly overtake the car to the right and behind me to leave sufficient room. In the process of doing this I must have become faster than the cars around me and a good laser target, as an as yet unseen trooper pulls out from the median and then tickets me. During the stop I said nothing other than what was required, and cooperated fully, kind of surprised and not knowing what to think. I do have to say that the trooper was very efficient and courteous.

I read over everything on the ticket, and am wondering what my best plan of action here is:

- I have read/heard that you can talk to the officer himself, but it seems to me like he would just think I am making excuses.

- One of the options on the ticket is to "plead guilty with explanation" which seems to fit the bill, however you apparently waive a regular trial by doing so. I imagine this would be a way of trying to get the penalty reduced? I am not exactly sure what the purpose of that option is.

- It also says that you can contact the public defender, in the event I just want to plead not guilty and have a trial.

Is it worth trying to fight this at all? I felt a little slighted that I was trying to accomodate a trooper (albeit not in the smartest way) and got burned for it. I still have at least two weeks before I really have to do anything about it.

Thanks for any input!

You didn't say what the ticket was for...Reckless? Just Speeding? That would help, but either way I'd strongly consider going to court, since it could be argued that it was safer to exceed the speed limit momentarily in order to get over (for the Trooper's safety). A guy I know once went 75 in a 55, he had someone tailgating him and another person in front with a swaying trailer - and he got off.

But you've also got to weigh what you'd have to lose in pay from your job for a day in court, vs how your driving record is, and how much the fine would be.