need help with a speeding ticket

the reason i ask i that i'm not familar with california's laws - i've had one ticket in my home state (WA) over a year ago, i got the latest on I-5 bout a week ago. (a CHP ticket, btw)

i've heard of all the mitigation and traffic school solitions, but the only problem is that i took trafic school the last time i screwed up, and the infraction still raised my insurance rates.

i'll basically do anything to keep this from raising my rates any further. dont care how much the ticket is. traffic school is an option, i'm told, as this is my first ticket in CA, but i don't know if it'll keep the ticket off my record (at least so my rates can't be raised)

thanks a million for any help. . :)

p.s.: a few things i've heard that might apply (but probably don't):
there was no fine amount on the ticket, the cop didn't even know how much it was. someone told me that if the ticket has ANY errors (e.g. no fine amount) that it is invalid. i seriously doubt this, but anybody know for sure?

also . . .

ever more of a longshot, but this cop was camped out behind an overpass, completley invisible. yet another person told me they beat a ticket because the law says that's entrapment, and cops have to be in plain view. i seriously doubt this one, but if anybody knows, please drop me a line

firs of all i think that ur second reason at the bottom is complete bs. the person u got it from was probably just mad cuz they got a ticket. look up some laws on the internet on stuff like the ticket amount.

talk to a lawyer...every state's law is different. You might want to look into the prepaid legal service. Its only like $20/month and its good if you have a modded ride so the cops can't get you for mods that are legal.

whats this pre-paid legal service? what does it do.:confused:

Its pretty much like insurance... You pay "less than $26/month" and you can use their lawyers.

http://www.prepaidlegal.com/

i think if you get a traffic ticket....then you go to traffic school for a minimum 8 hours.....no "points" go on your record....so that would keep your insurance rates down....and about the first "loophole" thing...i don't think that's true either.....some times, they don't put the price on tickets....that's not an error......so....i don't know for sure.....but try traffic school....or just call up an insurance company and ask them....

I think you could also ask the judge or d.a. for a prayer for judgement continuance, which I believe will keep the entire thing off of your record. The downside to this option is that when you get another ticket or infraction they both go on your record.

Go to traffic court. When they summon you in, you'll be given 2 options:
1) Plead not guilty, and a trial date will be set. At which point, the officer will also be summoned and you'll get to "fight" the ticket in court. The judge will then make a decision. If the pig doesn't show up, then he can't defend himself, therefore the case will be dismissed and you're free with no cost or points. This is a longshot, but it happens if the pig can't make the court date. The ticket will always be on your record whether you go to traffic school, get a lawyer, or get the case dismissed.

2) You are given the opportunity to plead "no contest", which basically means you admit to speeding, but would like the hearing officer to look at your record and make a decision that same day. 99.9% of the time the hearing officer will look at your record and make a judgement stating that you pay a certain court cost, and you have no points on your license. The lawyers who's numbers are filling your mailbox right now will go to court and plea this in your favor. Save the money and do it yourself.

I plead no contest. Judge took all of 25sec. to say "100 dollars and no points." There are always a bunch of people in the same boat you are and he's got no time to dispute these things. This was my second ticket in a year. Remember traffic tickets and court is a BUSINESS. That's how these gov. agencies stay open. Once you accept that, there's nothing much you can do but get pissed off at the system. :finger:

really....so if you just plead no contest....then they'll most likely just make you pay a fine?....that's pretty cool....but it would depend on your past record rite?....

man .... i think california rules kinda suck... i know teenagers can't drive for shit but i can't wait until my 6 month probation period is over!!!... you need to wait 6 months after you get your permit in order to get your license....

Past driving record matters a great deal. But like I said, it's a business and they need your money. Unless you're just plain dumb, and speed a great deal, run red lights, have a suspended license, most likely all you'll have to do is pay a fine.

I say just go to court and fight it, but pay the fine

just go to court and get it reduced but pay the same fine

if you can in your state plead no-lo (no contest) they just want your money.

I just went to court yesterday for an "Above posted and prudent speed" ticket. I plead not guilty and the officer was already there, so the trial proceeded. The officer that gave me the ticket said he couldn't remember what exactly happened, I told my side of the story(I told the truth, I wasn't doing anything wrong) and the judge said because the officer had no independent recollection of the event in question, he had no choice but to find me not guilty. Hooray for me :) I didn't pay one red cent and it doesn't go on my record, my first ticket didn't go on my record either because I did community service :D

I had a ticket like that for "Negligent Driving", the ticket was BS because I didn't even get pulled over. I hurt my arm while rock climbing and asked my friend who I was cruising around with if we could switch cars (he drives an automatic Maxima) and he agreed. He was doing about 70 in a 45 where i was doing 45 in a 45 and a cop flew by me with his lights on going after my friend in my car. I saw my friend stop and i thought "oh sh$t! my insurance and registration are in my wallet!" so i pulled over behind the cop to explain the situation so he wouldn't think my friend stole the car or anything. The cop wrote both of us tickets for Negligent Driving and said we were lucky he didn't write us up for racing. I took it to court and plead not guilty (i hadn't done anything wrong) and explained why we'd switched cars and how the officer hadn't pulled me over. The judge sarcastically asked me if my friends car had a special brace for my hurt arm and I politely explained that it was an automatic and was much easier to drive than my standard transmission. The case was dismissed and I left court with a huge smile on my face, the cop looked all pissed off at being made to look so dumb. As for your situation, i've heard of probabtion before judgement where they suspend the ticket for 6 months and if you don't get any other infractions then it's dismissed. I don't know if they do that in Cali but it'd be worth researching.

someone in here mentioned prepaidlegal services. i dont sell it but i am a member and have to use the service alot because i like to speed and i dont want the points on my record. if you just go to the www.prepaidlegal.com site you wont get far. i signed up the service at www.prepaidlegal.com/info/leviholiday and i recommend that you use this service or just any traffic attorney to help you out in court. Prepaid legal is a lot cheaper than the alternative

have their attorneys gotten you out of a speeding ticket before?

yes they have saved my butt on two tickets. no points and the fine was reduced

entrapment is when laq enforcement somehow draws you into doing a crime like, if a cop kept trying to sell u sum pot over and over till u finally decided to buy sum

jsut cos u cant see the cop doesnt mean their making u speed...so its not entrapment

I have heard that if you get a speeding ticket to just call and see how much the fine is and say it is $100 then send a check for $110 then they will send you a check for the $10 extra, if you don't cash this check then their system will not update your record and the points won't be applied to your record. Have never tried it myself but it would be worth tring if you have a small ticket like failure to use turnsignal or something.