Ohio State Trooper

[1827]

On the way home from Indy (Thanks AGAIN, GT Joey, IndyGT, Bony, et al.!), I met an Ohio State Trooper who seemed to feel like I was going 84 in the 65 zone. (We really DO need cruise control.) My lawyer/buddy/shotgun-rider suggested that I just smile, say yes-sir, sign, and drive.

Smoky asked what year my car was and I replied "'06." He brought me back a ticket that read "2006 Lam." Paid the thing online for only $155 on my credit card. The online info on the ticket said, of course, "2006 Lamborghini."

Can I appeal up to the Supreme Court for mistaken identity?

 

[Thex]

Im sure you could have had the ticket dismissed for inaccuracy!-"Your Honor! I don"t own a Lamborghini!"

 

[fjpikul]

At least in IL, a troopers mistake doesn't really count. My wifey just got a ticket and the trooper forgot to sign, so we didn't know who wrote it. State's Attorney office said so what. Pay it and get your supervision. It costs a lot more to fight unless you're a lawyer yourself.

 

[S592R]

fight it. I got two lousy tickets in the last three years. Both for five over the speed limit in known traps. I mistakenly paid them thinking no big deal. Well my stupidity has cost me an additional 35% on my insurance costs since I also made a mistake and hit a deer that jumped into the land cruiser. so ..... spend a few hundred bucks and fight it. In missouri it takes three years to drop off your record. 200 bucks to fight each would have saved me over 3k in those years.

sorry but this is a sore subject for me today.

S

 

[Empty Pockets]

Weeeeeell ...here's a little something you could try that might bear fruit.

Whatever DAY the court says for you to show up - ask for a change to some LATER day. Say the court says, "Be here Monday" ... ask to move it to Friday. 'Reason? The arresting officer usually schedules ALL his tickets for the court to hear on the same day. There's a CHANCE he won't show up in court just for YOURS (unless it's a real WHOPPER). And if there's no one there to testify against you the judge has to throw it out if I remember right.

'Worth a try ... :shrug

(Five over?!!!! How ridiculous can they get? 'GOTTA be a "small town" deal, right?)

 

[Midengine-man]

With the potential increase in insurance we face with these cars, it will probably be worth a trip to court. In my state, the State Troopers and their Judges, will not drop the ticket if you show, but they usually knock it down a couple points, if you are polite. Every point counts.

06-1118

 

[red gt 1442]

On the way home from Indy (Thanks AGAIN, GT Joey, IndyGT, Bony, et al.!), I met an Ohio State Trooper who seemed to feel like I was going 84 in the 65 zone. (We really DO need cruise control.) My lawyer/buddy/shotgun-rider suggested that I just smile, say yes-sir, sign, and drive.

Smoky asked what year my car was and I replied "'06." He brought me back a ticket that read "2006 Lam." Paid the thing online for only $155 on my credit card. The online info on the ticket said, of course, "2006 Lamborghini."

Can I appeal up to the Supreme Court for mistaken identity?

In NYS, if an officer misses anything on the ticket...ie....name, plate no. type of car and model that ticket is automatically dismissed. I once got a ticket for speeding and the officer noted a 4 door sedan on the ticket...I was actually driving a 2 door car...the judge dismissed it... try it... I know you will win and get it dismissed..
Good Luck

Gino

 

[AZGT]

In NYS, if an officer misses anything on the ticket...ie....name, plate no. type of car and model that ticket is automatically dismissed.

Naturally, some of that depends on the state. Traffic tickets in Arizona used to all be written under the criminal statutes. Well, can we say disclosure, beyond doubt, etc? I lost a ticket in court, but took it two times (lost the case, won the appeal, retry, lost the case, won the appeal - they gave up) to the appeals court and won both times on a violation of civil rights.

Arizona got smart - changed to civil for most so it is preponderance of evidence - in other words majority rules. So the officer says one thing, you say another. Guess who wins. Mr. Traffic camera on the freeway also wins.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Arizona got smart - changed to civil for most so it is preponderance of evidence - in other words majority rules. So the officer says one thing, you say another. Guess who wins.

So, if the officer's name is Nyfong (Nifong?) I guess you'd be screwed no matter WHAT then... ( You'd need your own "dash cam" - or you'd be dead.)

As an aside: I hope Nyfong gets sued into oblivion by the 3 Duke 'players for what he pulled AND THE DIRTBAG WHO MADE THE FALSE ACCUSATIONS IS PROSECUTED FOR THAT. Heads should roll all over the place on this one so any SCUM eliment on either side will think 10 times B4 pulling this kinda thing in the future.

Pontificating Pockets

 

[1827]

Everybody....

Thanks for the ideas. The tix was only $155, and I'm not going back to OH, so screw it.

My decision is also fueled by the fact that I drive on a dealer tag that is not related to my (lousy) driving record.

Besides, the cop was nice about it, and I didn't want to ruin his attitude toward exotic-car-drivers.... YOU might be his next victim!

 

[jj1987]

For what it's worth, I took my ticket to court. Basically I was driving home from work, and got popped for 50 in a 35. I had my radar detector go off, so I knew i was clocked, but I honestly thought the limit was 45, so I only slowed down to 45. The cop followed me about 5 blocks, and when we got caught at a red light, he flashed his lights the second it turned green. Wrote me a ticket for speeding at the intersection he pulled me over in, rather than the one I committed the violation in. I postponed my court date because of school, and then plead not guilty to the charges as stated (under advice from school lawyers). The judge asked was that my signature on the ticket, and after I said yes, she told me I should have corrected the officer on the scene, and ordered mandatory $45 court fine, full ticket price, and 4 hour driving course.

Few months later I got a ticket for 71 in a 55, and had a friends dad (who's a well known lawyer) represent me. He showed up, said that I would plead no contest, and I was given the full fine with no points.

Traffic court is weird, basically you're debating on the judge's mood that day, since it's rare that there's any hard evidence. From what I can tell, your only chance of winning is with a lawyer, since you're guilty until proven innocent in traffic court, because they always take the officers word over yours, and it's nearly impossible to PROVE that you're not guilty of a traffic violation since you don't go around video taping yourself.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Hmmmmmmmmmm. I'm at a lost to 'figger' where one really gains squat hiring a lawyer (who costs how much?) to save "X" # of dollars in fines, etc...maybe. My guess is, net-net-net, one would come out about the same regardless most of the time, lawyer or NO lawyer.

We may as well face it ... 999 times outta 1,000 the attitude of any traffic court (though they'll CERTAINLY not say so outright!!!) when dealing with a citation given to drivers of cars like ours will surely be, "Okay, you big shot rich guy playboy with the fancy high dollar exotic car that cost more than my house, here's the chance for me to show YOU who the real big shot is in these parts! And you're standin' there hopin' I'm gunna be cuttin' yuh some SLACK? HA!!! When pigs fly!"

Many who wear blue OR black just LIVE for such an opportunity. And that's the gospel. It just "makes their day" to throw the book ... ('apologies to Dirty Harry). :bored

 

[jj1987]

Hmmmmmmmmmm. I'm at a lost to 'figger' where one really gains squat hiring a lawyer (who costs how much?) to save "X" # of dollars in fines, etc...maybe. My guess is, net-net-net, one would come out about the same regardless most of the time, lawyer or NO lawyer.

You'd be surprised. Most traffic lawyers charge $100-$175 to get you out of your ticket. I just used the free legal services through school (UCF) and they got me off. They charged me $50 for any fees they may have while filing my case, and refunded all of it at the end. Basically the judge read the case, asked the plea, he said no contest, and then we left. Had I been paying, he would have gotten $175, or basically $88 per word out of his or her mouth.

The thing is, in Alachua county (where I lived before school) NOTHING was going to save you from a ticket, point blank.

In Orange county, basically if you have an attorney and plea no contest, you get off. Two members of the college's car club were busted, one for doing street racing, and the other decided to do a 2am burst to 120mph. Both were sentenced to around 10 hours of community service, reduced fine, zero points, and a 8 hour traffic course.

Now, driving a $150k+ sports car, you might not have the same luck as a college student that the judge might feel pity on.