got first speeding ticket. should i go to court?
 

Got my first speeding ticket. (78 in a 55) should I go to court and try to get them to give me the class so it doesn't go on my insurance? I hear if the cop doesn't show its in my favor.. And that more cops don't show in summer.

What's your advise? I don't care about paying it, I'd rather actually pay more and not have it on my record.

Take it to court, you've got nothing to lose but time. If that doesn't work, take the class.

If I take the class, will it not go on my record? That's what people are telling me but do they straight out offer it or do I have to ask?

If you take the class, it will not count as a point on your record. They offer online classes. You'll be done with the class in a day.

So, you can take a chance in court hoping that the cop doesn't show and still have the class to fall back on.

1 speeding ticket won't effect your insurance. It shouldn't at least.

78 in a 55 is 23 over...

Is it just a speeding ticket?

Did they not try to tack on other stuff as well?

Also, depending on your age/past/area you live...it may be more or less detrimental.

I would say head to court, you may get lucky.

If not, take the class and try to get the ticket suspended.

take the jail time

jk. Try a TBD, court or just pay the fine/take the class.

Every state is different. Find out what your local law says. Most of the time it is better for you to go to court.

Must be nice to just take a class and not have it go on your record.

Just curious....

if you take it to court and the cop does show up......what is your defense......?


also, even if the cop doesn't show up, they may have a placeholder person, which depending on your state is likely to happen.

He didn't. Its just a speeding ticket. How do I go about the class? Do I go to court and ask for the class or what?

Welp, that depends upon your insurance company and the judge in court that day.

Generally, I would agree with the advice of the previous posters.

UNLESS ...... it was about 40 years ago near Los Banos, CA.

It was a bright, sunny day and I was heading across the valley on Route 152 (a very flat and straight road).

When I "thought" I had cleared Los Banos ...... I hammered down on my 1972 Ford Gran Torino (YES, it was ..... green).

The Sheriff thought that 100 MPH was just a little too fast.

So, I went before “the judge” in Los Banos …… BAD move on my part!

It was ugly ….. :popcorn:

Shortly after that, I-5 opened up and I NEVER went through Los Banos again.

humfrz

I got a speeding ticket a few years ago and I opted to go to court. (50 on 35 at like 1 am)

I had to go two times (arraignment and trial...felt like a criminal) and I was lucky that the cop didn't show up. I was super lucky because that cop was the only one on the list who didn't show up. Everyone else who tried to fight it got slapped with the fine. From what I saw, the judge always sided with the cop.

Some lady and her daughter brought these huge poster boards of diagrams and illustrations trying to prove their point. Judge LOLed and sided with the cop.

And some other guy brought the weather and traffic reports on that specific day and time, something like that...my memory is kind of fuzzy since it was a couple of years ago. He was pulled over for 70-something on the highway and he was trying to prove that since it was during rush hour and the freeway was packed, that there was no way in hell that he was going at the speed the cop says he was going. Judge sided with the cop.

These are just two instances I saw that scared the S out of me

Did you get the points taken away though? I don't care about paying, it's just the points I don't want.