Speeding Ticket in Morris Plains

[ChrisJM981 924]

My wife received a ticket for 20 over the speed limit when she swears she was doing 14 over. Her Honda has a numeric speedometer, so it's possible.

 

1. Anybody on the forum happen to be the Morris Plains municipal prosecutor?

 

2. Is it possible the gun was off?

 

3. I'm going to need an attorney that has a good rapport with Morris Plains. Suggestions would be appreciated.

[Lalo 13]

Do not pay for the ticket. Paying for it means you admit guilt.

15-29 mph over limit is a 4 point ticket.

You can take it to court, speak to the prosecutor before court starts

Prosecutor will drop it down to 2x points and you will just have to plea guilty to new ticket and pay court fees and fines for new ticket

Have your wife take a safety driving course and the last 2x points will go away and you will be down to 0 points again.

 

Other option is to pay $500+ for a lawyer to go with you to court

Lawyer will get you moved up to the beginning of the line to be seen by the judge first

Lawyer may get you completely off (if he knows the prosecutor or judge) or he will get you what I said above.

[capt14k 2,052]

Radar guns and lasers depending on conditions and user error can be very inaccurate. Ask the prosecutor for a lower ticket by admission to the 14mph over. Or fight it 100%. Either way better to fight or negotiate than to just accept it. I believe most NJ Departments use laser which the second link discusses how to beat. The first link is how to beat Vascar, Radar, Pacing, and Plane.

 

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/beat-ticket-book/chapter6-1.html

 

http://blinderxtreme.com/caught-speeding-b%D1%83-laser-gun-%D0%BD%D0%BEw-t%D0%BE-contest-%D0%B0-laser-speeding-ticket/

 

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[siderman 1,137]

I've heard of speeding tickets getting tossed because it was shown that the gun used wasnt maintained and/or calibrated correctly. But not sure how that route goes or is cost effective.

[DeerSlayer 241]

Plead not guilty. Show up for the court date early. Speak to the prosecutor before court, and ask to have the ticket reduced to unsafe driving. That carries no points with a higher fine. As long as she has a clean abstract, the prosecutor will probably do that. Pay the fine, and go on with life. Beating a speeding ticket is extremely difficult to do, any lawyer will tell you the same thing. I wouldn't waste the money on a lawyer unless the prosecutor was unwilling to make a deal. Then I would ask for a postponement, and hire a lawyer. I've played this game before many times, I drive like an asshole on a regular basis.

[Zeke 5,504]

Plead not guilty. Show up for the court date early. Speak to the prosecutor before court, and ask to have the ticket reduced to unsafe driving. That carries no points with a higher fine. As long as she has a clean abstract, the prosecutor will probably do that. Pay the fine, and go on with life. Beating a speeding ticket is extremely difficult to do, any lawyer will tell you the same thing. I wouldn't waste the money on a lawyer unless the prosecutor was unwilling to make a deal. Then I would ask for a postponement, and hire a lawyer. I've played this game before many times, I drive like an asshole on a regular basis.

This

[bhunted 887]

Guns have to be calibrated every so often. Been a long time, but I think it was 1 a year. Correct me if I'm wrong. If its been sitting in a trunk not calibrated, could be off. If she goes to court, ask to see the calibration certificate.

 

 

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[T Bill 649]

Plead not guilty. Show up for the court date early. Speak to the prosecutor before court, and ask to have the ticket reduced to unsafe driving. That carries no points with a higher fine. As long as she has a clean abstract, the prosecutor will probably do that. Pay the fine, and go on with life. Beating a speeding ticket is extremely difficult to do, any lawyer will tell you the same thing. I wouldn't waste the money on a lawyer unless the prosecutor was unwilling to make a deal. Then I would ask for a postponement, and hire a lawyer. I've played this game before many times, I drive like an asshole on a regular basis.

 

Read this explains it pretty good.  The Unsafe way maybe better, depends on your insurance company.

 

http://www.richardsonlawoffices.com/faqs/should-i-plead-to-nj-unsafe-operation-no-point-ticket.cfm

[DeerSlayer 241]

Read this explains it pretty good. The Unsafe way maybe better, depends on your insurance company.

 

http://www.richardsonlawoffices.com/faqs/should-i-plead-to-nj-unsafe-operation-no-point-ticket.cfm

You will have insurance points for 3 years if you take the ticket. Some insurance companies will forgive a 2 point ticket, some will not. Also taking the motor vehicle points instead of the unsafe may effect employment if you work somewhere that you use a company vehicle. Unsafe driving is usually the best way to go even if it costs a few bucks more.

[Oakridgefirearms 224]

You will have insurance points for 3 years if you take the ticket. Some insurance companies will forgive a 2 point ticket, some will not. Also taking the motor vehicle points instead of the unsafe may effect employment if you work somewhere that you use a company vehicle. Unsafe driving is usually the best way to go even if it costs a few bucks more.

This^^^^^

 

It's been awhile since I've been to court for a traffic ticket, but I was able to get a 4 point ticket down to driving unsafe (no points, no insurance increase) just by negotiating with the prosecutor on my own. The fines are higher than the ticket, but still less than what you'd pay a lawyer who is probably going to get you the same deal.

[Redlines 202]

This^^^^^

 

It's been awhile since I've been to court for a traffic ticket, but I was able to get a 4 point ticket down to driving unsafe (no points, no insurance increase) just by negotiating with the prosecutor on my own. The fines are higher than the ticket, but still less than what you'd pay a lawyer who is probably going to get you the same deal.

Nothing like legal extortion to ruin your day.

[ChrisJM981 924]

Thanks for the information. Based on the distance between where she was clocked and where the officer was sitting, it's entirely plausible she was going 64 and another car/truck was going faster in another lane. I need to check on the unsafe driving ticket. Geico assesses 5 insurance points as if it's a wreckless driving ticket.

[ChrisJM981 924]

NJ Manufacturers considers a zero-point ticket a violation. Guess I'm going to court.

[Fred2 367]

Thanks for the information. Based on the distance between where she was clocked and where the officer was sitting, it's entirely plausible she was going 64 and another car/truck was going faster in another lane. I need to check on the unsafe driving ticket. Geico assesses 5 insurance points as if it's a wreckless driving ticket.

Wreckless is not the same as ignoring a traffic control device or similar.

Wreckless is more like driving as a real asshole on purpose.

[Mr.Stu 1,916]

Wreckless is not the same as ignoring a traffic control device or similar.

Wreckless is more like driving as a real asshole on purpose.

The common definition of reckless is doing something dangerous, knowing it is dangerous and doing it anyway.

 

It's so much worse than doing something dangerous while being oblivious of the danger.

 

I think wreckless means you didn't crash.

[DaveR 42]

Contact the record department and get a discovery.  Check for anything you can use in your defense, like calibration records of the device used to record the speed, the officers certification / training to use such a device.  If it is radar, it leaves a possibility of a false positive, something else being the source.  If it is lidar, it would probably have a picture of the vehicle. 

 

Most prosecutors will accept the 2 point ticket over having to have the officer testify, unless its a town where you went down a money maker street and the officer will be in court anyway due to the number of tickets issued and someone already hireling a lawyer to fight it.  Although they will get to go first and and you can pretty much base your outcome on theirs.

 

Beating a 20 over the limit would be difficult, I'd accept the 2 point conversion as a win.

 

I don't think NJM will crucify you for 2 points.

[ChrisJM981 924]

Yeah I'm okay with the 2 points. 4 is just crappy.

[diamondd817 826]

Thanks for the information. Based on the distance between where she was clocked and where the officer was sitting, it's entirely plausible she was going 64 and another car/truck was going faster in another lane. I need to check on the unsafe driving ticket. Geico assesses 5 insurance points as if it's a wreckless driving ticket.

Highly unlikely, and the judge wont even entertain the argument. A traffic court judge probably hears that one 15 times a day.

 

Here's an idea, don't speed 14-20 mph over the speed limit. 7mph max over and you wont have any problems.