So I was caught "speeding" in August of last year in Queens.

I was "caught" (I wasnt even trying to speed...) going 48mph on the highway

Apparently it was an unposted speed zone of 30pmh.

I've already postponed the court date once online, and they only allow once
I'll need to show up in person to postpone again

What are some things I should know before I head into this? I do not have a lawyer

Also, how come my friends have received pretrial conferences for speeding ticket? the letter that I received confirming my court date, does not say pretrial on it

Advice?

 

the best advice i can give is, be honest, and respectful. yes sir/no sir goes a long way. just say you were paying full attention to the roads but you are not familiar with the roads, and did not know about the speed change. you were wearing ur seat belt, did not have your phone out, but you were unaware. and apologies. most of the time even if they do give you a fine it will be smaller and not carry points.

 

i see. thanks for the insight. I'll use some of the things you said

Btw, on the letter it says it will be a hearing. Is this just where the judge listens to my reasoning?

 

Get a lawyer there. I faced an 86mph ticket in a 50 mph zone on VanWyck. Bottom line get a lawyer! !! Walked away with only 2 points going 36 mph over the limit.

 

Best thing you can do is to get there early, and as the judge or the officer are walking, attack them mercilessly - if they have to go to the hospital they can't be in court, now can they?

Seriously though, go there, ask for a moving violation without points and the pay the fine.

 

what exactly occurs during a hearing?

this isnt the actual trial where I have to question the officer, and present a defense and all that legal stuff right?

This is where they just sit me in a room to talk to the judge/prosecutor? am i correct?

I am hoping to escape this with no points, and just a fine

 

get a lawyer.

 

too late for that

 

no its not.

 

correct it's your arraignment not your actual trial. usually you sit in the court room along with other people charged with motor vehicle offenses and you get to speak with a prosecutor to determine how you'd like to plead. if you plead guilty you can enter a plea deal with the prosecutor (ie. paying a bigger fine for an amended charge for no pts) or you can plead not guilty and have an opportunity to schedule an actual trial (which can be scheduled up to a few months later depending how busy the court is).

if you're in a hurry, try to get there early because in most court houses they go by who arrived first to last according to the sign in sheet. good luck

 

There are lawyers available right then & there for ur case.

 

let me correct that

"i dont want to"

this is a hearing so I dont think its necessary for a lawyer yet. But if this were to go any further, than yes, i will look into getting a lawyer.


Ok, thanks for this. How should i approach this? Should I just come straight out and ASK him for a plea deal?

 

Where exactly? I find this hard to believe you were on a highway that had a 30mph zone.

 

Highway != Interstate.

Many highways run through towns where the speed limit drops from 65 to 30 rather quickly.

I'm from Central Florida and I know there are some areas around Starke, Waldo, and Lawtey where the speed limit drops that far simply because there's a Super Wal-Mart on the side of the road even though the area isn't particularly populated. It's so notorious that AAA paid to put up giant yellow billboards to warn people that they're approaching a massive unexpected speed limit change.

 

Yeah, I also suggest aiming at a plea bargain of no points, but higher fine.

 

I believe this at northern blvd from main street in flushing going up the ramp toward van vyck or Grand Central Pkwy the unpost limit is 30 mph cops are notoriously catching ppl going up and down this so be advice he is not the first to get caught. I knew a few of friends got caught there.

 

^^^^THATS EXACTLY WHERE I WAS

I had just gone onto the ramp, and i believe it was Grand Central Parkway that I was on.
Or maybe it was Northern blvd like you said. either way, I had just left flushing queens to go back to Brooklyn and it happened. I was like ???? And i wasnt even trying to speed. I was coasting at 48

And about the plea bargain. How does this work exactly? Do I go into the room telling the prosecutor that I'm willing to plead guilty if he takes the points off? I am trying to avoid points, and that is all. Ill pay if I have to.

 

Since you're new at this here's the entire court process: you arrive early, sign the sign-in sheet and sit and wait and wait. When it's your turn to speak with the prosecutor make sure you are very polite and honest when you plead your case and tell him the facts about the incident. You want him to like you and get a good vibe from your demeanor so that he will help you. he may also ask how clean your driving record is as well. If he doesn't mention a plea deal option then try to suggest it yourself and inquire if you're eligible. depending on the circumstances (i.e. how fast you were speeding, anyone else involved or injured etc.) you may or may not be offered a break. but speaking with the prosecutor regardless will help your chances of getting out of there with no points. If the officer who pulled you over is there you may be able to talk to the officer before the prosecutor and cut a deal. If the officer is nervous about his case against you, he might let you off the hook. This just depends on your case, but at least ask.

After you speak with the prosecutor you'll sit down and wait again till everyone's gotten a chance to speak with the prosecutor. When your name gets called to go before the judge he'll rule on you and ask if you agree to the terms of your plea bargain if you pled guilty. Then he'll tell you the amount and ask you how you'd like to pay the charge (full amount or separate payments) Also bring cash cause some court houses don't accept check or credit. If you plead not guilty you will be given a trial date or you'll receive a summons in the mail with the trial date.

A likely and perfect scenario for you is that the prosecutor decides to cut you a break and lower the charge to careless driving which in NJ carries no points but costs like 400-500 bucks.

 

This is exactly what happened to me. I had gotten a ticket for doing 60 in a 40 construction zone.

My lawyer ended up talking to the prosecutor and getting me off without points with a "unsafe operation" charge, which was no points, and a $500 fine.

 

my bad, careless driving is actually 2 points. i meant to say "unsafe driving". that has no points but a large fine. expect to pay what he had to pay ^