First speeding ticket in 9 years...
 

So as everyone has been saying, there are a lot more cops out than usual, well- they got me. It wasn't even like I was trying to speed, I am just not used to the highways, being that I've been deployed for the better part of a year. So anyway, I got hit right after a change from 55 to 50, going 65, the cop was a dick because he thought I was "a racer," I don't speed. Oh well, such is life.

How expen$ive is the ticket?

Oak Harbor = not getting away with anything. That's why I never go over there.

Pay lawyer and get it taken care of. Or can't you request that one thing? Diffffferrrrred?

144 dollars, I'm not quite clear on how to go about getting a ticket differed...

check the mitigation hearing box on the back, mail in ticket, get court date, go to court, ask for defferal, pay 150 dollars, don't get another ticket for a 6-12 months (judge decides, usually a year)

NEVER check anything else but contested hearing. Once you go to court you can amend your decision and change it to either defferal or mitigation. I would not suggest you to get a defferal simply b/c you are entitiled to only one based on 7 year increments. In other words you dont get one for the next 7 years so you wanna save it for something more serious such as 15+ mph over the speed limit. Get a discovery form filled out and sent with your ticket. If the prosecuting attorney does not send you back a copy of the back of the ticket with the officer's commentary then you can get the ticket dismissed based on a technicality. If that does not work, you can always politly ask the judge to mitigate it. This can be done anytime during the hearing. So contest, if you see you wont get away, just ask to get it mitigated. Dont get a differal. save it.

I think the original poster stated he was going 65 and the speed limit had just been lowered to 50. This might be a 15 over ticket so the deferral request might be a good strategy.

Well I would "save" the deferral, but I really don't speed- it was a fluke, I wasn't paying close attention (which I usually do), in the desert the speed limit on our base was 45mph due to things that go boom, so we drive slow as hell- getting used to being able to drive not 45 has been a struggle. So basically, I'll ask for the mitigation and then deferral, I'm just not sure I want to bother- I'm 27 years old, I have a pretty dedicated job where I don't really have time to take off, and I go on leave at the beginning of next month- so if I turn the ticket in, and they give me a court date during the time I am on leave, I won't be able to go. I'm considering just paying it outright, because I don't have the time to deal with it.

you can reschedule the court date a few times til you are in town

Yeah, you can usually reschedule the courte date at least 3 times(several months) before they get on you too hard.

Send the ticket in for contested hearing. You can always change it once you get to court. Then file for a discovery and see if something they screwed up on.

Last ticket I fought I won and got it dismissed cause the trooper didn't write down the sub secetionof the Rcw.

Just pay a lawyer like $250. Then forget about it. They go to court for you. They take care of everything for you. All you do is pay them cash and this nonsense is gone out of your life.

Well I think I'll send it in and go to court, I don't really want to deal with it, and maybe the judge will have mercy on me- considering I really am not a go faster guy, I'm just someone who was in the wrong place, in the wrong gear (4th, so it would be easy to creep up 10-15mph without really paying attention), fiddling with my stupid GPS.

bad move. counting on the mercy of the judge is essentially wasting your time and his time. I've seen judges not even bat an eye and just give someone the max fine for not bringing representation. didn't really even get a chance to talk. I would advise you to do what bumpin suggested and just pay a lawyer to handle it all for you.

You know a good lawyer?
Woudl be nice to have one on speed dial... :rolleyes:

Kenneth L Grover

206 241 5508
206 241 1776
Fax 206 439 7363