First ticket
 

So after 5 years of driving, I received my first real ticket going 82 on a 60 while passing a semi-truck.

I'm not happy about it, but to be honest I knew it was coming to me someday considering how much dumb sh*t I got away with my Z28.

Anyways, my ticket's a whopping $276 and I know for a fact that this is going to be reported to my insurance company, but is there a way I can lower this ticket or even knock down some points?

You need to do some research on how the traffic laws work in your area. For example, where I live (in GA), you can plead 'nolo contendre' (latin for 'no contest') to any traffic charge once every 5 years. If you go into court and make this plea, the fine the judge will give you will invariably be lower than what it was if you had just plead guilty and mailed the fine in. Also, when you plea nolo contendre, you don't get any points on your license. And you can use this plea for different charges too. For example, if you use it this year for a speeding offense, then you can't use it again for a speeding charge for another 5 years. BUT, if you get cited for running a light next year, for example, you can use it for that, because it's a different charge.

All of the above is for Georgia, however. So my point here is only that you should invest some time in researching what your options are in your state, because you may find that there are much better options available than simply signing the back of the ticket and mailing it in with your fine.

Don't sweat it, fight it! $276 isn't bad at all. If you want to try and make this go away get a lawyer that specializes in motor vehicle tickets and set up an appointment. For the money that it costs its worth not going through with it on you own. They know the prosecutors, know the judges, the cops, etc. Call some consult over the phone if they don't think they can totally get you off, call the next one.

Mine got me off when I doubled the speed limit and then some.

@semtex

Can't find any similar laws in Oklahoma. Google is failing me. D:

@musashi

Seems like awful lot of trouble for a $276 ticket, though it seems viable for a ticket +$500. Never had to deal with a lawyer before but I'm going to guess hiring a lawyer is going to cost as much if not more than the ticket?

what does the ticket say? paced? estimated? radar? lazer? that will have the biggest impact of you being able to fight it.

Radar

molamann, I know it seems like a lawyer could cost more then the ticket. Most likely will be, but think about how your insurance will go up if this doesn't get handled properly. Sometimes the lawyers that specialize in this area of the law are already at court, they will reschedule your court date to keep costs down. Look in your phonebook, also look up drunk driving, a lot of these lawyers also specialize in that as well.

I just don't want to hear that you went to court with no lawyer and came home with points on your first ticket. I'm speaking from a lot of experience here. Always bring a lawyer, either way its gonna cost you, but will cost you more if you don't.

i'd say dont bother with the lawyer. they wont do much for you. all you need to do is a little reading before you go to court. they will let you plead your case, and you can either lie and say it wasnt you he caught on radar, or, be honest and ask for a lesser fee (which they do alot). in a case like this, a lawyer is a waste of money, period.

Check your traffic laws in Georgia...In Illinois, if you haven't had a speeding ticket within the last year you can get court supervision. It costs more, but no lawyer fees. If you get the supervison, as long as you don't get another ticket within the next 6 months, it falls off your record...So no insurance rate hike.

I can't speak for your local legal stuff, but if it helps, this is what I would say if you were in TX:

1) In most jurisdictions, so long as you didn't speed more than 20mph over the limit, you get the option to take defensive driving to clear your ticket. The ticket doesn't go on your record. You can do this once a year (one year separation in incidents, not calendar years).

2) If you've already burned your defensive driving option recently, get a lawyer. Around here the best bet is to drive to the courthouse where your ticket is to be heard, and then shop at the lawyers' offices that are within a block or two of the courthouse and specialize in traffic cases. Even for a simpler speeding ticket, it's usually worth it. They'll usually charge about the same as the ticket cost, maybe slightly more, and your chances of getting out of the charge go way up.

Usually you don't end up actually going to trial, it all gets sorted out in the arraignment hearing. The court puts tons of people on an arraignment docket, and tries to get most of them to plead guilty or take defensive driving on the spot to avoid clogging up the system with actual trials. They want a certain percentage of people paying the fines because they need money. Only a very small percentage hire lawyers, and those lawyers who office right by the court tend to eat lunch with the judge and prosecutor regularly and have a good working relationship, and it's their clients who are among the percentage who get a pass. That's just how the system works.