[cuttybuddyox]

Hi all,

I read the thread below about speeding tickets and I recently got one last week.

This is more of a question if it is worth fighting it than what lawyers to get.


I was driving up alderwood mall pkwy in Lynnwood passing the restaurant the keg.

It was pretty trafficy and I did not notice I was speeding.

The cop got behind me at the top of the hill at a stop light and I had to pull over into a parking lot.

He showed me the gun and he said I was going 48 in a 35 and showed me the radar gun.

I honestly don't think I was going that fast since it was 1. uphill and 2. trafficy.

Is this worth fighting with a lawyer?

He dropped it to a 45 in a 35 and its a $124 ticket... just not sure how much insurance will go up.

[Colo M/Sport]

Down here it's always worth contesting. Don't pay a lawyer though on the first go round. Here they will file it as a faulty muffler or something and give you no points if you pay the full ticket price. (First ticket only.) Then if you want to go to court they may offer you another deal at the last minute to save themselves some time. The DA's are pretty practiced at bluffing, so you gotta have some balls to push them beyond that.

[cuttybuddyox]

My friend says he has a good lawyer who charges around $200. Showing up to court/taking off work is a no go for me (not worth taking the time from work to appear in court to try and get it lowered).

I really just do not want it on my record but with the proof he showed me, it worries me.

[PR3CI5N]

Def do not waste your money on a lawyer. $124 is dirt cheap for a speeding ticket. This exact ticket would be around $300 in Cali. If I were you I'd just pay the ticket and do traffic school. Online traffic school including the final can be done in under 30 minutes now adays and then you won't have to worry about your insurance raising.
Or if you have skills writing you could do the "Trial by Written Declaration" route which intels you writing a copy of your story and the cop writing his story. Both of your copies will be read over by a judge and they will either decide to dismiss your case or charge you. One good thing about this Declaration method is that if the cop doesn't reply within a given period of time, the judge automatically dismisses your case! You have to pay the total ticket amount but if the ticket gets dismissed you get a refund in the mail. Little tip I use is to get as many extensions on your due date as possible because the longer you postpone this the greater the chance that the cop won't remember you or your case which means he might not reply which is an automatic win for you. Good luck

[magungo]

There is no trial by declaration in WA.

Originally Posted by PR3CI5N

Def do not waste your money on a lawyer. $124 is dirt cheap for a speeding ticket. This exact ticket would be around $300 in Cali. If I were you I'd just pay the ticket and do traffic school. Online traffic school including the final can be done in under 30 minutes now adays and then you won't have to worry about your insurance raising.
Or if you have skills writing you could do the "Trial by Written Declaration" route which intels you writing a copy of your story and the cop writing his story. Both of your copies will be read over by a judge and they will either decide to dismiss your case or charge you. One good thing about this Declaration method is that if the cop doesn't reply within a given period of time, the judge automatically dismisses your case! You have to pay the total ticket amount but if the ticket gets dismissed you get a refund in the mail. Little tip I use is to get as many extensions on your due date as possible because the longer you postpone this the greater the chance that the cop won't remember you or your case which means he might not reply which is an automatic win for you. Good luck

[PR3CI5N]

Originally Posted by magungo

There is no trial by declaration in WA.

Looks like traffic school for him then

[Taran.J]

Go lawyer first time around. It'll cost you but if it's cleared then you have nothing to worry about.

[asdflkijd]

You can fight it... But don't expect to win unless you have document proof that you weren't speeding.. In other words you're shit out of luck.

If you do have a clean record you can always opt to defer it and hope that you don't get another ticket within the probation period..

I would just get a lawyer to be on the safe side... But that's just me. An extra $100 so for an ease of mind imo is worth it.

Fred Hopkins, his rates are good and he's gotten all of my tickets dismissed.

Good luck bro. I've been seeing people getting pulled over left and right. Last night I saw 4 people get pulled over within 5 minutes of driving lol...

[mir-ali604]

Sorrry to hear about your ticket. This sounds eerily familiar. I was visiting Bellevue from Vancouver this past weekend when the same happened to me. I was staying at the westin and left there around 2pm on Saturday to go to Bellevue BMW to pick up a special order. I was heading down 8th street or ave (not sure) when a cop with a gun pulled me over. He also said I was going 48 in a 35 zone. He said he would "give be a break" and reduced the fine down to $113. It's great that he "reduced" the fine but I don't think I was speeding at all.

[Taran.J]

Do you guys have radar detectors? I'm just wondering, if it read the gun or not and at what distance.

[Chris_506]

are there any ticket clinic(or similar place) where you live? they usually charge a fee+court costs to appear for you in court and have the ticket expunged. Personally i think is worth paying a little more to have the ticket dropped otherwise youll pay for it for years thru your insurance, save driving school for when you REALLY need it not just for small traffic fine

[mir-ali604]

I personally dont have a radar detector but Im seriously considering one right about now. I dont think there are any clinics or anything in the state. I was also wondering if there is anyway I could argue this ticket in another court since I live in vancouver. I would prefer to do it in Bellingham or Blaine if possible.

[asdflkijd]

Originally Posted by Taran.J

Do you guys have radar detectors? I'm just wondering, if it read the gun or not and at what distance.

I used to have a escort passport x?? Forgot the exact model but it was the popular one at the time. I still managed to get a few tickets even with the radar.

After about a year I got rid of it and have been just driving more carefully.... Since then (about 3-4 years) I've gotten one ticket. And that shit was really stupid. Changes from 35mph to 20mph after the intersection. Was clocked at going like 37... It was late and honestly I wasn't paying attention, just wanted to get home. Tried to fight it at court and get a deferral but apparently I used one a while back and the judge said if it had been a month later I could have used another deferral. Lame! Needless to say, my insurance premium is ridic...

[asdflkijd]

Originally Posted by Ali604

I personally dont have a radar detector but Im seriously considering one right about now. I dont think there are any clinics or anything in the state. I was also wondering if there is anyway I could argue this ticket in another court since I live in vancouver. I would prefer to do it in Bellingham or Blaine if possible.

From my understanding you have to go to the court in the county the ticket was assigned.

In your situation, I would get a traffic lawyer even more.. They will represent you in court so you don't have to drive down.

[stupordave]

+1 on a lawyer. I tried fighting one myself about 7 years ago and the DA turned to me and said "just get a lawyer" after waiting 6 hours in court to have my case heard and the judge postponing my hearing to another date. I just picked up another ticket this past week and had to write a $428 check to a lawyer but it's well worth it to just save my time from having to attend court. I was going a bit faster than you and am in NC though.

[Jeremy]

Eticketbuster.com is 3 for 3 so far, all 3 speeding. There have the price of the ticket and if they don't beat it you get your money back.

[mikolk]

Originally Posted by Taran.J

Do you guys have radar detectors? I'm just wondering, if it read the gun or not and at what distance.

I always drive with my radar detector, Escort 9500ix. With that said however, I have gotten hit with a laser when driving on I-5 heading south near Kelso. When that happens, the detector goes off and you already know you're screwed. It was my first in Washington, so I chose to differ. Speeding tickets really mess up your insurance.

[.Lindsay.]

I'd get a lawyer just to be on the safe side when it comes to insurance rates, but thats just my opinion. Lawyers don't cost all that much more than the ticket itself, and will guarantee that your insurance rates go up (as long as the ticket is dropped, which is usually the case if you hire a lawyer).

The affect it has on your auto insurance premium all depends on what company you're with, and how long you've been with them. If you've been with the same company for a long time (5+ years), there is a good chance they won't run your driving record, and therefore won't find out you have a ticket. The longer you're with a company, the less frequently they run your driving record.

If you're thinking about switching insurance companies, buying a new car, moving, getting married, and/or otherwise making ANY sort of adjustment to your auto insurance policy, they will most be running your driving record and therefore will find out about the ticket.

A ticket of any kind can raise your rates hundreds of dollars per year, and will stay on your record for 3 years. When I was an insurance agent, one speeding ticket would end up costing my insureds about $1k over the 3-year period. In my opinion, spending $200 on a lawyer is way better than spending $124 on the ticket, plus hiked up insurance rates for the next 3 years.

[Revlis]

Originally Posted by asdflkijd

From my understanding you have to go to the court in the county the ticket was assigned.

In your situation, I would get a traffic lawyer even more.. They will represent you in court so you don't have to drive down.

Originally Posted by stupordave

+1 on a lawyer. I tried fighting one myself about 7 years ago and the DA turned to me and said "just get a lawyer" after waiting 6 hours in court to have my case heard and the judge postponing my hearing to another date. I just picked up another ticket this past week and had to write a $428 check to a lawyer but it's well worth it to just save my time from having to attend court. I was going a bit faster than you and am in NC though.

Yup, always hire a traffic lawyer. It's stupid, seems so simple to just write that damn $124 check and be done. BUT,

4 months later, oh looky there, my insurance rates have gone up, or worse, I have a moving violation on my record, and THEN REALLY get popped for something interesting... HWY 2 Westbound Stevens pass at oh I dunno, lets pretend and call it 89 in a 45... With a prior speeding conviction on your record there isn't going to be any mercy. NONE most likely, so now you've got a serious ticket, AND your Insurance just went through the roof.

SO, attorney for every moving violation, SAY nothing, admit to nothing, be friendly, and let the lawyer do their thing.

Sux, but it's more a matter of insurance getting screwed up than right or wrong. I'd gladly pay $1k to the city or state, if there was a way to just keep it off my record.


Besides, might want that Papa John's Pizza delivery gig in a year or so and...
Then you'll be screwed.

[cuttybuddyox]

Thanks for all the responses guys. I talked to Fred Hopkins but chose to use a buddys referal since it was snohomish county and this lawyer mainly deals with Snohomish County.

$200 bucks.. hopefully he can at least get it to a non moving violation.

I would have had my radar detector on but my cigarette lighter hasn't been working for the last couple weeks (not a fuse)

Need to get that fixed asap

[FastFour]

Always use an attorney. My (knock on wood) Escort SRX on the S2000 hasn't failed me yet. It has the laser shifters front and back and has beat laser every time it's been used on me.