Beware speeding in Sommerville

boston335dna · 04-06-2010, 03:45 PM

I've received two tickets over the past two years in Somerville. So I've decided to issue a few tips to help you guys out. The first ticket was bogus: speed trap at the end of the month and right before an on-ramp to I-93N (next to Home Depot leaving Charlestown). 47 mph in a 30 mph according to LIDAR. On the 2nd ticket, the Somerville transit cop estimated my speed at "85 mph+". He followed me for a few seconds on I-93 South and wasn't sure how fast I was going so he checked "estimated" and wrote "85+".

In both instances, I went to appeal in front of the clerk magistrate. The clerk reduced the fine for both. The first ticket, I accepted and paid the reduced fine. No points showed up on my insurance b/c this was my first offense. For the second ticket, I requested an appeal in front of a judge hoping the cop wouldn't show up. I requested to push back the appeal date due to work travels so the new date was was 3 months after I received the ticket. The cop still showed up at the last minute and had a page full of notes from the incident. Also, all of the other cops for the various offenders showed up as well. Apparently, the cops in Somerville will show up where as the cops in other towns like Boston may be too busy to show up.

I panicked and quickly grabbed a lawyer standing in front of me in the lobby and he told me that he charged $150 per appearance. So we walked into the courtroom without even debriefing about the incident and the lawyer put the cop in the hot seat and asked him a ton of questions. The cop admitted he was speeding and wasn't sure when his speedometer was calibrated. The lawyer also argued that he cop couldn't prove that I was going exactly 85 mph. I thought I was totally getting off but the judge reduced the fine from $300 to $100. The lawyer informed me that if I called him before the trial, he could have filed for "Discovery" for the calibration records and I would have gotten off clean. I have the lawyers business card if anyone needs his info. Also beware, don't speed through Somerville on I-93 or side roads. Side roads are set up for traps at the end of each month (I guess they want more revenue).

dmichael · 04-06-2010, 03:51 PM

I wouldn't mind that lawyers name, 150 is cheap. I paid 500 for representation, but I hired him ahead of time and got off clean for 70 in a 50 zone (right after it drops from 55 and down a steep hill).

leemik · 04-06-2010, 04:46 PM

A transit cop pulled you over? As in T police? i thought they weren't trained to perform vehicle stops so they are actually putting your life in danger when they do that.

TripEEE · 04-06-2010, 05:25 PM

Yeah I would like to have that lawyers information also, that would help me out with a ticket i got a few months ago and have an appeal in May.
Please PM the info!

Thanks

ibeclueless · 04-06-2010, 06:20 PM

thanks for the heads up

boston335dna · 04-06-2010, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leemik

A transit cop pulled you over? As in T police? i thought they weren't trained to perform vehicle stops so they are actually putting your life in danger when they do that.

Yeah, that's what I thought. I actually passed the MTA cop for a few seconds, he was in the left lane and I was in the right middle lane. A Chrysler 300M cut me off so I decided to go around him when I saw the MTA police car.

jaeck · 04-07-2010, 12:52 AM

I usually pass RT-28 (Mcgreath highway) around 70mph. Thanks for the headsup.

ChaosBroker · 06-14-2010, 10:28 PM

The exit 29 -- 93N ramp is a huge trap. It's a 35 zone, which is ludicrous considering that it is 3-4 lanes wide in one direction. Whole lanes of traffic are often up to 60mph before they see the PoPo @ the Depot working in tandem. Rarely though, will you see any POs on McGrath, especially on the stretch into Cambridge, so have at it there. I'd easily get to triple digits on the bike there. All in all, after 10 years here, the only speeding ticket I collected was 40 in a 30 on Broadway while on a motorcycle. I was trying to get away from a drunk cabbie from Nigeria, but all the cop would see was that I was on a nice bike, and he was not, and that the LIDAR was telling him that he could hold me up for precisely 90$. City-tax. Stay under 35 everywhere in Somervile.

04-06-2010, 03:45 PM	#1
boston335dna New Member 0 Rep 8 Posts Drives: 2009 335i coupe X-drive, black Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Boston iTrader: (0)	Beware speeding in Sommerville I've received two tickets over the past two years in Somerville. So I've decided to issue a few tips to help you guys out. The first ticket was bogus: speed trap at the end of the month and right before an on-ramp to I-93N (next to Home Depot leaving Charlestown). 47 mph in a 30 mph according to LIDAR. On the 2nd ticket, the Somerville transit cop estimated my speed at "85 mph+". He followed me for a few seconds on I-93 South and wasn't sure how fast I was going so he checked "estimated" and wrote "85+". In both instances, I went to appeal in front of the clerk magistrate. The clerk reduced the fine for both. The first ticket, I accepted and paid the reduced fine. No points showed up on my insurance b/c this was my first offense. For the second ticket, I requested an appeal in front of a judge hoping the cop wouldn't show up. I requested to push back the appeal date due to work travels so the new date was was 3 months after I received the ticket. The cop still showed up at the last minute and had a page full of notes from the incident. Also, all of the other cops for the various offenders showed up as well. Apparently, the cops in Somerville will show up where as the cops in other towns like Boston may be too busy to show up. I panicked and quickly grabbed a lawyer standing in front of me in the lobby and he told me that he charged $150 per appearance. So we walked into the courtroom without even debriefing about the incident and the lawyer put the cop in the hot seat and asked him a ton of questions. The cop admitted he was speeding and wasn't sure when his speedometer was calibrated. The lawyer also argued that he cop couldn't prove that I was going exactly 85 mph. I thought I was totally getting off but the judge reduced the fine from $300 to $100. The lawyer informed me that if I called him before the trial, he could have filed for "Discovery" for the calibration records and I would have gotten off clean. I have the lawyers business card if anyone needs his info. Also beware, don't speed through Somerville on I-93 or side roads. Side roads are set up for traps at the end of each month (I guess they want more revenue).
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04-06-2010, 03:51 PM	#2
dmichael Lieutenant 25 Rep 452 Posts Drives: 2011 GTI Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Massachusetts iTrader: (1)	I wouldn't mind that lawyers name, 150 is cheap. I paid 500 for representation, but I hired him ahead of time and got off clean for 70 in a 50 zone (right after it drops from 55 and down a steep hill). __________________ 2008 E90 328i - Sparkling Graphite/Terra/Dark Burl, 6MT, Sport, Premuim, Fold-down seats, iPod/USB(6FL). M-Sport Steering Wheel, ZHP M-Sport Shift knob, Euro fog lights. Euro Split Armrest
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04-06-2010, 04:46 PM	#3
leemik Lieutenant Colonel 512 Rep 1,570 Posts Drives: 2013 LRP M3 Coupe Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Quincy, MA iTrader: (4) Garage List 2020 Acura NSX [0.00] 2013 BMW M3 [9.50]	A transit cop pulled you over? As in T police? i thought they weren't trained to perform vehicle stops so they are actually putting your life in danger when they do that.
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04-06-2010, 05:25 PM	#4
TripEEE Private First Class 23 Rep 195 Posts Drives: 2017 540i M Sport Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Northboro iTrader: (0)	Yeah I would like to have that lawyers information also, that would help me out with a ticket i got a few months ago and have an appeal in May. Please PM the info! Thanks
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04-06-2010, 06:20 PM	#5
ibeclueless What 142 Rep 9,325 Posts Drives: E92 328xi Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Quincy, MA iTrader: (1)	thanks for the heads up __________________ E92 328xi Space Gray Aero Lip \| M3 Side Skirts \| CF Performance Spoiler \| ACS Roof \| Gloss Black Grilles \| LUX H8 Angels \| BMW Performance Exhaust My E92 Photos
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04-07-2010, 12:52 AM	#7
jaeck Course III Grad Student at the TECH 0 Rep 49 Posts Drives: '08 E92 M3 Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Cambridge, MA iTrader: (0)	I usually pass RT-28 (Mcgreath highway) around 70mph. Thanks for the headsup.
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06-14-2010, 10:28 PM	#8
ChaosBroker Disinformant 0 Rep 35 Posts Drives: 2013 C300-4M Sport Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Boston iTrader: (0)	The exit 29 -- 93N ramp is a huge trap. It's a 35 zone, which is ludicrous considering that it is 3-4 lanes wide in one direction. Whole lanes of traffic are often up to 60mph before they see the PoPo @ the Depot working in tandem. Rarely though, will you see any POs on McGrath, especially on the stretch into Cambridge, so have at it there. I'd easily get to triple digits on the bike there. All in all, after 10 years here, the only speeding ticket I collected was 40 in a 30 on Broadway while on a motorcycle. I was trying to get away from a drunk cabbie from Nigeria, but all the cop would see was that I was on a nice bike, and he was not, and that the LIDAR was telling him that he could hold me up for precisely 90$. City-tax. Stay under 35 everywhere in Somervile.
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