Speeding Ticket Question

[clemson94]

I received a speeding ticket yesterday here in SC. I was doing 45 in a 35. He issued me a ticket for $200 and 4 points against my license. From the people I have spoken with, they have advised me to go to my court date in June and plead guilty and ask for a reduction in points or no points at all. Several have done this and the judge has removed the points and just issued a fine. I was just wondering if this is true and would I be able to do the same thing? This is my first speeding ticket and I have no idea how the system works. I admit to doing the speed and will pay the fine. I have a good driving record and would like to save it by not having these points added. Any advice?

[TALLON]

I would plead NO-LO and give circumstances regarding the use of speed. Generally the judge will lose the points and issue a reduced fine plus Court cost (around $35)

[Darin]

Dang, $200 fine and 4 points for 10 over?? I thought VA. was expensive...

[nj50]

you may also want to check into if your state has any sort of defensive driver program where you take a class and they drop the ticket. those are also quite common

[marine19860222]

i got 200 for a wreckless driving.

[TALLON]

$200 for Reckless driving, a class C Misdemeanor...you got off easy.

[nj50]

edited post

$200 for Reckless driving, a class C Misdemeanor...you got off easy.

[darrell]

$200 good lord thats a lot of money. Thats damn near Nazi like for only 10 over. Its like $90-95 and 2pts in Michigan. Damn Redneck's and their crazyness. Norm needs to get up on that stuff cause thats ludicris BS. South Carolina, Georgia same difference in my mind. Bunch of toothless hillbillies. HA HA J/K

[Jynkxxie]

****...I got one, one time. $150.00 for a PRO-TURN!

[md123]

$200 bucks and 4 pts!!! Dang! You didn't try to tell the cop that you 'pay his salary' did you? You must have pissed him off for some reason other than speeding. Was it a construction, or school zone?

Now, I got pulled over in NC, or was it SC a few years back (with NY plates on my car) in the middle of the night on the hwy. I was going so fast the cop said it was considered reckless driving. Something like 80 in a 55. I mailed the ticket in with a quilty plea and an honest 'explanation.' I was careful to explain that this was merely an 'explanation' and not an excuse. I basically explained that I had to use the facilities in an awful way. I had just passed, and missed, the exit for the rest stop, and a sign said the next one was 50 miles or something away, so I sped to get there asap. I think I wound up getting like a 30 dollar fine and no points. I consider myself SUPER LUCKY, and although I never speed like that anymore, doubt I would ever be so lucky again if I needed to be.

Point is, if you go to court, and don't act like an ***, show honest remorse and take responsibility for what you've done you might get a break. This is just my humble opinion, and I am not a cop, lawyer or anything like that.

[clemson94]

Thanks for the feedback! I thought $200 and 4 pts was insane. I was in a church zone on a Thursday am. This road is a two lane country road. I'm not making excuses, but everyone does 45+ on it and not 35. I've had people pass me on the double line on that road. They had to be doing 70+. It just wasn't my day. This guy was in an unmarked car and hiding in a church parking lot behind a stone sign. I didn't see him until I got right up on the sign. I used to think if you did 10 and less, they'd let you go...or not even try and stop you. I was wrong. I didn't say anything to the guy. Just gave him my information and that was it. He went to his car and wrote my ticket up. Came back and told me to have a nice day. Yeah, like that was going to make me feel better. I swear, my BIL drives like a nutcase and each time he is stopped in SC he gets let off with warnings. Anyway, I do plan to go to court and take responsibility. I just hope the judge will let the points go and have me pay the excessive fine. Wonder what they do with all the money? I never see it go towards the roads or bridges or anything like that. There are pot holes here the size of craters. But that's another issue!!

[Jynkxxie]

Well that is probably why....Usually School Zones...Construction have...double fines. Never heard of church zones though...

[K9Cop]

Gotta love SC - the first and only ticket (thus far) that I have ever received was from a Deputy in Beaufort, SC - and I was wearing my pd uniform (comming from a seminar -but one LE giving another LE a ticket is left to another post) when he pulled me in my POV. I was polite, as was he - clocked me at 11 mph over and wrote me for 7 mph over the posted speed limit. I paid the fine - it was pretty high back then (1989) around 80.00 dollars - think I received 2 points. I know I would've went to court and pled my case if it would've been in the state I worked and lived in.

[mcsap]

Your fine here would have been $105 and 2 points. I too never heard of a church zone ??!!

[clemson94]

Well, I don't know if you call it a church zone. I just wrote that. Here in SC I've noticed --since I've lived here (I'm originally from Atlanta...)-- is that when you approach a church or churches nearby, the limit drops to 35. I think that's one thing that got me in trouble. I was on a 45 road, but as you approach these two churches the limit drops to 35. I never noticed that in Atlanta, but then again, I may not have been paying attention to it. I just assumed you call it a church zone. I'm more aware of it now. I passed thru one today. That one dropped to a 30 from a 45. These roads are a straight shot. No curves or anything. All of a sudden you're going 45 and then you see a sign for 30 and pass a church. Then up ahead, it will go back to 45. I can't explain it... I feel like I moved to Mayberry!