Speeding ticket in WI - NOT A COMPLAINT THREAD

[Roxogs]

Ok, yesterday I got a speeding ticket in Wisconsin (I am a resident here).

I was doing 50 in a 35, pretty much because I wasn't paying attention and thought it was a 45 or 55 - as I do pizza delivery and have travelled that road before, and there are sections where it is 45 and 55. The reason I was unfamiliar with the road is because I just transferred from a different store 30 miles away - only been doing delivery at this one for like 7 days.

Anyway, whatever. I also got into an accident last July and was cited for failure to yield.

Pretty sure the failure to yield plus speeding ticket will get me fired from the pizza delivery job (I'm also in college and have two OTHER jobs) as I'm pretty sure I can only have 1 moving violation on my record.

So anyway, I'm looking to get this changed to a non-moving violation. If I could get it dismissed that would be cool too, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Or part of a program where if I don't get another moving violation in 6 or 12 months they'll throw this one out...

I'm more than willing to pay a pretty penny to get it reduced to an expensive non-moving violation like parking in a handicapped zone or no seat belt or whatever. The speeding ticket is only $86.

Finally, the question(s):

Do you think going to the cop and pleading leniency (in the form of a non-moving violation) so I can keep my job is likely to be a viable option? Can he change it after it's written? What about going to the prosecutor under the same scenario?

Obviously other than that I have no choice but to prepare the best possible defense (ask for radar certification, blah blah blah) I can. I can't have another moving violation, even a low point one.

Oh and FWIW, I did not argue with the cop. I didn't admit guilt, then he gave me the ticket. I then proceeded to sit in my car where he said some things about how even if I'm delivery pizza I can't speed (why would I care to speed when I'm on the job, it wasn't intentional). I didn't even look at him or say a word after he gave me the ticket though.

[txinvestigator1]

Cops hear sad stories every day. Everybody has one. The prosecutor or judge is your best chance of leniency.

[Citicop]

Ok, yesterday I got a speeding ticket in Wisconsin (I am a resident here).

I was doing 50 in a 35, pretty much because I wasn't paying attention and thought it was a 45 or 55 - as I do pizza delivery and have travelled that road before, and there are sections where it is 45 and 55. The reason I was unfamiliar with the road is because I just transferred from a different store 30 miles away - only been doing delivery at this one for like 7 days.

Anyway, whatever. I also got into an accident last July and was cited for failure to yield.

Pretty sure the failure to yield plus speeding ticket will get me fired from the pizza delivery job (I'm also in college and have two OTHER jobs) as I'm pretty sure I can only have 1 moving violation on my record.

So anyway, I'm looking to get this changed to a non-moving violation. If I could get it dismissed that would be cool too, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Or part of a program where if I don't get another moving violation in 6 or 12 months they'll throw this one out...

I'm more than willing to pay a pretty penny to get it reduced to an expensive non-moving violation like parking in a handicapped zone or no seat belt or whatever. The speeding ticket is only $86.

Finally, the question(s):

Do you think going to the cop and pleading leniency (in the form of a non-moving violation) so I can keep my job is likely to be a viable option? Can he change it after it's written? What about going to the prosecutor under the same scenario?

Obviously other than that I have no choice but to prepare the best possible defense (ask for radar certification, blah blah blah) I can. I can't have another moving violation, even a low point one.

Oh and FWIW, I did not argue with the cop. I didn't admit guilt, then he gave me the ticket. I then proceeded to sit in my car where he said some things about how even if I'm delivery pizza I can't speed (why would I care to speed when I'm on the job, it wasn't intentional). I didn't even look at him or say a word after he gave me the ticket though.

Once the ticket is written, the officer will not be able to help you alter the charge. Talking to the prosecutor (wear a tie to court!) would not hurt.

Citicop.

[Roxogs]

Once the ticket is written, the officer will not be able to help you alter the charge. Talking to the prosecutor (wear a tie to court!) would not hurt.

Citicop.

I'm female :p

[Citicop]

I'm female :p

Well, skip the tie and go "Business Formal."

Did you try flirting with the officer? :p

Citicop.

[Roxogs]

Well, skip the tie and go "Business Formal."

Did you try flirting with the officer? :p

Citicop.

Nope. Always my policy to just keep my mouth shut. :shrug:

[Roxogs]

Cops hear sad stories every day. Everybody has one. The prosecutor or judge is your best chance of leniency.

1. Is leniency in these cases likely to work - especially if I show that I'm willing to pay a different, more substantial fine (not just ask for a fine and/or point reduction with nothing else involved) and one of my jobs is at stake*?

2. Is showing that I'm backed into a corner and must defend myself (and yeah I think I know how to attempt to, not say something stupid like "I was only going xx over the speed limit, not yy") likely to have any leverage?

*btw, being an unpaid student sucks. Thank god by this fall I'll either be student teaching high school math or in grad school as a teaching assistant / math phd student.

[Curt581]

Most cases like this are given a standard offer. You go to court, the prosecutor offers to amend the violation to a lesser charge in exchange for a guilty plea. Generally, the fine amount stays the same. The offer is usually not negotiable. If you don't want to accept it, your alternative is to go to trial.

Standard offers can vary from area to area. Busier courts most often make better offers, so they can clear more of the hundreds of cases they get. Their interest is to clear cases so court calendars don't get backed up with speeding trials.

In some areas, an attorney can get you a slightly better deal. For example, if you have a four point ticket, an offer to you might be to amend to a three pointer. An attorney might be able to get a two point. The downside is, the fine might be a bit higher.

[Roxogs]

Most cases like this are given a standard offer. You go to court, the prosecutor offers to amend the violation to a lesser charge in exchange for a guilty plea. Generally, the fine amount stays the same. The offer is usually not negotiable. If you don't want to accept it, your alternative is to go to trial.

Standard offers can vary from area to area. Busier courts most often make better offers, so they can clear more of the hundreds of cases they get. Their interest is to clear cases so court calendars don't get backed up with speeding trials.

In some areas, an attorney can get you a slightly better deal. For example, if you have a four point ticket, an offer to you might be to amend to a three pointer. An attorney might be able to get a two point. The downside is, the fine might be a bit higher.

Kind of what I figured. It's a small rural town, so I'm likely screwed.

The big issue is that whether it's 1 point or 4 points makes almost no difference to me. The fact that it's a moving violation is what's going to raise my insurance rates and/or get me canned. So it's better for me (from a risk standpoint) to take a 1% chance fighting it and getting it dropped than anything else. Though I fear that it's a small town it will likely also be a kangaroo court, no matter how good my cross examination is.

[SnapShawt]

It was going along just fine, and I would have offered the same advice to dress appropriately and ask for leniency.

But THEN I read about you putting on your "best possible defense" by asking for "radar certification ... blah blah blah". Besides the fact that you will lose miserably for a couple of reasons that I won't tell you (it's much better to let you get surprised with it when you ask and look ignorant), you've gone from asking for leniency to trying to find any reason to NOT accept responsibility.

You've admitted that you were indeed guilty of it, at least on here. So you're basically saying that you did it, but you'll do whatever you can to get out of it if leniency doesn't work. Does a lack of radar certification (like I said, you'll get the skinny on that one at some point should you go with this) make you less guilty of it somehow? "He's not certified to run that radar, so I can't be found guilty of doing what I was actually guilty of doing!"

[Roxogs]

Nm.

[mcsap]

In my state, there is no prosecutor or DA at District court. I am the only person representing the state. I get to handle my own cases and unless I have a compelling reason to do so, don't deal.

This is PA.

[Roxogs]

Thanks, keep the answers coming.

If nothing else I like learning about how the processes work. Guess I'll lawyer up though if I can't strike any kind of a deal. As I said, it's just not in my short term interest to have a 2nd moving violation on my record. I'll do pretty much anything (service, larger fine, traffic school, etc) to keep it off my record.

[keith758]

I'm a cop in a small Wisconsin town, and with the attitude that you're dealing with a "Kangaroo court," you've got nothing coming. The fact is, you were speeding, and if the officer felt circumstances warranted making the points lower, he would have done so. It's still up to the "Kangaroo Courts" as to whether or not the points will be lowered, but if you go in and try to act all innocent and question the officer's abilities, don't expect any slack.

[WellAdvised]

Was the officer wearing his hat?