Plead Guilty or Not Guilty?

[Hey Adrien!]

Now that I have your attention...

On Friday, I was pulled over on I-84 E going 79 on a stretch of the road just west of Newburgh, NY where the speed limit switches from 65 to 55.

I was driving along with traffic, staying on the left lane, but not passing anyone on the right lane. Literally, just bad luck: I guess, the cop could have pulled over his pick of 50 other cars that passed him at the same speed or faster within the 30 seconds the radar got me.

Anywho, it's been a while since my last ticket. Should I simply plead guilty and accept the fine/upcharge of car insurance, etc, or should I feel lucky by pleading not guilty and seeing what happens?

 

[husky429]

How much is the fee? Is it just speeding or reckless driving?

(I have no answer, but I would imagine that is an important piece)

 

[karstenkibbe]

Now that I have your attention...

On Friday, I was pulled over on I-84 E going 79 on a stretch of the road just west of Newburgh, NY where the speed limit switches from 65 to 55.

I was driving along with traffic, staying on the left lane, but not passing anyone on the right lane. Literally, just bad luck: I guess, the cop could have pulled over his pick of 50 other cars that passed him at the same speed or faster within the 30 seconds the radar got me.

Anywho, it's been a while since my last ticket. Should I simply plead guilty and accept the fine/upcharge of car insurance, etc, or should I feel lucky by pleading not guilty and seeing what happens?

Driving the entire stretch from Brewster all the way to Middletown is one long gauntlet of speed traps. If the trooper shows up, your chance of winning is somewhere between slim and none. If you can, show up in court and plead the fine down with the Orange County DA staff attorney.

 

[jleves]

I don't know the rules back there but in California, if you haven't had a ticket for a while, you can pay the fine and take a class so the ticket doesn't go on your record and doesn't get reported to insurance.

 

[Peacefrog]

Friend just got a speeding ticket and showed up to court. Since he didn’t have any violations in the last five years it was immediately reduced to a non-moving violation. Had to pay a few hundred dollar court fee but didn’t ding his insurance and fewer/no points on license. This is in North Carolina; I imagine it could vary by state.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Always plead not guilty. The worst thing that can happen is you are found guilty later on down the road.

 

[formerlurker]

Now that I have your attention...

On Friday, I was pulled over on I-84 E going 79 on a stretch of the road just west of Newburgh, NY where the speed limit switches from 65 to 55.

I was driving along with traffic, staying on the left lane, but not passing anyone on the right lane. Literally, just bad luck: I guess, the cop could have pulled over his pick of 50 other cars that passed him at the same speed or faster within the 30 seconds the radar got me.

Anywho, it's been a while since my last ticket. Should I simply plead guilty and accept the fine/upcharge of car insurance, etc, or should I feel lucky by pleading not guilty and seeing what happens?

NY Troopers hang out there daily. I got pinched in the same area a few years ago and decided to just pay up. No points on my license and no boost from insurance.

 

[hardcorehusky]

I had the same thing happen to me in NY in early May. 79 in a 65. Because it was hours from home, I hired an attorney. If you can go yourself, it is much cheaper. Anyway, the 79 MPH is 4 points, which could really impact your insurance. We plead guilty and have a $175 fine with 0 Points

 

[manbyrd]

Been a while too but from what I remember (getting tickets in NY and CT) it doesn't hurt to plead not guilty. Buys you time and if the cop doesn't show up too it gets dismissed.

 

[Umami Zen]

Now that I have your attention...

On Friday, I was pulled over on I-84 E going 79 on a stretch of the road just west of Newburgh, NY where the speed limit switches from 65 to 55.

I was driving along with traffic, staying on the left lane, but not passing anyone on the right lane. Literally, just bad luck: I guess, the cop could have pulled over his pick of 50 other cars that passed him at the same speed or faster within the 30 seconds the radar got me.

Anywho, it's been a while since my last ticket. Should I simply plead guilty and accept the fine/upcharge of car insurance, etc, or should I feel lucky by pleading not guilty and seeing what happens?

Have some experience with going over speed limit in St of NY.. I am a CT resident.. Its important to look at the points you'll be hit with re: over the speed limit--Which will influence your fine/insurance bump. NY St troopers are notorious for setting up speed traps around construction zones where there is a change in speed limit.. Their preference is to stop out-of-state cars/plates. In my case (s).. I paid for an attorney who got my violation reduced to non-moving violation because of their familiarity with the presiding Judge. My profession requires that I travel around NE/NY by car..I could not afford to not have a license or a prohibitive insurance bump.. Speeding over limit in St of NY re: points adds up real quick. My point..If you were hit for going 79 in a 55 vs going 79 in a 65 .. Do your homework on points.. If you can't get the violation eliminated or reduced.. The next ticket you get (in any state) may cost you your license--because of points.

Hope this helps. My tickets were going to and from Saratoga Springs,NY--business trips.

 

[formerlurker]

@Hey Adrien! read your ticket thoroughly. Mine specifically said no points for out of state and no reporting to insurance if I didn't fight it. Sounds crooked and it probably is but I was definitely speeding so paid up to be safe.

 

[aburks41]

Never plead guilty. Make the cop show up to court (unless it's super inconvenient for you and you'd waste more money travelling to court than just paying the fine).

 

[Dove]

Were you returning from trolling Syracuse residents?

 

[Fishy]

Now that I have your attention...

On Friday, I was pulled over on I-84 E going 79 on a stretch of the road just west of Newburgh, NY where the speed limit switches from 65 to 55.

I was driving along with traffic, staying on the left lane, but not passing anyone on the right lane. Literally, just bad luck: I guess, the cop could have pulled over his pick of 50 other cars that passed him at the same speed or faster within the 30 seconds the radar got me.

Anywho, it's been a while since my last ticket. Should I simply plead guilty and accept the fine/upcharge of car insurance, etc, or should I feel lucky by pleading not guilty and seeing what happens?

Plead not guilty by reason of insanity.

Eat your underwear at the trial.

You’re welcome.

 

[ecasadoSBU]

Now that I have your attention...

On Friday, I was pulled over on I-84 E going 79 on a stretch of the road just west of Newburgh, NY where the speed limit switches from 65 to 55.

I was driving along with traffic, staying on the left lane, but not passing anyone on the right lane. Literally, just bad luck: I guess, the cop could have pulled over his pick of 50 other cars that passed him at the same speed or faster within the 30 seconds the radar got me.

Anywho, it's been a while since my last ticket. Should I simply plead guilty and accept the fine/upcharge of car insurance, etc, or should I feel lucky by pleading not guilty and seeing what happens?

Wait. How in the world can you even plead "not guilty"? I don't remember even having that choice. And if you do have a choice to plead "not guilty" what evidence will you use to support your case?

I remember it being a summons when you must go to court which is what happened to me. It turned out to be a good day for me where the Judge dropped all the points and fines associated with the violation and basically just charged me the court fee ($87) and required a 4-hour defensive driving course.

EDIT: NVM. I just looked a digital copy of that old summons. I did indeed pleaded NOT-GUILTY!

--->

My case was extremely bad luck. I took my wife (who was a medical student back then) to her PCP at Ridge Hill, Yonkers just off I-87. Then as we are about to get into the car to drive out she starts rushing me telling me she is running late for med school (Einstein Med in the East Bronx). So I get on the highway and she bugs me again about being late. So I troll her and immediately floored the gas and speed up to 87mph to see her resulting reaction. Well, the joke was on me. Behind the curve the cop caught me going 87mph on a 55mph. He had the radar right on me and I was the only one on that segment of the highway. There was nothing I could do or say. I guess it was immature on my part. But really, there was no one in the highway that I put in danger and I immediately slowed down after a few seconds. But it was too late.

 

[Fishy]

Wait. How in the world can you even plead "not guilty"? I don't remember even having that choice. And if you do have a choice to plead "not guilty" what evidence will you use to support your case?

I remember it being a summons when you must go to court which is what happened to me. It turned out to be a good day for me where the Judge dropped all the points and fines associated with the violation and basically just charged me the court fee ($87) and required a 4-hour defensive driving course.

EDIT: NVM. I just looked a digital copy of that old summons. I did indeed pleaded NOT-GUILTY!

--->

My case was extremely bad luck. I took my wife (who was a medical student back then) to her PCP at Ridge Hill, Yonkers just off I-87. Then as we are about to get into the car to drive out she starts rushing me telling me she is running late for med school (Einstein Med in the East Bronx). So I get on the highway and she bugs me again about being late. So I troll her and immediately floored the gas and speed up to 87mph to see her resulting reaction. Well, the joke was on me. Behind the curve the cop caught me going 87mph on a 55mph. He had the radar right on me and I was the only one on that segment of the highway. There was nothing I could do or say. I guess it was immature on my part. But really, there was no one in the highway that I put in danger and I immediately slowed down after a few seconds. But it was too late.

You know you’re guilty, but you plead not guilty in the hope that they will reduce the penalty….something that is not an option if you plead guilty and mail in a check.

 

[UCTitleTown]

Always plead innocent, especially if you got the ticket on a weekend or holiday. The court is loaded with cases from those busy times. Police officers must come to court and are paid overtime to do so. It's usually cheaper to drop the charges than have the officer come to court. I've gotten four tickets in my life, had three dropped in advance and the other I went to court, sat in a room and they dropped it there. I'm a gambler.

 

[Deepster]

Disagree. It's worth the money to avoid spending a day in a courtroom full of lowlifes and miscreants. What are they going to do? Knock it down a 100.00? For the time it takes to drive there, sit there, plead your stupid case or negotiate with the DA, then drive home? I'd rather sit on my couch watching cartoons.

 

[InTheRed]

@Hey Adrien! read your ticket thoroughly. Mine specifically said no points for out of state and no reporting to insurance if I didn't fight it. Sounds crooked and it probably is but I was definitely speeding so paid up to be safe.

This is the key. CT tickets say this. They dont want you fighting it. If you show to court and lose, then points kick on.

 

[Mr. French]

Never plead guilty to a moving violation.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Did my college internship with the States Attorney’s office in New Haven way back when. Pretty much the only thing I got out of it aside from a decent recommendation letter was never plead guilty to a speeding ticket. I saw $500 fines get knocked down to $25…

Day before your court date, maybe even call in and say you can’t make it. They may take a look at the ticket and ‘nolle’ it while you’re on the phone if it’s not worth their time.

 

[auror]

Going 24 over (79 in 55) is 6 points in NY. If they hit you with Reckless Driving on top, you'd get an additional 5 points which = 11 points which is a license suspension in NY. So as @husky429 says make you you know what they're charging. A 6 point fine also gives them the option to charge additional fines.

You'd probably want to plead not guilty regardless, but definitely if you're at 11 points.

 

[rman726]

It depends on how much of a hassle it is to get to court. In New York, fines for speeding on the highway goes to the state. Therefore, they will almost certainly allow you to plead down to a non-moving violation, so that the fine goes to the town. You will probably save $200, plus any points that you may have incurred.

I have had this happen in NY as well and I just took a day off from work, went to the court appointment in the morning, and made a day of it.

 

[tomtom80]

Sucks when it happens while following the rest of the traffic flow. Happened to me once in outerbanksNC while I was just keeping up with the flow. I pleaded with the cop why me and not all the others. His reply was…
”when I go fishing, I don’t expect to catch them all either”

no comfort

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Just mailed in the “plead not guilty” notice. I figure, I’m only an hour from Newburgh and Beacon is a pretty cool town that I could check out on my way home.