Should I Contest a Speeding Ticket If I Believe I Was Not Speeding?

You have every right to contest a speeding ticket. If the officer doesn't show up, the judge may dismiss it. My husband went to court to contest a speeding ticket he got earlier this year, not because he wasn't speeding, but because he didn't think that he was going as fast as the officer said. The judge ended up lowering my husband's ticket a little and making it a non-moving violation, which wasn't going to hurt his driving record as much as a moving violation. Good Luck and let us know how it goes. It doesn't hurt to go to court and try especially when this has never happened to you before.

Hey Girl,

You can go to court and ask to see the video (which they are all supposed to have on) and view when he supposedly "caught" you going over the speed limit. That would show whether you were going downhill and in the process of shifting.
I have a name of a really good attorney that my sister's husband has used several times for his employee's traffic tickets. It might be worth just talking to an attorney to get their opinion of how you should proceed. Everyone is at least entitled to their day in court....and if the officer doesn't show up for your scheduled date (which does happen) then they will dismiss the case.
I do believe that you CAN "fight" a traffic violation, you are always presumed innocent until proven guilty! Doesn't mean you'll win, but it's always worth a shot, especially in your case.
Good luck and email me if you need the name of the attorney.
S.

You don't need to have a lawyer to contest a ticket.....
My neighbor unfortunately freq. gets stopped (he got two in one week and got them BOTH reduced to non-moving violations)

Now from what I know when a ticket gets reduced/changed it usually ends up costing more ---in terms of the fine/court costs...but the no points/no ins. increase might make up for it.

That said...YOu mentioned the officier said they had complaints so he had to write a ticket - and that you were driving your Dh's car---Do you think your dh may have been observed speeding at some time? (Maybe the 'car' has been flagged for speeding)

I don't think going down hill or shifting will allow you to get out of a ticket....

You can also ask when the last time was that the radar was callibrated. Sometimes you can argue that it may have read you inaccurately.

I also know that in some states if the officier doesn't show you the actual radar they can't make it stick --- b/c it is just their word....Don't know about that in KS.

It seems odd to me that he didn't pull you over right away if indeed you were speeding.

You may also want to have the car's speedometer checked. It could be off and you might be inadvertently speedinh (I don't think that will get you out of a ticket this time but might prevent future ones.)

Oh did he write you at more than 10 over or less than 10 over? According to what you said he recorded you at 11 over...I am betting he might have tough time keeping that to stick (b/c of the callibration issue) So you probably stand a good chance of a lowered fine in any case.

Good luck and let us know what happens

I would call city hall to see what you need to do.I believe the officer has to have proof such as the radar reading to show if you were actually speeding.If you believe you were not then there is no harm in tring but definately I think city hall would tell you whats needed to argue your case and what he would need to argue his.Good luck hopefully he has no proof:)

Yes! last month I was also stopped by a Shawnee officer. He said I was going 41 in a 25. There is no possible way I was going that fast. I also am in my 40's and have never received a ticket! I was driving my son to school and there was a huge trailer parked blocking the street that I had to drive around and could not have possibly been going that fast. This was also a motorcycle cop that was at a stop sign at the end of the road, facing the same direction as my car. When I went around him, he pulled me over and said I came up behind him going 41. When I asked to see the radar, he said he didn't lock it in. How convenient. Was the officer Walsh by chance?

You could try to fight it, but most likely you wouldn't win. Even if you were just speeding for a "second".
You say the officer was behind you when you got out of the car. Had he been following you with his lights on and you just didn't notice?
Someone suggested that the officer hadn't callibrate his radar. They don't callibrate it, just test it. And with the video, I don't think motorcycles have videos, but they all wear microphones I believe.
I would suggest you either have it ammended (you don't need a lawyer for that), or just pay it and move on. No one likes to get a ticket, but you can't let it get you down. Good luck!

Yes, it true you cannot fight the law. Either pay the ticket or get a lawyer to get it reduces so it will not cost you points, but that will cost you. Regardless of how fast or slow you were going it is your word against his and he will win in court, the Judge will not care what kind of headache you may have had that day, or even about your bike rake. My suggestion is to just accept it and move on with your life and do continue to let this man steal your joy any longer.

How crazy. The same exact thing happened to me. I was fined fopr driving 41 in a 30. I had just stopped at a stopsign and turned a corner. I had only driven about 50 yards when I was pulled over. I drive a 4 cylinder Saturn. There is no way my car could havebeen going that fast. You better believe I'm fighting it!