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Speeding ticket in Puerto Rico

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Luckyheel

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Virginia

I recently received a speeding ticket in Puerto Rico for doing 80 in a 65 ($125 and 6 pts here in PR). Although I am confident that I could likely get it thrown out because of a number of factors (other cars, rental car, cruise control on 75), I am in PR on business and will not be back for quite some time.

Items of note, I did not "sign" the ticket, although my name and address are on the ticket and the officer did not take my insurance information.

So, I have a few questions

1) Should I contest it?
2) If I choose to pay, will the points be transferred to my record in VA?
3) Should I even pay it?

thank you for your advice and answer to my question.
 
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seniorjudge

Senior Member
The only defense to speeding is that you were not speeding.


Standard answer

Here are some hints on appearing in court:

Dress professionally in clean clothes.

Do not wear message shirts.

Don't chew gum, smoke, or eat. (Smokers...pot or tobacco...literally stink. Remember that before you head for court.)

Bathe and wash your hair.

Do not bring small children or your friends.

Go to court beforehand some day before you actually have to go to watch how things go.

Speak politely and deferentially. If you argue or dispute something, do it professionally and without emotion.

Ask the court clerk who you talk to about a diversion (meaning you want to plead to a different, lesser charge), if applicable in your situation. Ask about traffic school and that the ticket not go on your record, if applicable. Ask also about getting a hardship driving permit, if applicable. Ask about drug court, if applicable.

From marbol:

“Judge...

You forgot the one thing that I've seen that seems to frizz up most judges these days:

If you have a cell phone, make DAMN SURE that it doesn't make ANY noise in the courtroom. This means when you are talking to the judge AND when you are simply sitting in the court room.

If you have a ‘vibrate’ position on your cell phone, MAKE sure the judge DOESN'T EVEN HEAR IT VIBRATE!

Turn it off or put it in silent mode where it flashes a LED if it rings. AND DON'T even DREAM about answering it if it rings.”

(Better yet, don’t carry your cell phone into the courtroom.)”


Here are six stories that criminal court judges hear the most (and I suggest you do not use them or variations of them):

1. I’ve been saved! (This is not religion specific; folks from all kinds of religious backgrounds use this one.)

2. My girlfriend/mother/sister/daughter/wife/ex-wife/niece/grandma/grand-daughter is pregnant/sick/dying/dead/crippled/crazy and needs my help.

3. I’ve got a job/military posting in [name a place five hundred miles away].

4. This is the first time I ever did this. (This conflicts with number 5 below, but that hasn’t stopped some defendants from using both.)

5. You’ve got the wrong guy. (A variation of this one is the phantom defendant story: “It wasn’t me driving, it was a hitchhiker I picked up. He wrecked the car, drug me behind the wheel then took off.” Or, another variation: “I was forced into it by a bad guy!”)

6. I was influenced by a bad crowd.

https://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?p=854687#post854687

Public defender’s advice

http://newyork.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/70300494.html


Other people may give you other advice; stand by.
 

The Occultist

Senior Member
What is the name of your state? Virginia

I recently received a speeding ticket in Puerto Rico for doing 80 in a 65 ($125 and 6 pts here in PR). Although I am confident that I could likely get it thrown out because of a number of factors (other cars, rental car, cruise control on 75), I am in PR on business and will not be back for quite some time.

Items of note, I did not "sign" the ticket, although my name and address are on the ticket and the officer did not take my insurance information.

So, I have a few questions

1) Should I contest it?
2) If I choose to pay, will the points be transferred to my record in VA?
3) Should I even pay it?

thank you for your advice and answer to my question.
SJ is right when he says the only defense against speeding is not speeding. If you think you're going to get off is by using the defense that your cruise control was set to 75, then you need to realize that 75 in a 65 is STILL SPEEDING! Also, I'll let you in on a little secret: cruise control is not by any means an exact science; it is very possible for your CC to be set to 75 and find your car going 80 at some point. No court will read too much into a defense that is based on cruise control.

I'm, uh, not quite certain what you mean with "other cars" and "rental car". Please tell me what you mean by those so I can tell you you're wrong about that too;)

The officer not taking your insurance info will not invalidate a citation. Also, most areas no longer require that the driver sign a citation to keep it valid.

1.) Should you contest it? No, you were charged with speeding, and you've admitted here that you are guilty of it. I would suggest attempting some sort of plea bargain.

2.) Research the Non-Resident Violators Compact. States that are a part of this do report traffic violations to the driver's home state. I only took a glance, but I do not believe I saw that Puerto Rico is a part of the Compact, so I do not believe they would report the violation. I promise nothing, though:D

3.) If you don't pay it, then pretty much count on never being able to go to PR again, as they would arrest you for the bench warrant I'm sure would be issued.

Good luck!
 

Luckyheel

Junior Member
I'm, uh, not quite certain what you mean with "other cars" and "rental car". Please tell me what you mean by those so I can tell you you're wrong about that too;)
I am not denying the fact that I was speeding, however, I was not going 80 as the officer stated I was. I had my cruise set on 75 and there were at least 2, if not 3, cars around me and one was, or was in the process of passing me.

I was driving a rental car and the damn thing is ruby red, so I'm sure my vehicle stuck out like a sore thumb when the officer was able to see my car (and the others).

So, that's what I mean about the other cars. With respect to it being a rental car, I have no idea whether the speedometer is accurate.

It basically sounds like from your post and SJ's that I should just suck it up and pay, which I generally do not have a problem with...it's the points that the ticket will put on my record for a violation that I don't think is accurate considering the circumstances. But, the fact that my time in PR is limited, I do not have the ability to contest it.

thank you for the replies.
 
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The Occultist

Senior Member
I am not denying the fact that I was speeding, however, I was not going 80 as the officer stated I was. I had my cruise set on 75 and there were at least 2, if not 3, cars around me and one was, or was in the process of passing me.
As I've already stated, just because you set your cruise control at 75 does NOT mean you actually were going 75 the entire time. Cruise control is NOT an exact science. It will NOT hold up on court.

Also, do NOT try using the defense that other cars were speeding as well. That has nothing to do with your crime, and no judge will tolerate it.

I was driving a rental car and the damn thing is ruby red, so I'm sure my vehicle stuck out like a sore thumb when the officer was able to see my car (and the others).
Irrelevant.

So, that's what I mean about the other cars. With respect to it being a rental car, I have no idea whether the speedometer is accurate.
It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that whatever vehicle you drive is up to code. You can always try requesting speedometer calibration records from the rental agency, and showing the judge that perhaps the speedometer indeed wasn't accurate MIGHT lead to some slight reduction in your fines, but it probably won't.

It basically sounds like from your post and SJ's that I should just suck it up and pay, which I generally do not have a problem with...it's the points that the ticket will put on my record for a violation that I don't think is accurate considering the circumstances. But, the fact that my time in PR is limited, I do not have the ability to contest it.
Try talking to the prosecutor and see about pleading down.

thank you for the replies.
Your welcome.
 

Travster

Junior Member
Ticket in Puerto Rico

Luckyheel, what did you decide to do regarding your speeding ticket?
I also recently got a speeding ticket in Puerto Rico for going 70 in a 65 (seriously, only 5 mph over). NO WHERE on the ticket does it state where or how to pay the fine.
I asked the cop where do I need to send the check and he told me " I don't know. Try asking your car agency (rental car company)". The ticket does say you have only 30 days to pay it and its close to 30 days right now. I still dont have an address to send a check to and Im no longer in Puerto Rico. I was hoping it wouldn't be reported to any other states or find its way onto my insurance info. However, if you have any address information you could pass along I would greatly appreciate it. Although the address of the court that you deal with may not be the one I need to deal with, I should be able to find out from them
where I need to follow up. Thanks!
 

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