Hi,
This past night I was pulled over after a short acceleration from a traffic light. The cop only pulled me over, made a few rude comments to me even though I was very polite. He did not specify a reason for pulling me over. After taking my license (etc), he promptly returned with two tickets, one for "Unlawful Speed Contest" and another for "60 in a 40". The 60 in a 40 was cited without radar, citing that he was able to pace me from several hundred feet away when I was only a couple hundred feet from the stoplight, a distance which would have been impossible for my car to achieve that speed. (I admit I accelerated to about 45-50mph, I don't like to speed).
After handing me the tickets, he made a couple more rude comments and accusations before leaving.
Today is my 19th birthday. I live alone, I'm a full time student (paid with student loans) and I pay for my apartment with a single job (I make roughly $120 a week after union dues and taxes.) I understand that an "Unlawful Speed Contest" is a misdemeanor, and a conviction means I automatically have my license suspended.
What can I do? I honestly don't have any disposable income to afford a lawyer. I don't have anything to sell to pay for tickets. I can't afford to lose my license as I have to pay for my apartment and food. My job is 14 miles away and it's a daily commute. I've only had one prior speeding ticket about two years ago, which was reduced.
At this point I feel that the only course of action I can take is to write a letter to the DA explaining my situation, and quite literally throw myself at his mercy
This past night I was pulled over after a short acceleration from a traffic light. The cop only pulled me over, made a few rude comments to me even though I was very polite. He did not specify a reason for pulling me over. After taking my license (etc), he promptly returned with two tickets, one for "Unlawful Speed Contest" and another for "60 in a 40". The 60 in a 40 was cited without radar, citing that he was able to pace me from several hundred feet away when I was only a couple hundred feet from the stoplight, a distance which would have been impossible for my car to achieve that speed. (I admit I accelerated to about 45-50mph, I don't like to speed).
After handing me the tickets, he made a couple more rude comments and accusations before leaving.
Today is my 19th birthday. I live alone, I'm a full time student (paid with student loans) and I pay for my apartment with a single job (I make roughly $120 a week after union dues and taxes.) I understand that an "Unlawful Speed Contest" is a misdemeanor, and a conviction means I automatically have my license suspended.
What can I do? I honestly don't have any disposable income to afford a lawyer. I don't have anything to sell to pay for tickets. I can't afford to lose my license as I have to pay for my apartment and food. My job is 14 miles away and it's a daily commute. I've only had one prior speeding ticket about two years ago, which was reduced.
At this point I feel that the only course of action I can take is to write a letter to the DA explaining my situation, and quite literally throw myself at his mercy