speeding 99 in a 65 in ga

[mrrogers]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Georgia

I was allegedly speeding in a 99 in 65 speed zone in Savannah,Georgia back in October, Im 16 years old, He asked me for my drivers license and registration, then I asked him on what grounds, said I was speeding. I asked the officer could he check the calibration on his radar gun and I could I see the posted speed that it said when he was finished. The officer then replied, "I dont have to show you anything" and got a serious attitude. Then I told the officer I wasn't going to sign the ticket unless I saw the radar gun, he then said he was going to take me to jail unless I signed it. He asked me several more times to sign it and I said no, unless I see the equipment. Then he asked me to step out of the vehicle and asked me to turn around, he grabbed me by the back of my pants and escorted me to the back of his patrol vehicle. He then called my mom and notified her. After he got off the phone with her, He finally showed me the radar gun and said, " Here, you see it now dickhead?" I was shocked when I heard that! Then I asked the officer was the language called for, then he said" Yeah, because you were acting stupid, all you had to do was sign the damn ticket." He then took my license and told me drive home...I was like ok..I appear in court for this on February 3rd, by the officer being so rude and I testify in court, is it posssible the judge may throw the ticket out or may just reduce it some so my license wont be suspended?

 

[Some Random Guy]

I was allegedly speeding in a 99 in 65 speed zone in Georgia back in October, Im 16 years old,

All the more reason to be extremely polite to the officer because you are in serious trouble.

He asked me for my drivers license and registration, then I asked him on what grounds,

OK, so you are being uncooperative to a person who has the ability to put you in jail, suspend your license and assess $1000s in fines. You don't get to decide whether the police has grounds to ask you for your license and registration. Driving is a privliedge, not a right.

I asked the officer could he check the calibration on his radar gun

You have every right to ask and he has every right to refuse. Not every rumor you hear in high school is true.

Then I told the officer I wasn't going to sign the ticket unless I saw the radar gun,

You sign the ticket to acknowledge receipt of the document, not as an admission of guilt. Your uncooperative attitude is getting you in further trouble.

said he was going to take me to jail unless I signed it.

Yep, that's the way it is.

Then I asked the officer was the language called for, then he said" Yeah, because you were acting stupid, all you had to do was sign the damn ticket."

Yep, the officer is 100% correct - you are the moron here.

..officer being so rude and I testify in court, is it posssible the judge may throw the ticket out or may just reduce it some so my license wont be suspended?

Actually your story is more likely to increase the penalty because you have no idea that you were completely in the wrong here and were being unreasonable and uncooperative.

 

[seniorjudge]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Georgia

I was allegedly speeding in a 99 in 65 speed zone in Savannah,Georgia back in October, Im 16 years old, He asked me for my drivers license and registration, then I asked him on what grounds, said I was speeding. I asked the officer could he check the calibration on his radar gun and I could I see the posted speed that it said when he was finished. The officer then replied, "I dont have to show you anything" and got a serious attitude. Then I told the officer I wasn't going to sign the ticket unless I saw the radar gun, he then said he was going to take me to jail unless I signed it. He asked me several more times to sign it and I said no, unless I see the equipment. Then he asked me to step out of the vehicle and asked me to turn around, he grabbed me by the back of my pants and escorted me to the back of his patrol vehicle. He then called my mom and notified her. After he got off the phone with her, He finally showed me the radar gun and said, " Here, you see it now dickhead?" I was shocked when I heard that! Then I asked the officer was the language called for, then he said" Yeah, because you were acting stupid, all you had to do was sign the damn ticket." He then took my license and told me drive home...I was like ok..I appear in court for this on February 3rd, by the officer being so rude and I testify in court, is it posssible the judge may throw the ticket out or may just reduce it some so my license wont be suspended?

You should apologize to the officer for your behavior and thank him for not giving you the rest of the tickets you deserve.


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.

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 five 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 is pregnant/sick/dying/dead/crippled and needs my help.

3. I’ve got a job in [name a state five hundred miles away].

4. This is the first time I ever did this.

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!”)

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.

 

[sukharev]

There is ample GOOD advice on this forum. For example, look at https://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?t=283620&page=3

In particular, you had full right to request the radar to be tested before you got a citation: http://www.legis.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/gl_codes_detail.pl?code=40-14-5

The officer should have known that, and actually should have told you about it before issuing a citation.

While your speed was indeed high (hope you understand this was wrong), it does not give officer the right to offend you, or disregard the law.

That said, it's not going to help you much in court, unless there were witnesses. Look at the above link to see what could help. If I were you, I would try to negotiate with DA to lower the charges (to keep the license), but accept responsibility and pay the fine.

 

[You Are Guilty]

b) Each county, municipal, or campus law enforcement officer using a radar device shall notify each person against whom the officer intends to make a case based on the use of the radar device that the person has a right to request the officer to test the radar device for accuracy. The notice shall be given prior to the time a citation and complaint or ticket is issued against the person and, if requested to make a test, the officer shall test the radar device for accuracy. In the event the radar device does not meet the minimum accuracy requirements, the citation and complaint or ticket shall not be issued against the person, and the radar device shall be removed from service and thereafter shall not be used by the county, municipal, or campus law enforcement agency until it has been serviced, calibrated, and recertified by a technician with the qualifications specified in Code Section 40-14-4.

But the real beauty of it is it doesn't prescribe any penalties for failing to comply.

 

[lwpat]

This only applies to local officers and not to the state troopers.

I testify in court, is it posssible the judge may throw the ticket out or may just reduce it some so my license wont be suspended?

Not a chance and rightly so. You are luckly not to have spent a night in jail. You don't need to drive until you learn how to act.

 

[Two Bit]

He has a right to have the accuracy of the detection equipment checked during the stop, but he doesn't have a right to see it. The poster doesn't mention if the speed was checked prior to the issuance of the citation or not.

Here's what one of my first sergeants told me when I was a rookie. "You're attitude makes my attitude." If a driver is polite, then I'm polite. Heck, it drastacially increases his chance for a warning. If you're rude, you can take my intent to stop, check license, and warn somebody to a citation. If it gets extreme, we can go to the point of an arrest.

If the original poster was 17 instead of 16, he'd be in jail.

Also, he should be aware that his license is going to be suspended.