Speeding in Pa, no box checked for how caught.

[mikejordan17]

I live in Pennsylvania. I got pulled over at 9:30pm on the way home from work on my motorcycle. The officer says he got me doing 80 in a 55. On the ticket there is no box checked for how he caught me speeding. I was speeding but can't be sure if I was going 80, speedometers on bikes are not very accurate to begin with.

Can I get my ticket dismissed since there is no method checked off? If not I will try and get a 3111A.

[seniorjudge]

Originally Posted by mikejordan17

I live in Pennsylvania. I got pulled over at 9:30pm on the way home from work on my motorcycle. The officer says he got me doing 80 in a 55. On the ticket there is no box checked for how he caught me speeding. I was speeding but can't be sure if I was going 80, speedometers on bikes are not very accurate to begin with.

Can I get my ticket dismissed since there is no method checked off? If not I will try and get a 3111A.

Q: Can I get my ticket dismissed since there is no method checked off?

A: No.

[mikejordan17]

I work for a Honda dealership as a salesman so I have to keep my driving record clean. Would I be better off asking for a 3111A rather than even bringing up the fact that the ticket is not completely filled out?

[seniorjudge]

Originally Posted by mikejordan17

I work for a Honda dealership as a salesman so I have to keep my driving record clean. Would I be better off asking for a 3111A rather than even bringing up the fact that the ticket is not completely filled out?

Always go for the non-pointer:



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 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/wife/ex-wife/niece/grandma/grand-daughter is pregnant/sick/dying/dead/crippled/crazy 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. (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!”)

[url]http://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?p=854687#post854687[/url]

Public defender’s advice

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


Other people may give you other advice; stand by.

[mikejordan17]

This is certainly not my first time in court for a speeding violation. I have found that the best thing to do if just going for a 3111A is to talk to the officer first when you get to court. I just tell them about my situation with work and let them know that I agree to speeding but am hoping for a 3111A. I only do this with a judge that I have not been in front of prior. Last time I went for speeding I talked to the officer and as soon as the judge walked in the officer asked to have a 3111A for me. I just said I agree and the judge had no problem with it. I figure they are just out for the money anyway.

[loulblades]

It seems that this is common in PA now to not check the method used to detect the speed, especially at the local level. Was this local or state police? Is the Serial # and Calibration station blocks filled in? If these blocks are not filled in, you may have some room to work. I recently talked to someone that received a local ticket which didn't indicate the method of detection so he called the police station and was told what they used.

I have been told that locals get less money from a 3111 versus a speeding (points) violation but I have never verified this (anyone know for sure?). If that is the case then obviously the locals would be more reluctant to reduce.

Good luck on getting this reduced since, as it stands, it is worth 4 points plus your job and insurance issues. And yes, it is about the money.

BTW: For tickets I have received, the state guys acted like I wasn't there before the hearing but the locals offered to negotiate before the magistrate came in.

[mikejordan17]

Fortunately its just locals around here. I will check my ticket again when I get home at 6pm and see if there is a calibration station listed. The location of the ticket lists about 3 different junctions which is 3 different roads where he listed the incident happened. From the first road listed to where I got pulled over is about 3 miles and on this ticket he listed .4 miles followed. It seems really inaccurate to me.