What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Texas (Houston)
Do I have a good enough case to plea "not guilty"? Why would the officer even still give me a ticket if he didn't think it would hold up? Should I fight this by judge or by jury?
I left my apartment on 10-20-2015 at 7:56AM heading for work. Due to construction on Allen Pkwy, I had to take Stanford (a residential side street) south to West Dallas St. I entered West Dallas with the flow of traffic. As I approached the intersection of West Dallas and Montrose, a police officer stepped into the road and signaled with his hand indicating for me to stop and pull into a private driveway where another officer was writing somebody else a ticket. Officer Al asked me if I knew why he had stopped me. I replied that I did not know why. He informed me that I was speeding in a school zone (25MPH in a 20MPH zone). I replied that I was unaware that I was in a school zone because I did not see a sign or signal. He asked me if I had just pulled off of Stanford, indicating he knew that there was not a sign from that direction. I replied �yes�. Officer Al proceeded to gather my information and write me a citation at 8:00AM. As I was signing the ticket, I asked the officer if because there was no signage posted on my route if I could contest the ticket. He acknowledged the lack of school zone beacons or posted school zone times on my route again, and replied that I probably could contest the ticket. The officer gave me the citation and drove away.
The school zone in question spanned two blocks on West Dallas. I entered the school zone by making a right hand turn onto West Dallas at the halfway point of the two blocks. The signs indicating a school zone were on either end of the two blocks and were not visible to me. I went back and followed the route that I drove that morning and there are no posted school zone signs or beacons along that route. In addition, the school zone signs that were on either end did not have posted times on them. They were school zones "when beacon is flashing", so even if I did commonly take this route, I would not have known when it was in affect.
I've also read that in Texas, the default speed limit is 30MPH for city roads, which I was well under. I can prove with video/pictures that there are no signs along the route I drove. My only worry is that if he lied (I've heard many stories that cops lie or stretch the truth, his word vs mine thing...) and said that I did not come from the street I did. To fight this false claim, would I have to be able to concretely prove that I drove the route that I did? Or would my testimony plus the fact that the other route that passes the signal would be going out of my way be enough to hold up in court?
Ticket description: RD222 - Speeding in a school zone while beacons flashing.*****20 dist between blocks. BETW 2100 and 1800 West Dallas
Thank you for your advice!
Do I have a good enough case to plea "not guilty"? Why would the officer even still give me a ticket if he didn't think it would hold up? Should I fight this by judge or by jury?
I left my apartment on 10-20-2015 at 7:56AM heading for work. Due to construction on Allen Pkwy, I had to take Stanford (a residential side street) south to West Dallas St. I entered West Dallas with the flow of traffic. As I approached the intersection of West Dallas and Montrose, a police officer stepped into the road and signaled with his hand indicating for me to stop and pull into a private driveway where another officer was writing somebody else a ticket. Officer Al asked me if I knew why he had stopped me. I replied that I did not know why. He informed me that I was speeding in a school zone (25MPH in a 20MPH zone). I replied that I was unaware that I was in a school zone because I did not see a sign or signal. He asked me if I had just pulled off of Stanford, indicating he knew that there was not a sign from that direction. I replied �yes�. Officer Al proceeded to gather my information and write me a citation at 8:00AM. As I was signing the ticket, I asked the officer if because there was no signage posted on my route if I could contest the ticket. He acknowledged the lack of school zone beacons or posted school zone times on my route again, and replied that I probably could contest the ticket. The officer gave me the citation and drove away.
The school zone in question spanned two blocks on West Dallas. I entered the school zone by making a right hand turn onto West Dallas at the halfway point of the two blocks. The signs indicating a school zone were on either end of the two blocks and were not visible to me. I went back and followed the route that I drove that morning and there are no posted school zone signs or beacons along that route. In addition, the school zone signs that were on either end did not have posted times on them. They were school zones "when beacon is flashing", so even if I did commonly take this route, I would not have known when it was in affect.
I've also read that in Texas, the default speed limit is 30MPH for city roads, which I was well under. I can prove with video/pictures that there are no signs along the route I drove. My only worry is that if he lied (I've heard many stories that cops lie or stretch the truth, his word vs mine thing...) and said that I did not come from the street I did. To fight this false claim, would I have to be able to concretely prove that I drove the route that I did? Or would my testimony plus the fact that the other route that passes the signal would be going out of my way be enough to hold up in court?
Ticket description: RD222 - Speeding in a school zone while beacons flashing.*****20 dist between blocks. BETW 2100 and 1800 West Dallas
Thank you for your advice!