Speeding ticket in MA! Please help! Thinking of first time appeal

[kjc210]

So I recently got a speeding ticket going 85 in a 65 on 290S in Massachusetts. The ticket claims to use "estimation" and "lidar."

I was traveling with 3 cars in front of me at a very safe distance with 2 cars to my right and many cars behind me. In essence, I was simply going with the flow of traffic in the left lane. I came across a hill and as I was going down I checked my speed and it read only 75.

The state trooper was standing outside of his car talking with another cop - he wasn't even in his car. As I drove by, thinking I was at a very safe speed and because every other car was going the exact same speed as me I thought I was fine. My driving instructor throughout high school told me as long as I am under 80 in a 65 zone everything should be fine.

The trooper flagged me down and ran into his car and pulled me over. I was simply taken aback when he said "85." I didn't go past 80 on the trip at any point. I realize this is still over the limit but claiming I was traveling at a speed when I KNEW i was going at 75 along with EVERYONE else around me made me furious.

I was extremely polite to the officer and explained my case but he still slapped me with a $200 ticket. My question is what are my odds during my appeal? Do I have a strong enough case?

I have no idea how he possibly could have singled me out when I was surrounded by cars, especially when the ones in front of me were traveling faster than I was. How could he possibly know how fast I was going when he was not even in his car? How did he know the laser was pointed at my car and not the one next to me?

Thanks for any help as this will be my first appeal. This is my second ticket, my first being about 4 years ago.

[Stevef]

Originally Posted by kjc210

In essence, I was simply going with the flow of traffic in the left lane.

The left lane is for passing, not traveling. There was a cop in Charlton a few years back who would ticket EVERY driver in the left lane on Route 20. He was angry about something, but his tickets were still good.

I came across a hill and as I was going down I checked my speed and it read only 75.

You were still speeding

My driving instructor throughout high school told me as long as I am under 80 in a 65 zone everything should be fine.

Your instructor was wrong.

Do I have a strong enough case?

"Your honor, I was speeding, but not as much as he says" isn't a very strong defense.

How did he know the laser was pointed at my car and not the one next to me?

He was the one pointing it. He knows who he's pointing it at.

[kjc210]

I was passing, hence why there were two cars to my right. We were all going by them.

I realize I was still speeding, as was everyone else around me.

The cop was chatting with one of his friends. He wasn't pointing a laser outside his car. There is no way he could have singled my car out as opposed to the one in front of me seeing as how I was only about 4 car lengths behind, with the car behind me also about 2 car lengths behind.

It's like he said "hey, this young kid looks like he's going fast, but I don't have a read on how fast he was going. I'll just say he went 85 and write down like I actually used lidar."