Speeding ticket by Pacing. How can I fight this?

[MichaelAl]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Virginia

I was on the main section of the Dulles Toll Road and a cop was on the other side of the barrier where the other toll road section is to go to the Airport.
I noticed him for a while and he merged into my section and pulled me over, then stated he had paced me for a while and noticed I was going about 80 mph, but did not give me reckless, just a speeding ticket.

I did not relalize I was going that fast, and not sure how he can give me a ticket without some electronic proof that I can see that I was speedinng

How can I fight this? I heard that I can request documents that say if his speedo was certified as correct. How do I go about requesting these documents and what else can I do?

My car is a VW cabrio and has known issues with the electrical section. Could I argue that my speedo is malfunctioning?

I am not even sure if this state has a traffic school option.

thanks!

 

[Zigner]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Virginia

I was on the main section of the Dulles Toll Road and a cop was on the other side of the barrier where the other toll road section is to go to the Airport.
I noticed him for a while and he merged into my section and pulled me over, then stated he had paced me for a while and noticed I was going about 80 mph, but did not give me reckless, just a speeding ticket.

I did not relalize I was going that fast, and not sure how he can give me a ticket without some electronic proof that I can see that I was speedinng

How can I fight this? I heard that I can request documents that say if his speedo was certified as correct. How do I go about requesting these documents and what else can I do?

My car is a VW cabrio and has known issues with the electrical section. Could I argue that my speedo is malfunctioning?

I am not even sure if this state has a traffic school option.

thanks!

The officer doesn't have to show you "electronic proof" that you were speeding. If you take this to court, you can try to argue that the speedo wasn't calibrated, but I'm willing to bet that the first thing the officer does is to hand over all his calibration paperwork.
You are required to make sure the vehicle you are operating has properly functioning equipment. You can't go to court and say that you KNOW that your car may have electrical problems, so that might be why you were speeding. If you KNOW about it, you should have it checked out.

 

[FlyingRon]

The police in the Fairfax GDC almost always present the speedo/radar calibration information as part of their direct testimony.

You can go get a independent speedo calibration on your car and if it shows it read high you can present that. It usually will not get you anything though.
That's good for knocking a reckless down to normal speeding, but it's not going to make a difference between when you were driving 15 over and charged
with regular speeding (if your speedo was that far off, the argument would have been you should have known something was wrong). If you argue you
knew your speedometer was intermittant/inaccurate beforehand, you're not going to get any consideration either.

 

[Hey There]

A start

MichaelAl

How can I fight this?

Google Search:Speeding Ticket -- Fighting or Plea Bargaining
Speeding Ticket FAQ
Lawyer: Some attorneys will give a one time consultation for a small
fee ($50.00)? or free. Listings can be found in a phone book
or internet. Google:How To Choose A Lawyer
Library: Books
Court Rules: Google :VA. Courts

Best Regards,
Hey There

 

[FlyingRon]

You won't find anything useful on the VA courts page.

Virginia does have a traffic school option. If you haven't used it recently and your record is otherwise clean you can ask for it (and judges frequently will offer it if you don't ask). They will continue the case until you can complete the VADIP. If you are over 20 you can even do it online.

 

[occharge]

. . . I noticed him for a while. . .



. . . I did not relalize I was going that fast. . .

Driver's Ed 101*:
(*Also covered in "Common Sense 101").


You see a cop... What do you do?

A. Slow down to the speed limit.
B. Glance down at your speedometer to check your speed...
C. Make sure you are not the fastest car on the road.
D. All of the above.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
The correct answer is "D".