Speeding Ticket in MA

[Rachel87]

Massachusetts Law

I got a speeding ticket over the summer for going 84 on a 65 mph highway.

I never speed (this is my first ticket). I was not going that fast. I have contested my ticket, but my problem is that I have moved from MA to Northern VA.... I don't even have a car here. My hearing is in 2 weeks, but I don't think I will be able to get up there for it (costs/timing etc).
Can I reschedule? What can I do?

Does the 1st speeding ticket affect your insurance? ahhh!

 

[HighwayMan]

I never speed (this is my first ticket).

You mean "I never got caught before".

Don't you think you should have thought of all this BEFORE you moved?

If you reschedule you'll have the same problem later on.

Yes, in all likelihood it will affect your insurance

What is your basis for fighting it? You have not made any statements here that would lead a judge to find you not guilty of the charge. You say "I was not going that fast"... why do you say that?

 

[Rachel87]

ok, i'll rephrase... I never speed that much. If speed limit is 65, it is likely I will be going 70mph, but 86?? I think not.

I was freaked out when I got my ticket, so I thought, of course I'll contest it, it was unjustly given. I moved to DC a month later for grad school. I guess I was optimistically hoping that the it would be scheduled for a convenient date where I could easily go home to my parent's house (like the day before Thanksgiving...)

I am not sure what to do about my ticket because... I am not 100% sure of the speed I was going at that moment. However, I am 100% sure it was not that high. There were other cars on the highway definitely going way faster than me. I think that in their attempt to get the speeders (they pulled over more than 1 person), they pulled me over because I was an easy (read: slower) target. I believe I was going around 70 mph, 75 tops.

It is a $210 ticket... my options are...
- fly back to contest it
- suck it up and pay it (I heard that the 1st ticket in MA doesn't affect your insurance?)
... I guess those are my only two options. Any other thoughts?

 

[HighwayMan]

Doesn't matter what anyone else was doing. It only matters what you were doing. Has NO bearing on your case.

70 or 75 is still speeding in a posted 65 zone.

Unless you have some real evidence to present, I think you'd be wasting your time and even more money.