Officer making numerous mistakes on speeding ticket

[Colin Grubb]

Jurisdiction

Indiana

My question involves traffic court in the State of: Indiana

I was told I was going 15 MPH over the speed limit in a 55 on I65 by a state police-man. Indiana has been putting a lot of construction zones around the interstates/highways, some of which do not even have any construction, let alone orange cones. There were no workers present TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION. I say this because there's always a chance that I didn't see one. However, this happened on Columbus day so government employees in Indiana did not work.

First off, I have never gotten a ticket before (age 21)
Mistake 1: The officer put my Father's name as the person who committed the violation. Everything else (driver's license, birthdate etc) was mine.
Mistake 2: The officer put down the following I.C. code: "9-21-5-11(c)(1) WORKZONE SPEEDING - WORKERS PRESENT/IF"
When I called the clerks office on the county (NEWTON), the woman said that the ticket she was looking at said the following:
"9-21-5-11(c)(1) WORKZONE SPEEDING - WORKERS PRESENT. 9-21-5-11(d)(1)"

Along with this, the woman told me the judge was telling her to tell people getting workzone speeding tickets to come to court.

I personally feel I should go to court, considering the ticket is $430... I am a college student and cannot afford this excessive fine.

Does anybody have any suggestions such as what I should include in my argument while in court?

 

[army judge]

Police officers make mistakes on tickets everyday all over this country.
When such mistakes as you cite occur, the prosecutor simply takes leave to amend, the court allows such corrections, and things move along.

The reasons you were cited will come down to the officer's testimony against yours concerning matters substantive to the charge.

I bet you cna guess how this will end.

If traffic school is available, investigate its applicability in your situation.

You might also look into ACOD or DEFERRED ADJUDICATION.

Google the terms, and see if they are possibilities in your case.

Otherwise, hire a lawyer, or ask the prosecutor before court convenes IF he or she would allow you to plead to a lesser charge that isn't as financially severe.

Be advised, citations such as the one you received involve the safety of others.
Exceeding the speed in a posted work zone is rarely going to be dismissed or pled down, but lightening will strike somewhere at sometime.