Out-of-State Tickets & CT?

[UnluckyfromCT]

Hi everyone,

I received a 61 in a 45 mph zone ticket in upstate NY. So far I have sent in my ticket with a plea of "Not Guilty". This is my first offense ever and I would really like to avoid an insurance rate hike. I recently received my court hearing date and I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to proceed. Specifically, I am wondering:

1) Will my out-of-state ticket from NY go on my CT driving record and/or will my insurance company know about it? I have looked all over the internet and the CT DMV website, but have not been able to find any good information on this.

2) Should I attend the hearing and change my plea to guilty for a lesser fine/penalty or should I just let them set a trial date and attend that and risk being found guilty and end up with a standard fine/penalty? And if I go to trial, does anyone have any good resources for what strategy I should take?

3) Should I hire a lawyer for such a minor infraction?

Thanks in advance for any help on this matter.

 

[lwpat]

New York Speeding Ticket

Will my out-of-state ticket from NY go on my CT driving record and/or will my insurance company know about it? I have looked all over the internet and the CT DMV website, but have not been able to find any good information on this.

New York will report the speeding ticket to CT and it will go on your record. It depends on a lot of factors as to how your insurance rates will be affected. It could be no increase to as much as 25% surcharge for the next three years.

Should I attend the hearing and change my plea to guilty for a lesser fine/penalty or should I just let them set a trial date and attend that and risk being found guilty and end up with a standard fine/penalty? And if I go to trial, does anyone have any good resources for what strategy I should take?

This is not a hearing but a trial. When you plead not guilty a trial date is set which is different from the hearing date on your ticket.

As for stragety the first thing you should do is to send a letter CRRR requesting the officer's deposition. If you do not receive the deposition or if the officer does not show you can make a motion for dismissal before the trial actually starts.

Also prior to trial you can probably negotiate for a lesser fine/points. Otherwise you will be found guilty and they will add court costs.

Should I hire a lawyer for such a minor infraction?

That is a personal decision. I would not for this ticket but probably would if I received another one.