"speed contest" - please help!

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iDC5

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i received a "speed contest" violation today. the officer marked it down as a misdeameanor rather than an infraction. what does this mean?

in addition, he wrote down that the speed limit in the area as 40 mph ("veh. limit" AND "safe" - i'm guessing that this is what it means-"speed limit" and "the safe speed limit given the conditions"), and that i was going "40-50mph+". He also wrote down "heavy traffic" when in reality, there was one car making a left car and a few cars behind me.
 
It depends on the law in your state how an incident is treated, either as a violation or as a misdemeanor.

A misdemeanor is a much more serious crime than an infraction or a violation, in fact, it is a crime and if convicted for it, one has a criminal record.

Speed Contest charges usually are not nice, they can also lead to serious consequences with your insurance company.

Depending on the law speed contest is defined in a specific way. The officer has to testify as to the conditions which led him to write the ticket. What he wrote on the ticket can give you a clue to what he will say in court.

Our traffic experts here might tell you more about this. I personally would not want to face a misdemeanor charge without a lawyer.
 
it's a misdemeanor in california..
i was hoping i can fight it by mail. according to the ticket, i was going around speed limit, and the officer wrote down the wrong speed limit for the area (he wrote 40) when it is really 50mph. in addition, he wrote down heavy traffic, when in reality, there was not.
 
iDC5 said:
it's a misdemeanor in california..
i was hoping i can fight it by mail. according to the ticket, i was going around speed limit, and the officer wrote down the wrong speed limit for the area (he wrote 40) when it is really 50mph. in addition, he wrote down heavy traffic, when in reality, there was not.

i'm guessing i can't go to traffic school for this one...
 
California Speed Contest Ticket

This is a very serious offense with some major consequences. Unless you are experienced in the legal system or you intend to put in some serious time researching your particular violation then you need to retain an attorney. When you factor in all of the costs this will probably be the cheapest route.

Here is a California reference that will give you some links on the California traffic code statutes and also a Trial by Declaration. The speed limit does not come into play for this violation except that the officer might not have thought you were in a speed contest if he had known the correct limit.

http://www.speedingticketcentral.com/California-speeding-ticket.html
 
should i contact a public attorney on the day that i go into court to make my plea?
are they free?
 
Their are rules on your eligibility for a public defender. You need to contact the court for information.
 
get a lawyer. they will take care of everything. all i had to do was pay the lawyer and fines. totalled a little over 500 bucks. i had the same violation. i got out of it with no points on my liscense. i never had to go to court either. just had to sign the paperwork.
 
i'm still not sure that i want a lawyer. do they really charge for every minute i talk to them..??
the problem with my case is that i admitted to the cop that i was "having fun..."


if i do go to court, what do you guys think about pleading "guilty to a lesser charge of speeding" or "no contest but may i request a lesser sentence".

i really did learn from this mistake, and i drive very safely now. should i just admit everything to do the judge and tell him that it was my very first ticket ever in my 2.5 years of driving.
 
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