My question involves a speeding ticket from the State of: Virginia
I received a speeding ticket in the city of Ashburn for 40 in a 25 mile speed zone. This happened after it was DARK.
I was going on a street passed through the 25 miles speed zone, entered 35 miles speed zone. After I drove for a half a mile (0.5 miles) in the 35 miles zone, cop's car flashed the lights behind my car. I immediately pulled over.
I was told that I was doing 42 in 25 mile zone. at that time I was not sure about the speed limits on that street. I went back and checked next day.
The officer wrote down the offense location that was over a half a mile (0.5 miles) behind where the speed limit was 25 miles per hour. About 100 yards after that offense location, the speed limit changed from 25 miles to 35 miles.
I strongly believe that the cop locked the radar in 35 miles zone. Even in the 35 miles speed limit zone, I believe my car speed was between 35 - 40 miles. Then I noticed that a car came very fast behind me and started following me too close. It was a single lane road, and I had to speed-up to keep the distance from the vehicle behind me since I was not sure if any aggresive driver was in that vehicle (it was dark and I did know that it was a cop car). If officer's car was not too close and had I not speeded up, I would have been very close to 35 mile per hour speed.
Also, officer never put the flashing lights on until I passed at least 0.5 miles in the 35 miles speed limit zone. If officer had spotted my car at the offense location, he should have flashed lights and stopped me immediately. Instead, followed me for over half a mile and forced me to speed up by following little too close.
I would like to contest the ticket and plead not guily. I am not sure how to proceed since I never contested before.
Can I ask following questions to the oficer?
-- Why the officer did not stop me at the offense location? Why he did not put the flashing lights on immediately before following my car for another half a mile?
-- Can I get the exact location on the street when the cop locked the speed on the radar gun? Is the GPS location information available in the radar?
-- Can I ask for cop's video recoder on the car to prove that cop stopped me in different speed zone area and was following me little too close?
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
I received a speeding ticket in the city of Ashburn for 40 in a 25 mile speed zone. This happened after it was DARK.
I was going on a street passed through the 25 miles speed zone, entered 35 miles speed zone. After I drove for a half a mile (0.5 miles) in the 35 miles zone, cop's car flashed the lights behind my car. I immediately pulled over.
I was told that I was doing 42 in 25 mile zone. at that time I was not sure about the speed limits on that street. I went back and checked next day.
The officer wrote down the offense location that was over a half a mile (0.5 miles) behind where the speed limit was 25 miles per hour. About 100 yards after that offense location, the speed limit changed from 25 miles to 35 miles.
I strongly believe that the cop locked the radar in 35 miles zone. Even in the 35 miles speed limit zone, I believe my car speed was between 35 - 40 miles. Then I noticed that a car came very fast behind me and started following me too close. It was a single lane road, and I had to speed-up to keep the distance from the vehicle behind me since I was not sure if any aggresive driver was in that vehicle (it was dark and I did know that it was a cop car). If officer's car was not too close and had I not speeded up, I would have been very close to 35 mile per hour speed.
Also, officer never put the flashing lights on until I passed at least 0.5 miles in the 35 miles speed limit zone. If officer had spotted my car at the offense location, he should have flashed lights and stopped me immediately. Instead, followed me for over half a mile and forced me to speed up by following little too close.
I would like to contest the ticket and plead not guily. I am not sure how to proceed since I never contested before.
Can I ask following questions to the oficer?
-- Why the officer did not stop me at the offense location? Why he did not put the flashing lights on immediately before following my car for another half a mile?
-- Can I get the exact location on the street when the cop locked the speed on the radar gun? Is the GPS location information available in the radar?
-- Can I ask for cop's video recoder on the car to prove that cop stopped me in different speed zone area and was following me little too close?
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.