I was tried for a speeding ticket in an American court
ES 300H
ES 300HA motorcycle police officer claimed I was going 59mph in a 35mph zone in Los Angeles and wrote me a ticket. Actually I could have gotten out of it by going to traffic school and paying the fine, without losing points and without an insurance increase, but I chose to defend myself instead. Being able to go to court and defend your rights as an individual is great, and the system works really well. I went to court and did not plead guilty; they're going to assign me a new date. On that date I'm planning to defend myself like this: The incident happened on a Monday morning at 8:30. I think he stopped me because I changed lanes a bit too much, but 59mph is way too much for a city street (100 km/h). I've never gotten a ticket before; it's true I drive fast sometimes, but I'm careful in the city. Anyway, the spot where he stopped me and the spot where I merged onto the main street from the lights are both known. I measured that distance using Google Maps' scale, and it's impossible for me to have reached 59mph over that distance — the car's factory data says 8 seconds. Speed = Distance / Time doesn't add up. I'll probably say maybe the radar wasn't calibrated properly. Do you have any suggestions?
Translated from TurkishReplies
12 repliesHow many dollars is the fine?
Translated from TurkishThey said $490, plus $20 for traffic school.
Translated from TurkishYou have to prove you're not guilty, doesn't the officer make the accusation? Did the officer have a body camera?
Translated from TurkishThere's something I saw on social media today. A Turkish actor who moved to America apparently drove alone in the left lane for a short while and got a ticket - he said something like if there's only 1 person in the car you're not supposed to be in the left lane. Is that actually a thing? I was surprised.
Translated from TurkishYes, on some highways there's a diamond-shaped marking in the leftmost lane. This is called a Car Pool (lane). You need to have at least 2 people in the car to use it. I think it's a great practice used to solve traffic problems. While solo drivers wait in traffic, you can use that lane because you have someone with you. Depending on the location, these lanes can be active during specific hours or all the time regardless. Some drivers put a mannequin in their car, the fine for that is $500.
Translated from TurkishFirst of all, sorry to hear that - I realized I hadn't been on the forum for a while. It's hard to comment on a place where justice works, from a place where it doesn't, but I'm curious about the outcome. I'd be glad if you shared it with us.
Translated from TurkishHere's how it turned out. The officer showed up to court (if he hadn't, the case would've been dropped and the ticket voided). They asked me if I wanted to talk to the officer before the hearing; at first I didn't want to, but then they said it'd be better if it ended quickly, so I could talk to him if I wanted. I went over to the officer, the radar's settings and calibration were up to date
Translated from Turkish...showed that it was. He'd been a cop for 25 years, he told me a lot of manipulative lies about my ticket from a year earlier. I told him we'd settle in court whether he was telling the truth, because he stated the location where he pulled me over differently. I had evidence — photos taken from an iPhone that also tagged the location.
Translated from TurkishThen he told me that since I hadn't gotten another ticket within 18 months, if I went to traffic school (which is online, by the way, and cheap), no points would go on my license (if points get added your insurance also goes up a lot), and on top of that he offered a 50% discount on my fine, and said that if I accepted we could leave the courtroom early. I thought about it for a bit because I was speeding, and the fine I got was around $260, so I accepted, and I finished the traffic school that same day. They gave me 3 months to pay the fine.
Translated from Turkish