Speeding ticket in Vermont - fight or not?

Just caught up on the reading from posting last night on page 2...wow.

"SimonsMom" is right, probably best to pay it. I fought it and won because the cop didn't show up. (honestly, I never showed up either, I got the dates confused, got home from work and realized what I'd done, called the VT Dept. of Justice. They told me he didn't show so all was forgiven and forgotten) But the only reason I fought it was because the officer is notorious around here for not showing up to court. All in all, where your insurance won't go up, best to just pay.

And in regards to the firewood and invasive species. The Emerald Ash Borer is the newest threat. Any one driving around the state this year may have noticed purple triangular boxed hanging from trees along the roadway. These are in order to catch them and analyze the numbers. They are generally transported into the state via firewood, but also in shipping containers and pallets.

The larger threat is the Asian Longhorn Beetle. Been an isuue in New England for a few years. Big outbreak in Worcester, MA about 4 years ago. The city had to cut down and burn the vast majority of the Maples in the city to stop them from spreading. Their sole purpose for existence seems to be to kill Maple Trees. Any flatlanders who likes stopping at a local restaurant and enjoy Maple Syrup on their pancakes during ski season can appreciate the issue if they came to VT. That's why such a big deal is made over firewood.

Sorry about the ticket. We don't always give them. Nice place to live, but the cops can suck (lots of them, no offence to LEO's). Just thought I'd throw back in. Good Luck.

 

no points...no increase in insurance premiums...

write the check and move on.

 

Thanks! It was late...

 

Everyone? how about the CHP who was writing parking tickets on trailers on my block. I walked up to him and said, "excuse me officer, if you come back at 2:30 you'll see HS kids driving in excess of 50mph up my block while kids are walking home" Never saw him on my block again.

 

yes

because LE officers take their dispatch or patroll orders from Dmonkey.

 

It counts as a tip, a tip that wasn't followed up on. Guess someones boat being on the street for longer than 72 hours trumps some kid being flung 50 yards down the block.. to each their own.

 

Because if he comes back and writes those speeding kiddies, you'll be on this thread griping and moaning about cops picking on HS kiddies instead of fighting real crime. Hypocrite.

 

you don't know the officer did not follow up on your "tip" Sherlock

he may have cruised your street that afternoon...or other afternoons.

and someone may have called LE on the boat, which provoked the dispatch and visit.

if you are having problems with HS kids speeding on your block...I'd suggest a call to your local sheriff's office or police precinct.

 

I thought CHP patrols on California Highways? You're in NorCal. When I was on patrol during training in CoCo County, I was told that CHP is out of jurisdiction on the city streets and can only process if the person they pulled over goes off the ramp into city areas.

 

I was training with CPD so I'm learning here. What else can CHP patrol besides state routes that pass through towns?

 

Ahhh yes that DOES help, Jasmine, thanks! Now I know why city police and CHP bump heads. I guess it's jurisdiction that can be confusing.

 

ABSOLUTELY correct. Always always always go to court. I know several friends who have and got lucky the officer issuing the ticket didnt show, case dismissed. Even if the officer show tell the judge it was your first in 15 years (don't lie, computer records). They will most likely reduce either the points or suspend them if you dont get another ticket in the next 12 months.

 

Last ticket I got in MA was 12 yrs ago, so this may not be all inclusive..

$50 for the first 10 miles.

$10/mile for each additional mile.

$25 "donation" to the head injury fund.

$175.

That $25 "donation" thing annoys the bejesus out of me..always has always will.

Not sure about VT, but I know RI cops are known for being ballbusters to Massholes. I say that because a few times a year my wife and I venture to Foxwoods or Mohegan and the second we hit the RI border she is all over me to bring the speed to exactly what the limit is.

OP..I'd just pay it where you're pretty darn sure it won't hit your insurance..that's the worst part of it usually.

 

Good post 650. A former neighbor of mine was on the Hanson MA force and used to tell people that flash their lights to warn others there is radar ahead "what if someone just broke into your house and that was the only way I might stop them and find out?" I've had the benefit of learning the LEO way of thinking from him and a cousin who is on the LAPD SWAT team, like most other lines of work it's unique but you have to understand it to understand the person sometimes.

To another point brought up, this being civil the standard is a mere preponderance of evidence..in other words what is more likely. Beyond reasonable doubt is criminal.

That said I'll agree it's not easy to win these in general. About 15 years ago my friend got 70 in a 40..we were out bar hopping and I was passed out when we got stopped, plus his speedo didn't work. His truck was a 1979 Chevy and looked every bit of it haha. The officer wrote it as a 1997, messed up the paint color (not in a way that could have been due to it being midnight), the list goes on. He wasn't satisfied with the magistrate's decision so he appealed it before a judge. The officer didn't show up and it was dismissed. Not a week later he got another notice to appear, which right there is BS.

Before the judge got to him there were at least 10 other cases. They all went the same verbatim. Judge asked the officer if he was a trained radar operator, the officer replied in the affirmative. The violator told their story and got hit for the full fine. Officer never had to say a word other than that one thing. There was no reply given to the bungling of the citation my friend got, just that "well that doesn't matter". Interesting..

 

Are they illegal in NH? Just curious..that I know of they're not in MA.

That said I'd never buy one..reason being I've heard many an officer say they will never let someone off that has one. Rationale being that this person probably got away with it more than average with the detector so they're still ahead of the game.

 

Even if you were in the wrong, fight it.. always fight it, its part of your rights.....

If the cop doesn't go you win.....

 

You're right, living on a street and seeing him cruise for tickets around the same time every month is not knowing anything. my section of town wasn't the main section so yeah its easy to keep track when you're in the area all the time.

You're escaping the fact that he was there for useless reasons, when real reasons to be in the area presented themselves, he moved a long.

Yeah it did. The local sheriffs wouldn't give you shit unless you were a criminal/ meth addict as is the affliction of my old town. I like the sheriffs in my town a lot actually, the CHP on the other hand.. I could do without.

 

no theyre not illegal in NH, but alot of places they are. doesnt bother me anyways, as long as they slow the fuck down we did our job, i dont get moist over writing tickets.

 

True, plus maybe them slowing down stopped them from causing an accident or worse the way I see it..

Though it wasn't for speeding, I was stopped last winter around midnight for no plate light. On my 2006 Colorado it had 2 bulbs and I had recently replaced one. When he gave me a warning I asked which bulb went..he was "the plate light, like I told you!" I replied calmly "I meant that it has 2 bulbs, I was just asking b/c I just replaced one and wondered if I messed up". He brought me back to show me and then realized they both worked..just that the lens doesn't let all the light through.

I have a guess that maybe me driving a black truck wearing a baseball cap (which when he saw commented on that it said Suicidal Tendencies) and it was around midnight didn't help, perhaps he was hoping he got someone coming from the bars. Well he did since I was playing dart league but I was drinking water all night haha

 

You sir, are not privy to the countless number of reasons why that officer was on your block that day. You may see it as useless but your neighbor who lives 5 houses down (easy buddy, it's just an example don't take it so literally) may have been the one who called about that "boat" that was parked there for more than 72 hours. I'm not CHP but I can assure you that there is other shit going on that I would rather deal with. The parking complaint IS a necessary evil as it goes hand in hand with the broken window theory. Not sure what that is? Google is your friend. Try seeing the flip side of the coin. Then, and only then may you consider yourself a reasonable person. May I ask, what do you do for a living?