Speeding Ticket in VA

F

Figman

Well-known member
Sep 10, 2004
114
0
Westchester County, NY
Hello Friends: Hope you all are having a great holiday season.

I live in NY and my family lives in New Orleans, LA. So quite often during the holiday season I drive from NY to NOLA, back in the 90s I got pulled over in the middle of the night with my Radar Detector on (yes the State Trooper spotted the LED light and pulled me over) So everytime I travel thru VA I am careful and remove my detector and put it away. Anyway, I don't speed a lot, sometimes a couple miles above the speed limit, couple days ago while passing a tractor trailer as I accelarated on the left lane, the same moment I am passing there is a State Trooper ahead in the middle and soon after he pulled me over.

After official introduction he told me that he clocked me doing 80, I explained that I was passing the truck and accelerated to that speed and very politely I asked him if he will consider giving me a warning (believe or not in 20 plus years in this country never been pulled over other that the radar detector and now this) So my licenses was clean up to now. The officer said no warning doing 80 and now I will have to face the consequences: fine, facing a judge if I choose to, and points in my license. Later on he mentioned that he will bring down the speed from 80 to 75 in a 65 zone.

So fellows: what should I expect, never been pull over before for speeding, I can always take trip back to VA and face a judge but most likely I won't since I live to far, do I get point in my license? Do I get trouble from a car rental company on my next trip? does my insurance goes up and loose my good driver discount? Sorry for so many questions but I figure my fellow Land Rover friends can provide me with some information

Thanks all

Figman
 
kennith

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
I received a ticket once here in NC. I was driving an unfamiliar vehicle, which cruises quite quietly. I really hadn't noted the speed at which I was driving, and was pulled over for justifiably, at 68 in a 55. I took the ticket, and decided to go back to court, as I had not seen how traffic infractions were treated before, and thought I might learn a thing or two about the experience.

It was fairly well handled, I thought. I was asked why I showed up, and I said as much, and told them that I was under the impression that there must be some benefit to attending the proceedings, though I didn't know what that benefit could be. I was asked why I was pulled over, and I told him, and asserted that I was, in fact, guilty of driving at that speed. The judge told me he would drop it to driving at 60mph in a 55 zone anyway.

Oh, well. I did my part to be honest, anyway.

So, I suspect that this is a common occurrence, and that showing up may provide you some benefit. I understand that some states can let you go entirely once in court. I don't expect Virginia sees too many people show up for their court date, so the simple novelty of the matter might be enough for them to give you a break.

But don't give anyone a song and dance. Show up, and tell them what you did, exactly as it happened, no matter how guilty you are. Nobody likes a whiner, and perhaps the backbone will earn you enough respect to see leniency.

Cheers,

Kennith
 
emmodg

emmodg

Well-known member
Apr 17, 2006
4,273
1
I was told by a Virginia State Police Officer once to ALWAYS contest a ticket in court. I have done just that twice and one was expunged and the other time the ticketing officer could not be present in court so case was dismissed. If you do contest wait a week or two and then file for a date extension - there is a chance that in doing so the arresting officer will not have that date available, (a slight chance but it's a chance).
 
rovercanus

rovercanus

Well-known member
Apr 24, 2004
9,651
246
Va and NY do not share information unless the ticket is unpaid. Call the court house and find out what the fine is and pay it.
If your insurance goes up you need new insurance.
 
D

D Chapman

Guest
Yes, a speeding ticket in VA will result in points on your license in NY. All of these States talk to each other.

Your insurance will find out, but I highly doubt it will affect your premiums.

You can go to Court if you want, but I'd say fuck it. You probably got pulled over during the Virgina "Air, Land, and Speed" program (google it). The chances of you getting out of that ticket are slim - sounds like the Trooper already did you a favor and that's about as good as it's going to get.
 
az_max

az_max

1
Apr 22, 2005
7,463
2
Our cops have one day a month they are scheduled to be in court. so all tickets they hand out are on that day. So unless there's something major happening in the city or the officer is sick, he'll be there.
 
eliaschristeas

eliaschristeas

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2006
2,441
5
Beverly HIlls
well, i know someone very close to me, even kinda looks like me, who has two outstanding warrants because of unpaid speeding tickets in North Dakota and a particular state in the south west. . . he just doesnt go to either of those states now!
 
az_max

az_max

1
Apr 22, 2005
7,463
2
eliaschristeas said:
well, i know someone very close to me, even kinda looks like me, who has two outstanding warrants because of unpaid speeding tickets in North Dakota and a particular state in the south west. . . he just doesnt go to either of those states now!
Click to expand...


Is that why you didn't want to appear in Arizona? ;)
 
fosterchild420

fosterchild420

Well-known member
Feb 18, 2008
301
0
Prospect, VA, USA
from experience on the law side of this (former police officer) pay the ticket. It is not worth the hassle and if it was written by a state police officer, as spoken of by Mr Chapman, you won't beat it in court. I was once told by a Va State Police officer that he had an open door policy: "if i open my door, you are getting a ticket." He also said he does not write b/s tickets, if he writes it, it will stick.

The only thing that you may gain by going to court is traffic school as opposed to points on your license. That would cause you to have to drive back here for that 8 hour class in addition to coming back down for the court.
 
asmith996

asmith996

Well-known member
Dec 1, 2005
670
0
Rockville, MD
You got the break already, VA has crazy fines for speeding from what I have heard. That being said, even if the fine is $600 how much will it cost you to drive to VA on the chance of getting it reduced/dropped. Pay it and move on, it's a speeding ticket not a criminal conviction. Think of it like an expensive parking ticket.
 
brianhoberg

brianhoberg

Well-known member
Apr 16, 2007
4,003
0
46
San Antonio, TX
www.brianhoberg.com
From what my lawyer explained to me:
Call the Municipal Court or the Clerk the next business day they are open. From most reasonable to least, see if you can get deferred adjudication (90 day probation) first as it wipes it from your record. Second, try to get defensive driving. You'll get the ticket still on your record, but often your insurance will give you a % off. Finally, just pay the sucker off and dont speed again.

As for crossing state lines, they WILL show up on your state DOT. I got a ticket in Kansas coming back home form Minnesota. I asked the clerk about it and basically (although it's archaic), they send a list of citations to the state of residence of the offender each month. The state then is responsible to update their database records. So, it may take a month or two to finally show up. Which is why, if you can, just pay the deferred adjudication and leave it there. They wouldnt allow me to do it as I didn't live in Kansas and they wouldn't allow defensive driving, so I was forced ot pay it out. But, Virginia may have different policies. I just say call and check.

-Brian.
 
quick128

quick128

Well-known member
Jul 21, 2008
1,378
1
Waynesboro VA
I'd pay the ticket. You'd look like an ass in front of the judge if you come in and contest it after the trooper dropped 5mph off. I've had people do that and before they are finished talking the judge has already written guilty on the summons and passed it to the clerk. I do believe NY DMV will assign points for a VA ticket. I have the list of states that pass info somewhere in my car maybe i'll look for it later. Where did you get the ticket? I-81 or I-95?
 
rovercanus

rovercanus

Well-known member
Apr 24, 2004
9,651
246
Figman said:
Quick128 I got pulled over on I-81 going southbound.

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions

Figman
Click to expand...
Where on I-81? State cops in VA are usually pretty hardcore. They would ticket thier grandmas.
 
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