Speeding in NY: OT

[CNY rider]

Asking for a friend of course.....
This friend got a speeding ticket for 20 MPH above the limit over the weekend. Happened on a two lane state road, where limit goes from 55 to 30 as you enter a small village.
Said friend probably did speed, having apparently missed seeing the sign where the limit went down at the village boundary.
The friend has been driving for 30 years, never had a ticket or an accident of any significance.
What I've seen on various sites, is that I should plead not guilty, and ask for a lesser charge that I can plead guilty to, with few or no points, hopefully giving my insurance company less incentive to fleece me.
Is this correct? Do I contact the court ahead of time? Just show up at the scheduled time? Or contact the officer?

Any advice appreciated.

[AngryScientist]

just show up on the posted date. you likely wont have to really actually DO anything. Lots of times the prosecutor will offer a "deal" in bulk to the speeders in the room where you can plead down to a lesser charge.

if you really dont have the time to waste a day doing that, it might be worth a call to the insurance company to see if they will raise your rates. most good insurance companies will have a single ticket "forgiveness" type thing and not bang you for a single ticket if you've got a good record and have been a cash cow customer for years.

in these days of geiko and progressive spamming the commercial air waves trying to sway customers to switch - you're insurance company doesnt want to lose you over one ticket, i suspect.

[Tony T]

Contacting the officer or court won't be of any help.
If he's really concerned about points, then he should contact a local lawyer who knows the local system, or as Angry says, just show up and take your chances.

[verticaldoug]

Your friend is an important revenue source those NY small towns.
It's a racket.

[Tony T]

Racket, yes, but the LPO usually tickets for a mph or so below the speed that triggers points so that the driver will just mail in the fine (er, fee).

[93legendti]

Every jurisdiction is different.

In Michigan, the drill used to be asking for a jury trial in a pleading, showing up in the noticed date and time and the prosecutor would offer a deal to those with good records (usually zero points)- because the Court and Prosecutor do not have time for jury trials on every ticket.

I haven't done a ticket in years and I believe the procedure here has changed.

I would google what to do, re diy. Then, I would hire a lawyer.


The reason to hire a lawyer is a record with zero points is something to be cherished and maintained. Once you have points on your record, the next ticket (or worse) gets harder to get out from under...

As a lawyer, I was able to get zero point deals for clients with good records and they would please to defective equipment or blockading traffic...ymmv

[parris]

Some of the small town pd offices focus on this. I travel to Utica from Binghamton a fair amount on rt 12. The town of Oxford is notorious locally for this. The speed limit goes from 55, 40, 30 in roughly a half mile space.

[verticaldoug]

Maybe $300 fine and a surcharge and 3 points. But points on your drivers license is not the same as points the insurer will use. For GEICO, don't they treat it as 1 point, and a 5% bump?

You hire the right local lawyer, you can make it all go away. He'll just keep rescheduling until the day the officer cannot show, and have it all dismissed. It just will cost much more.

[soulspinner]

Maybe $300 fine and a surcharge and 3 points. But points on your drivers license is not the same as points the insurer will use. For GEICO, don't they treat it as 1 point, and a 5% bump?

You hire the right local lawyer, you can make it all go away. He'll just keep rescheduling until the day the officer cannot show, and have it all dismissed. It just will cost much more.

Might not all go away, but with representation (pro bono) I got a ticket more than 20 over to a non moving violation. No points just a fine. Judge said Merry Christmas...it was June.

[EDS]

High probability you will be offered a no-points deal when you show up on the appropriate court date. You pay fine and court costs.

[OtayBW]

In Baltimore Co. MD, you can go to court and 'plead guilty with explanation' whereby you basically fess up, give any extenuating circumstances, and then cough up ~$150 bucks. No points or anything....or so I've heard....

[Hilltopperny]

Asking for a friend of course.....
This friend got a speeding ticket for 20 MPH above the limit over the weekend. Happened on a two lane state road, where limit goes from 55 to 30 as you enter a small village.
Said friend probably did speed, having apparently missed seeing the sign where the limit went down at the village boundary.
The friend has been driving for 30 years, never had a ticket or an accident of any significance.
What I've seen on various sites, is that I should plead not guilty, and ask for a lesser charge that I can plead guilty to, with few or no points, hopefully giving my insurance company less incentive to fleece me.
Is this correct? Do I contact the court ahead of time? Just show up at the scheduled time? Or contact the officer?

Any advice appreciated.

Pm me the village. I have a bit of knowledge on such things. Never plead guilty as most municipalities just want your money. My father is married to an ex judge. If in Montgomery County you will have an opportunity to speak with the assistant DA and get it reduced. 20 miles over the limit is a bunch of points and possible revocation in nys.

[seanile]

was it tuxedo?
i've been nicked for 18 over in a 35, showed up (cop didn't), and they reduced it to points-free violation.

by the way, in NY you can take defensive driving class(es) to reduce the points on your license as well as get a discount your insurance fees.

[CNY rider]

Thank you all for the helpful information, both in the thread and via PM.

[OtayBW]

was it tuxedo?
i've been nicked for 18 over in a 35, showed up (cop didn't), and they reduced it to points-free violation.

by the way, in NY you can take defensive driving class(es) to reduce the points on your license as well as get a discount your insurance fees.
How can they convict you if the cop didn't show up? Face your accuser and all that...

[old fat man]

Was it Rt 20? I got three speeding tickets on that road within 18 months back when I was in college. All in different counties, but the state of NY revoked my right to drive in NY for 6 months because of it.

I showed up to the court house for the first one and the officer agreed to reduce it from 20 over to 10 over. Thankfully, CT was not reciprocal with NY (back then) so insurance never found out.

[cnighbor1]

MY Uncle has a on the road Salesman was in a southern state speeding about 10 mph faster that posted
Policeman pulled him over Issued ticket and for court date stated follow me
They went back into the woods a bit
Judge was sitting at a desk where he stated court in session My Uncle knew he didn't have a chance Pleaded quilty Paid the fine and walked out of the woods a free but poorer man

[CNY rider]

Was it Rt 20? I got three speeding tickets on that road within 18 months back when I was in college. All in different counties, but the state of NY revoked my right to drive in NY for 6 months because of it.

I showed up to the court house for the first one and the officer agreed to reduce it from 20 over to 10 over. Thankfully, CT was not reciprocal with NY (back then) so insurance never found out.

Rte 10 entering Canajoharie.
Similar situation: High speed road, that suddenly has lowered limits in the villages.
In the case of Rte 10 south of Canajoharie the limit goes down well before you see signs of civilization (the village).

[parris]

OFM I know RT 20 from just west of 81 to Richfield Springs. We had a farm between Bridge Water and West Winfield. We also rented/swapped land in that area. Long before I started to drive my dad warned us multiple times about where the speed traps were on that road. I got popped once in Madison by SP which blew me out of the water because I KNOW where those limit signs are. It turned out that my spedo was off. I showed up at the town court and helped the "old guy" that was getting there get something out of his car. It turned out to be the town judge. He asked what I was there for and why was I in a suit. I told him the reason and that I thought I had to wear a suit to court to show respect etc. The guy was so shocked he asked me a couple of questions and killed the ticket. The other part is that neither the cop or DA showed.

[tkbike]

How ironic?
Cyclists complain about drivers breaking the law!
Drivers breaking the law and asking cyclists how not to take responsibility for endangering the general public and breaking the law!
I live in upstate NY, not central NY or the Hudson Valley and deal with people who can't read a speed limit sign on a daily basis!!!!!

[estilley]

The only speeding ticket I ever got was on Route 20 in college. Right outside of Morrisville.

Pleaded guilty at the "office hours" of the county courthouse, paid the damn thing and got on my way.

Luckily NY points don't transfer to an OR license.




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[Hilltopperny]

How ironic?
Cyclists complain about drivers breaking the law!
Drivers breaking the law and asking cyclists how not to take responsibility for endangering the general public and breaking the law!
I live in upstate NY, not central NY or the Hudson Valley and deal with people who can't read a speed limit sign on a daily basis!!!!!

In all fairness the section where the ticket was issued is unpopulated and going down a long hill. It goes from 55 to 30 without warning and is set up that way to add revenue to a dying village. It's a speed trap and unless you are fully aware that it's a speed trap it's almost impossible to slow down enough in the short distance given. It doesn't go from 55 to 40 to 30. The same village is proposing higher taxes to village homes with solar and so on...

[alancw3]

in florida many years ago i got a ticket doing 90 on a two lane county road very early one morning with a speed limit of 55. i had an option to pay the fine and then take a driving school course so as not to get any points. three nights time and $55 for the course and no points. that option was only available to first time offenders which i thought was quite fair. you might want to check and see if new york has that option.

[PaMtbRider]

I had a similar situation 2 years ago on my motorcycle, 55 in a 35 at the bottom of a hill. Sent the ticket in as not guilty. Showed up for my day in court, and the officer and judge agreed to reduce to 5mph over because I had no previous violations.

[zap]

How ironic?
Cyclists complain about drivers breaking the law!
Drivers breaking the law and asking cyclists how not to take responsibility for endangering the general public and breaking the law!
I live in upstate NY, not central NY or the Hudson Valley and deal with people who can't read a speed limit sign on a daily basis!!!!!

Speeding is very common in countries that are far safer for cyclists.

[GregL]

This thread brings back memories of my teen driving years in CNY. Back then (early 1980s), local speed trap locations were passed down from friends and family. I got snagged between Richfield Springs and Mohawk on Rt. 28. When I went before the local judge on my court date, I was amazed at what a well-appointed town hall the town of Columbia had... The only thing that kept me from getting a lot of grief from my parents was the fact that both my father and mother got small-town speeding tickets on Rt. 20 within a week of my ticket.

Thanks to the internet, local speed traps are now posted online in addition to tribal knowledge: http://www.speedtrap.org/state/33/New%20York. Sure enough, Canajoharie made the list.

- Greg

[93legendti]

It's pretty standard for speed limits to be lowered once you are about to enter populated areas - at least it is in Michigan. Safety and all...

[Tony T]

There's one speed trap on a road I travel where the speed limit into town goes from a posted 55mph to 40mph for about fifty feet, then to 30mph. No other reason to have a 40mph for fifty feet other than to catch 'speeders' who miss the posted 30mph. If it was not a speed trap, then instead of a 40mph posting, it would be a "30mph ahead" sign.

[old fat man]

The only speeding ticket I ever got was on Route 20 in college. Right outside of Morrisville.

Pleaded guilty at the "office hours" of the county courthouse, paid the damn thing and got on my way.

Luckily NY points don't transfer to an OR license.




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Haha, I went to Colgate. Got one in Mo'ville, one in Sloansville, and one in Warren if I remember correctly

[estilley]

Haha, I went to Colgate. Got one in Mo'ville, one in Sloansville, and one in Warren if I remember correctly



Heading back there next month for an alumni track and cross country gathering!


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[old fat man]

Heading back there next month for an alumni track and cross country gathering!


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February in central New York...I was drunk enough to cope with it in college. Not sure I could embrace it now.