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What should I do with my speeding ticket?

Asked almost 3 years ago - Bellingham, WA

I got a speeding ticket of 76mph in a 60mph zone on the left lane of a two-lane highway, but I am sure I was driving at around 60 +/- 2mph. At the same time, two other cars on the right lane also got pulled over by 2 other cops, but not the one right in front of me. If I get an attorney and go for contested hearing, how possible can I win, given such situation?

I am thinking of choosing mitigation hearing and asking for a deferral. But 2 years ago, I got another speeding ticket in Nevada while I was holding a California driver's license. Later in the same year I moved to Vancouver, and so I changed it to a BC license. And finally in February of this year, I got a Washington license as I moved to Seattle. Therefore, I am not sure if this infraction is on my current driving record or not.

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Attorney answers (2)

Catherine Ann Drees

Reputation Level 12

Answered almost 3 years ago. Criminal Defense Attorney in Daytona Beach, FL.

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Go to the Department of Motor Vehicles in your state or to the Clerk of the Court to receive a LIFETIME driving record but do not tell them why you need it. In Florida one has to get this record from the Clerk of the Court.
I do not know how it is done in your state but looking at this record will tell you what is on the record. If you simply go to the arraignment for the ticket the Judge or Hearing Officer may agree to withhold the points...which means your insurance company cannot raise your rates if their is no points...at least in Florida...but it must be true in Washington because the insurance companies are national.
It is always smart to try to get a deferral if possible. Although a police officer will not tell you this - speed accuracy is iffy with a "pack" of cars such as you have described due to the angles of the radar itself...and attorneys know this.
Good luck...it is not the end of the world.

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Jeffrey Alan Lustick

Reputation Level 14

Answered almost 3 years ago. Speeding / Traffic Ticket Lawyer in Bellingham, WA.

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This sort of thing happens a lot in Whatcom County where the police are trying to catch speeders along I-5. Hiring a lawyer is a good idea for many reasons. For one, if you hire a lawyer, you will not need to attend any court proceedings as your counsel will go for you to all hearings. Secondly, the Infraction Rules for Courts of Limited Jurisdiction provide numerous ways for your ticket to be defeated. Some of these involve requesting discovery, which in Whatcom County, never comes, or challenging the speed measuring device. Usually, hiring a lawyer costs just a little bit more than the ticket. But winning and keeping the ticket off your driver's abstract where the insurance company can see it a raise your rates, is worth even more. You can certainly mitigate and get your fine lowered or even get it deferred. These can be good options as well. You get one deferred moving violation and one non-moving violation every seven years and it costs about $150 payable to the court clerk in court costs to get the deferred.

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