Justin James Randall

Justin Randall

Thank you for your feedback! Because you chose to post your review anonymously, I don't know who you are and so I couldn't call you to discuss your dissatisfaction. If you would like to call me to discuss your case further, you can reach me on my office line at (515) 288-8030. When anyone approaches me about representation on a speeding ticket case, the first thing I do is explain just how difficult it is to have speeding tickets dismissed under Iowa law. Before my clients spend their hard-earned money on attorneys, it's important to me that they have a clear understanding of the challenges associated with defending a speeding ticket. One of the things I explain at the outset of a case is that prosecuting attorneys in Iowa do not make a practice of dismissing speeding tickets simply because a person has an otherwise clean record. I also get asked all the time about whether it's possible to have a speeding ticket amended to a non-moving violation. The answer to that question is almost always "no." That's because about a decade ago, several prosecutors were disciplined by the Iowa Supreme Court for amending all moving violations to non-moving violations and allowing defendants to plead guilty to the non-moving violations without a "factual basis." Ever since then, Iowa prosecutors have generally refused to allow criminal defendants to plead guilty to non-moving violations in place of moving violations because of the fear of losing their licenses to practice law. I also explain to my clients that Iowa has 99 counties and 99 different county attorneys, all of whom approach negotiations on speeding tickets differently. Several counties have an absolute "no-negotiation" policy. In other words, if you receive a speeding ticket in one of those counties, your choice is to either pay the ticket or take your case to trial. Other county attorneys will negotiate, but only will do so if a defendant did not already receive a "break" from the police on their speeding citation. So, if the police officer clocked your vehicle at 80 mph in a 65 mph zone, and chose to only write the ticket for 75 mph in a 65 mph zone, the county attorney will not negotiate further. While there are a few counties that have a traffic school program, this is the exception and not the rule. I also inform my clients that fighting a ticket on the merits is an uphill battle, because the magistrate judges who typically hear these cases are accustomed to hearing the same police officers testify several times every month. Over time, judges tend to give these officers the benefit of the doubt. I do thoroughly cross-examine officers regarding their use of speed detection equipment, their training and experience, whether they accounted for environmental factors that could interfere with a clear reading, whether they properly calibrated their equipment, and so on. However, an experienced officer (as most of them are) will not have any problem demonstrating to the court their competent use of their RADAR or LIDAR units. My $550 flat rate for traffic citations isn't a waste. You get competent representation throughout your litigation. Without an attorney, you would have to travel from wherever you are in the U.S. back to Iowa for court, sometimes multiple times, if you want to fight a ticket. You're also paying for my advice and counsel in navigating the Iowa litigation minefield. Lastly, I plainly state in my fee agreement that I make "no guarantee as to the outcome of Client’s case." Any lawyer who guarantees a particular litigation result is a lawyer not worth hiring. Really, the best way to avoid having to pay for a lawyer and a ticket fine is to not break the law in the first place. Kindest regards, Justin Randall