Question about Duvall county court re: speeding ticket

[SettledinJAX]

Hi All,   New to JAX and just got my first speeding ticket.  I was ticketed for doing 64 in a 55.   This was a speed trap on I10 on the west side going east. Wide open uncrowded freeway. They were pulling people right and left.The ticket states that if a citizen chooses to contest their ticket they can be liable for up to an extra $500 in court costs simply for saying "not guilty".  I am used to a state where judges commend citizens for utilizing the court system and generally at least reduce the fine just for showing up.  Will I likely have to spend an extra $500 just for trying to contest a speeding ticket in Duval ? Thanks!

[Charles Hunter]

Never had the experience,  but unless you have good evidence you weren't going the speed the radar (assuming) said, pay the fine. Or, plead No Contest.
Diclaimer, I am not a lawyer, and this should not be construed as legal advice. But there are lawyers on Metrojacksonville who may chime in.

[The_Choose_1]

Hi All,   New to JAX and just got my first speeding ticket.  I was ticketed for doing 64 in a 55.   This was a speed trap on I10 on the west side going east. Wide open uncrowded freeway. They were pulling people right and left.The ticket states that if a citizen chooses to contest their ticket they can be liable for up to an extra $500 in court costs simply for saying "not guilty".  I am used to a state where judges commend citizens for utilizing the court system and generally at least reduce the fine just for showing up.  Will I likely have to spend an extra $500 just for trying to contest a speeding ticket in Duval ? Thanks!

My last speeding ticket I was rushing to get mail to the post office and was doing 40mph on a 30mph road. The JSO Cop was sitting in a car at a funeral home. No funeral was going on at the time. When the cop told me how fast I was going. And I told him why I was 10 mph over the speed limit. And asked him if he could let me off with a warning 'fat chance' He told me to Take It Like A Man! He walked away to write the ticket. I waited till he came back rolling my window back down he told me how to pay the ticket or fight the ticket.  I then started my car back up and went to the post office. I would pay the ticket a cost of $106.00 dollars in 2006. And I took it like a man. 

[Snaketoz]

I would just pay the fine and be done with it.  Even if you were to get a fair day in court, you have to take in to consideration your time, stress, and the chance of paying even more.  It usually pays to just take it like a man.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

It depends on what you want.

You can spend a day in court, plead no contest, the judge with withhold adj. for insurance purposes and you pay the court fees of ~$300

You can pay the fine.

At least this has been my experience.

[DrQue]

Well based on this and the airport report we know the police are doling out tickets. Only one week left to meet the June quotas!

[The_Choose_1]

Well based on this and the airport report we know the police are doling out tickets. Only one week left to meet the June quotas!

Amen and time after time we have been told that JSO doesn't have a Quota system?

[coredumped]

NRW is right. You can go to court and plead no contest. You'll pay a fine, but save your insurance.
Be warned though, you'll spend all day in court, and need to pay for parking.
If you plead innocent, you'll go back again to defend yourself. Another day lost.
The machine is well-tuned.

[spuwho]

Depends on your driving record in the past 12 months.

If you have 1 or 2 tix in the past year anywhere in the US, even a warning and dont want the 3rd on your record, see your local attorney.

If you have 1 other tix on your record and it was in the last 90 days, pay your fine and get off the pedal.

If you have 1 other tix and it was 8-10 months ago, pay your fine.

If your driving record is absolutely clean, you can shoot for a no contest and see what kind of mood the judge is in. Either way, at best you will pay a fine, even if the judge gives no points.

I had a 13 year clean driving record and got spun by JSO on Beach Blvd. I went to court, pleaded no contest, paid the fine and no points. The judge asked me all sorts of questions about my driving history and gaveled me to the cashier.

That wont happen to everyone however.

That tix was lame as JSO clocked me before I entered a construction speed zone,  and cited me as such. I asked him where I was when he pressed the trigger and he said I could take it up with the judge. So I did.

[The_Choose_1]

Depends on your driving record in the past 12 months.

If you have 1 or 2 tix in the past year anywhere in the US, even a warning and dont want the 3rd on your record, see your local attorney.

If you have 1 other tix on your record and it was in the last 90 days, pay your fine and get off the pedal.

If you have 1 other tix and it was 8-10 months ago, pay your fine.

If your driving record is absolutely clean, you can shoot for a no contest and see what kind of mood the judge is in. Either way, at best you will pay a fine, even if the judge gives no points.

I had a 13 year clean driving record and got spun by JSO on Beach Blvd. I went to court, pleaded no contest, paid the fine and no points. The judge asked me all sorts of questions about my driving history and gaveled me to the cashier.

That wont happen to everyone however.

That tix was lame as JSO clocked me before I entered a construction speed zone,  and cited me as such. I asked him where I was when he pressed the trigger and he said I could take it up with the judge. So I did.

" he said I could take it up with the judge. So I did." I'm Glad you did. Knowing my attitude and lack of any respect for several in the JSO after April 2011. If I'm pulled over and know that I was wrong I will just pay the ticket.

[twojacks]

Pay the fine? and get points? are you guys not in the know?  Find the ticket attorney in the Folio.  Pay them the equivalent of the fine and court costs and they get you off.  You don't have to go to court or anything.  If you do go, you'll see the clerks go up at the beginning and have the judge sign off on dozens.

[mtraininjax]

With many friends who are judges and having been to traffic court before as well, they almost always tell the petitioners to plead "Guilty, Not Guilty or nolo contendere".

To the people who plead not guilty, I have never seen a layman successfully win a case. Judges have numbers to keep and your 30 minute rant on why the Justice system is flawed or your attempt to put the system on trial, while it makes for a funny Jim Carrey movie, is not humorous to a judge who has schedules to keep and a boss (higher up judge) to respond to......Go to traffic school sit through 4 hours of boredom and get the points removed. Simple, easy.

[Charles Hunter]

But the injustice! !!  The Man is just trying to keep me down! !

[mbwright]

Last time I paid for an on-line course, and did it from home one weekend or at night.  A waste of time, but no points.  Certainly cheaper than the court fees, and my time during the week.  If you feel you were stopped and cited before the speed went down, due to construction, etc, that might be something to argue, but otherwise, not much of a case.  My wife argued with one, outside of Tallahassee years ago, and asked her to show her the speed limit sign that said 45 on it.  There was not, but one that showed 65, so she was right.  I try to stay about 5 over, max, and be aware of changes.  So much construction going on, you never know, even they are going 70, and it is posted 55 in a construction zone.

[spuwho]

My father was pulled over for speeding by a local municipal police officer (up north) and my dad warned the officer that he was clocking traffic outside his jurisdiction, and the cop gave him the "talk to the judge" treatment.

So before he made his court appearance, he went to the city offices and purchased an official map of the city showing its defined boundaries.

Went to court, pleaded not guilty and was put through the waiting game as the states attorney and the cop get called to show up for court.

The judge asked for his story and he provided it. The judge questioned his facts and my dad asked to show the judge the city map. The judge looked at it and asked the cop if that was where he pulled him over, the cop said "yes". Then the judge, thinking the map was a fake asked my dad where he got it and had to show a receipt of purchase from the municipal offices.

The judge then bawled out the cop like crazy for not paying attention to the boundaries, gaveled my dad innocent and threw out the ticket.  The next day, my dad noticed that the city highway department put up a new city limits sign right where the map showed it was supposed to be.

Judge was probably ticked because of all the tickets he gaveled through guilty based on the cops poor placement.

So it is possible to petition a judge, but there was lots of scepticism before the judge saw it my dads way.