From: GC.AVW@forsythe.stanford.edu (RAGIN CAJUN)
Subject: Re: speeding ticket ..... how to limit the damage?
Organization: Stanford University, California, USA
Distribution: ba
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 11:11:00 GMT

In article <1992Aug15.004859.4201@leland.Stanford.EDU>,
guest@goliath.Stanford.EDU () writes:
>
>
>[first of all, i'm not sure how appropriate this is on this newsgroup,
> so please followup via email.]
>
>on 8/3, i had just exited i-280 to take hwy 17 to [XYZ place], and was
>trying to wake my co-passenger up, when i saw a flashing light in the
>mirror.  since i have never been stopped by cops, i immediately pulled
>to the side; in fact to the *wrong* side, on the left, just because i
>was in the left lane.
>
>cop's version: i was  going *60mph* when he started chasing me,
>               i didn't seem to notice him, and when i pulled on
>               the *wrong* side, i was up to 70.
>
>my version:    no idea ... i was so busy shaking my co-passenger
>               i don't remember looking at the speedometer at all.
>               however, i *have* driven 70 in the past, so i do not
>               doubt cop's story.
>
>anyway, the cop gave a ticket which has a court address and a ticket
>number, but no phone number etc.  besides my name, the only thing
>legible is campbell [so i suppose the court is in campbell] and
>the date sep 19th.
>
>i suppose most people get some kind of ticket sometime, but it feels
>quite depressing to me, since i haven't had any kind of ticket ever
>for the last 5 years that i have been driving.  on top of that, since
>i just turned 25, i was hoping for a reduction in my insurance bill,
>but looks like this speeding ticket is going to have the reverse
>effect.
>
>i would appreciate any comments on the following:
> 1. who do i contact to find out more details about this ticket?
>    dmv wasn't helpful.
> a. what kind of court is this?
> b. would i need a lawyer?  how expensive?
> c. what is the fine for speeding 70 in a 55 zone?
> d. is there any point in contesting it? on what grounds?
> e. is there *any* way at all to avoid this citation/conviction
>    from affecting my insurance bill?  like a no-drive probation
>    for 1 month or something.  [since i live on campus, i could
>    do away without driving for a few weeks]
>
>thank you.
>
>--guest account.

Wow! You are new at this.  Well, I have only had 2 tickets in my
long driving career-almost 30 years, and as I remember it works like
this.  The place to contact is the municipal court of the city in
which you received the ticket-Campbell.  The clerk of courts office
is the office to contact.  Usually if you want to pay the ticket you
just send the money in to the address on the back of the ticket.  If
you want to fight it or go to traffic school you have to make an
appearance in court, the court date is probably the Sept 19 th date
on the ticket.  The court will be traffic court and prepare to stay
all day if your name is later in the alphabet they go
alphabetically.  You will not need a lawyer.  It will do you very
little good to fight it as you seem to be on shakey grounds as to
how fast you were going.  The only thing you can do is go to traffic
school and that will keep it off you driving record.  The only
stipulations involved with traffic school is that you have not been
and here is where I lose a bit of my memory, I think you can't have
been 2 times in the last 2 or 3 years, but as I said I am not sure
of this so maybe you can get this from someone else.  You pay a
fixed amount to go to school and when I got my ticket I got to
choose where I went.  I got the ticket in Palo Alto but I live in
Fremont so I could go either place.  It was either 2 nightly
sessions or 1 all day Sat.  The ticket is then like it never
existed.

********************************************************************
*  Alma Woolf          * Woody, you must be an idiot savant.       *
*  Stanford University * Yea, but I cover it well by smiling a lot.*
********************************************************************
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