If it is at night, turn on your interior lights Then place your hands on the top of your steering wheel palms up, facing your face. Her work has been featured by USA Today, U.S. News and World Report and The Associated Press. Legal Help for Moving Violations, Parking and Traffic Tickets - Speeding Tickets: 1/2 mile from my house I was clocked (Robic stopwatch) doing 49.1 MPH in a 35 zone (3.37 sec over Speeding Ticket Information (Stopwatch) - Pennsylvania traffic school or defensive driving course. 1) Admit guilt and pay the fine, 2) Attend a defensive driving class (at your expense) 3) Request a trial be set by mail. You will need to attend a mandatory departmental hearing. If you're trying to prove his radar system was faulty, ask if he was aware at the time of the citation his radar device was 3 weeks overdue for basic maintenance. [2] It has to be significant, however. Afterward, write down everything about the incident, including the time of day, location and anything that might have affected the circumstances, such as obscured or missing speed limit signs. Here are the 16 top reasons cited for getting out of a speeding ticket, and their rates of success as determined by CarInsurance.com: I'm bringing home hot food and didn't want it to get cold (11% . Unfortunately, enrolling in a defensive driving course will not reduce points on your Pennsylvania driving record. You have the right to a court trial with a judge. So, in response to the first letter, I mailed them back the following letter (copied and pasted): I received a letter claiming I committed a violation of a speeding law in the District of Columbia on 04/21/2012. On one side of a sheet of paper, note what was said. To do so, the prosecutor will usually call up the officer who issued your citation and ask him a series of questions in an attempt to establish his reliability. Yes, Here's How. If you are facing a speeding ticket or traffic offense that could threaten your license, you may choose to contest the ticket and force the police and Pennsylvania prosecutors office to prove that you committed the traffic offense you were charged with beyond a reasonable doubt. If you dont attend the hearing, your license will automatically be suspended until you do. I've never had an issue until this particular morning, and I assume I was just severely unlucky this day. 5 points. Take note of any weather conditions, such as rainfall or clouds, that could obscure the officer's judgment. You need to gather evidence as well as witnesses in the case. However, this can only be used once. Check the ticket to find out whether a state, county or local officer issued it and search online for traffic procedures in that jurisdiction. Make sure you choose a firm who has experience fighting traffic tickets in Pennsylvania. The steps to fighting your Pennsylvania traffic ticket can differ from court to court, though generally, the process consists of the following: Consider hiring a traffic ticket lawyer PRIOR to your court appearance(s). Then, those points drop off: 3 points for each 12 months you have a clean driving record. The police officer will aim the radar at the target vehicle. Most drivers have sped at one point or another, even if just a couple of miles per hour over the speed limit. Considering the costs, hiring a lawyer is likely worth the money if your ticket is particularly expensive or could result in the loss of your license. If you are caught speeding there, you will receive a fine and three points are added to your driving record. Our office accepts e-mails from parties that visit this website, but the sending of such e-mails does not create an attorney-client relationship and therefore these communications cannot be treated as privileged or confidential. However, that isnt the only cost youll be assessed. Subscribe to our News and Updates to stay in the loop and on the road! Having the appearance moved closer will make fighting the ticket easier for you. When you receive a speeding ticket or traffic citation, you always have the option to pay the fine and accept the points. If the officer says he will get a search warrant, politely tell him to do so and continue to refuse a search. If you accept a plea bargain and plead guilty, your car insurance rates could go up! HOW THE POLICE CATCH YOU SPEEDING. However, with proof of PA traffic school or defensive driving course completion, you may still be eligible for discounted car insurance rates. Using DoNotPay is a simple way to avoid paying unfair speeding tickets and dealing with higher insurance rates for several years after getting convicted of speeding in Pennsylvania. Although this option is said to result in this matter . If your traffic violation still appears erroneously, you could be on the hook for major fines and even license suspension. So how do we make money? And while our site doesnt feature every company or financial product available on the market, were proud that the guidance we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are objective, independent, straightforward and free. Pre-qualified offers are not binding. If you've lost your ticket, contact the county court for information. A plea bargain will require that you change your plea to guilty in exchange for reduced penalties. If you choose this option, be sure to return the plea and payment by the time stated on the ticket to prevent a bench warrant from being issued for your arrest. Pennsylvania's speeding ticket fees Excess of legal speed limit Fee imposed for breaking the legal speed limit Every mile over 5 mph $35 + $2 per mile over the limit Every mile over 65 mph $42.50 + $2 per mile over the limit If excess over 11 mph (school zone) Up to $500 How Pennsylvania speeding tickets are calculated The speed limit in Pennsylvania school zones is 15 miles per hour. An appellate court will only look to see if any legal errors were made and whether these errors affected the final decision in the case. You can get certain records at the DMV that can help you with your case. Call your DMV or licensing agency to see if your state has a similar program. And we truly care about our clients. If you end up going to trial before a judge, you can expect the process to follow this general outline: If you'd like to pursue your case after a guilty verdict and sentencing, you can file an appeal with the PA Court of Common Pleas with the county court where you received your citation. We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. Overall, your strategy to beat a photo radar ticket looks like this: Avoid being served, do not respond for four months. Remember, you're not making any arguments during cross-examination. Speeding in a school zone or exceeding a speed limit by 11 to 15 miles per hour. Fighting a Speeding Ticket In Texas And Winning! Other ways an officer can clock your speed are using a timing device such as a stopwatch or VASCAR, or following behind you clocking your speed using their speedometer. Several hundred dollars are now being demanded from you because the camera captured your car and license plate. If convicted of aggravated assault by vehicle in an active construction zone, drivers can receive up to 2 additional years of jail term. delaying or reducing the impact on insurance. If you plead guilty, over the next six years you may end up paying close to $2500 extra, you'll be getting that much closer to . This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. If you're searching for an easy way to get out of a speeding ticketin Pennsylvania or any other state, DoNotPay can help. Now that I got the basics out of the way, I'll get into the tactics to beat your photo radar ticket. If the officer clocks you at greater than 11 miles over the speed limit the ticket grows to $500. You do not want to pull over in an intersection or anywhere else you might obstruct traffic. Traffic attorney explains 20 ways to defend yourself if you have a speeding ticket. Call 610-565-9696 or contact us online to speak with an attorney today. Our attorneys can be reached at (614) 361-2804. You usually have to post bail in the amount of the fine, so check with the court to make sure you have the proper amount and proper payment method. Drivers who rack up too many points face consequences like having to take a driver improvement course and license suspension. Considering the officer probably has other cases, there's a good chance he's too busy to come to court or just can't make it. This will, however, result in the same consequences as pleading guilty. Here are five key ways: 1. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/1d\/Fight-a-Speeding-Ticket-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Fight-a-Speeding-Ticket-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/1d\/Fight-a-Speeding-Ticket-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid3335265-v4-728px-Fight-a-Speeding-Ticket-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"