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[BoNg420]

I live in Ohio and I just got a notice that I was caught on camera speeding.  I googled a little bit and wondering if anyone had some good links to good reading I can do before I try to fight this thing.  I read one thing saying that in Ohio police officers are required to give you a traffic citation in person by hand.  Meaning the ticket I got should not be valid, yet I will have to go to court and plead not guilty and probably have to go back again.  I just want to know if what I read is true and if there is anything else that can help get me out of it.

So if anyone has any good information or can provide links please let me know!

This post has been edited by BoNg420: Jun 9 2010, 06:12 PM

[lostboyz]

Thats the best strategy I have read, you have the right to meet your accuser. I'm not sure how that really works out though.

How bad was the ticket?

[lordvader129]

this site seems to indicate there is no regulation regarding speed cameras in ohio
http://www.ghsa.org/...bystate/oh.html

as far as meeting your accuser, they usually have a cop go over the recorded violations before mailing out tickets, there should be a signature and badge number on the letter you got somewhere, but either way if you use that defense theyll just bring the cop into court to testify

[hamwbone]

The tables are turning.  We really need to fight these camera offenses.  The only way I know is if you can find some one else to confess to being the driver. hehe

http://www.thenewspa...0/ca-khaled.pdf
http://www.thenewspa...ews/31/3164.asp

fighting it will, inevitably, cost more  

[steveo1978]

Not sure of the laws there but here you can just go to court and talk to the DA and plead guilty to 9 miles an hour over the speed limit. As long as you dont get another traffic ticket it will not effect your insurance or anything. doing it this way is cheaper then hiring a lawyer and fighting it. Most lawyers just get you to plead guilty to improper equipment or something like that. I think the right to meet your accuser only applies to criminal matters not traffic violations.

[w2kj]

hahaha...  i'm sorry; but i just had to laugh...and then at you.  regardless, you were caught speeding. (the method shouldn't matter.) now it's time to man-up and pay the court; or pay your attorney to keep your driving record clean.

in the old days...if the cop didn't show up on your court day...it was possible; but not probable for your charges to be dismissed.  on the other hand; nowadays, if you don't have a record of being a habitual offender...and/or haven't had any recent tickets, you can ask for "deferred adjudication" (in texas anyway).  

basically it gives you 90 days to keep your nose clean...and have no more offenses; then it doesn't go on your driving record.  you do have to pay the court costs; but at least you won't have to pay the fine.  if you do have another incident within that period; the first fine is charged along with the fines for the current charges.  it's like getting two for one.

QUOTE

I think the right to meet   your accuser only applies to criminal matters not traffic violations

ding! ding! ding! a winner!  traffic violations don't apply to this notion.

from now on watch your ass....apparently; the state of ohio is watching it too.  

[lordvader129]

QUOTE(w2kj @ Jun 11 2010, 07:19 PM)

ding! ding! ding! a winner!  traffic violations don't apply to this notion.

from now on watch your ass....apparently; the state of ohio is watching it too.  

it applies in illinois, but as i said the photos and videos are reviewed by a police officer who signs off on it, he/she is your accuser, and if they dont show up in court the ticket is thrown out (ive gotten out of a few tickets this way)

one thing you can do is see who issued the citation, in illinois they come from the police dept, but some places they are issued by a private company that operates the cameras, if its the latter thats another route of defense, that it isnt issued by a sworn police officer


ETA: also, some jurisdictions, rather than issuing a traffic citation, issue a civil fine. the upside of this is it doesnt go on your driving record, and doesnt get reported to your insurance. the downside is since its a civil matter criminal rights dont apply (IE facing the accuser) and instead of going to a trial it would go to arbitration

[lostboyz]

speeding is a BS fine anyway. I understand if it can be argued that you are endangering your own life, others lives, or public property. I don't understand how they can say that me going 100mph on a dry, straight, empty highway in the middle of nowhere. Not that Ive been caught, just saying it isn't protecting against anything.

[lordvader129]

QUOTE(lostboyz @ Jun 12 2010, 03:53 PM)

speeding is a BS fine anyway. I understand if it can be argued that you are endangering your own life, others lives, or public property. I don't understand how they can say that me going 100mph on a dry, straight, empty highway in the middle of nowhere. Not that Ive been caught, just saying it isn't protecting against anything.

see the problem here is youll have idiots who cant tell the difference between a safe time/place to go 100 and an unsafe one

in germany on the autobahn all the speed limit signs are electronic, and the speed limits change throughout the day, of course drivers in germany actually know how to share the road with other drivers unlike most americans

[hamwbone]

QUOTE(lostboyz @ Jun 12 2010, 05:53 PM)

speeding is a BS fine anyway. I understand if it can be argued that you are endangering your own life, others lives, or public property. I don't understand how they can say that me going 100mph on a dry, straight, empty highway in the middle of nowhere. Not that Ive been caught, just saying it isn't protecting against anything.

That's insane that you think that way.

100 mph and 2-3 tons of weight flying down a road has a HIGH potential for not being a victim less crime.  Just when you get that notion that it's a dry, straight and empty highway and give up awareness and decrease response/braking time is when some one ends up in the morgue.

This is why they have race tracks and drag strips.

/Not to say I haven't done it.

[lostboyz]

Is there a big difference between 80 and 100?

I agree its a pipe dream, but I just hate that most traffic violations aren't for keeping things safe its to bring in money for the police department. Then they start coming up with better ways to earn said money. Then we start seeing traffic and intersection cameras, speed traps, motorcycle cops, etc.

I agree with massive tickets for running red lights, stop signs, speeding in residential areas, and others that actually try to enforce driving safety. Getting pulled over for doing 5-10 over is bogus. Frankly, its more dangerous being on the shoulder of a road for that 15 minutes getting a ticket than it was going a little "too fast."

[hamwbone]

QUOTE(lostboyz @ Jun 13 2010, 05:21 PM)

Is there a big difference between 80 and 100?

Since you are in Texas, the max speed limit is 80 - during the day - in the RARE outlying highway areas.
Reality is 70 mph day and 65 at night.

Typical braking rundown (insert math here!!!) every time the speed is doubled the braking distance quadruples.

25% increase in speed creates a 50% increase in braking distance.  (could be less as the number is guesstimated)

A close number for 80 mph for a complete stop would be some where in the realm of 260-350 feet.

Add 50% to that and it becomes 392-525 feet.

Walk the difference on a football field and think - stalled car on road with flat tire/cop giving ticket.

   

/Buzz Killington out!!!
//The same result could also be achieved with a SHITTY set of tires.
///Yes I worked in the tire biz and was accused of killing some one     (over stated but yeah, i still think bout it)

sorry if my math is shit - it involves speed/avg weight/tire stopping friction

[lordvader129]

again, i have to point out the german autobahn, which has no speed limit most of the time (speeds over 100mph are common) and the fatal accident rate in germany is the same as in the US (and significantly lower when you just look at the autobahn, but i cant find statistics for just the interstates in the US)

but also as i mentioned before, there is a lot more drivers ed in germany, im sometimes shocked how easy it is to get a license here in the US

[hamwbone]

QUOTE(lordvader129 @ Jun 16 2010, 12:29 AM)

again, i have to point out the german autobahn, which has no speed limit most of the time (speeds over 100mph are common) and the fatal accident rate in germany is the same as in the US (and significantly lower when you just look at the autobahn, but i cant find statistics for just the interstates in the US)

but also as i mentioned before, there is a lot more drivers ed in germany, im sometimes shocked how easy it is to get a license here in the US

They also have better plans/cameras for downed vehicles and no random ass FM/CR intersections.

They also have massive pile ups and i think they have much stricter vehicle rules and probably a minimum speed.

[n3r0]

www.bluffcitypd.com

A guy in TN got a speed camera ticket, and when he went to the police departments website he saw it had not been renewed, so he bought the domain name. Now he uses it to protest the use of speed camera's