Going to the court for speeding - Need advice

[Giovanni Jaramillo]

You gave it your best shot, now get a V1 (radar detector).

And SLOW down. 3 tickets within 2yrs is not good for your insurance rates. Your Valentine 1 is for "Situational Awareness". It's not a cloaking device but it definitely helps!

[Christos Adam]

I have a passport escort 8500 it saved my in numerous occasions ( probably 6-7 times on the way back from Monteray)... that weekend in August I had forgotten to take it with me (I wanted to go back but the traffic was bumper to bumper and I was 10-15 miles away when I realized that I didn't have it with me...

So I agree...

Rule N1
Don't speed excessively

Rule N2
Always have a radar detector (even if you don't speed) and have hardwired to your car so it's always on when you drive

Rule N3
If you get a ticket far away from home you need to ask from the police office to transfer your ticket to your county seat (that along can save you the gas & time and most probably the ticket since nobody want to drive). I was aware of that but I didn't know that you need to ask the police officer for the transfer (I though that I could do it later).

Rule N4
If you get pulled over, stay there for a couple more minutes and write down everything you can remember. The cars that were around you vehicle (color and size is important), the location (angle) of the police car to the direction where you were moving. If you have iphone or GPS get the gps location so you can download and print a map for the court.

Rule N5
Always try to be friendly with the officer and try the best to get it reduced or get out w only a warning - if possible. It's way easier to do it at that point than at the court.

[Giovanni Jaramillo]

I have a passport escort 8500 it saved my in numerous occasions

A Passport Escort doesn't have eyes in the back of it's head. A Valentine 1 does, that's why it's better.

[Christos Adam]

You gave it your best shot, now get a V1 (radar detector).

And SLOW down. 3 tickets within 2yrs is not good for your insurance rates. Your Valentine 1 is for "Situational Awareness". It's not a cloaking device but it definitely helps!

Gio all of my tickets belong to the ridiculous category of tickets...
In this one, he clocked me for 72 in a 60 zone(and then he wrote 77) - everyone was doing 70 at that time
The other time I got pulled for 75 in a 65 zone on the 101 - everyone was/is doing 75-80 on the 101
The other one was again 73 on a 65 - at 12 am coming back from the garage in Glendora - I was there to sell my borla exhaust to a guy for $250 (didn't know that my trip only would cost me double the price of that).

Basically during the last couple of years the police has started giving tickets left and right... for no serious reason.
I remember in the past that I was always cruising at 80 mph with out ever been pulled over...

[Christos Adam]

I have a passport escort 8500 it saved my in numerous occasions

A Passport Escort doesn't have eyes in the back of it's head. A Valentine 1 does, that's why it's better.

It does have a Laser eye at the back but it's on the unit itself not a separate sensor that is mounted at the rear windshield, but 9/10 cops in California are still using radars not lasers so it doesn't really matters.

[Kristoffer Gjevre]

I have a passport escort 8500 it saved my in numerous occasions

A Passport Escort doesn't have eyes in the back of it's head. A Valentine 1 does, that's why it's better.

I love the indicator arrows on the V1, and Trapster on the iPhone is good help too.
Been thinking about getting a Passport 9500ix (has GPS and db for speed trap, red light, etc warnings)... anyone have experience with it?

[Christos Adam]

3 tickets within 2yrs is not good for your insurance rates.

So I was getting a quote for my bike and there was a question regarding speeding tickets. I put no speeding tickets and I requested a quote - which I believe was around $160. Then I put my driving license number and and my CC information to buy the insurance but to my surprise the screen showed:
Checking record (blinking)
Speeding violation found
Checking record (blinking)
Speeding violation found
etc
at the end of the process my fee was up to $320 :barf: :unimpressed:

[George Schilling]

So yesterday night I came back from my trip to Monteray (what I shame being that close to Laguna Seca and not going in the track for a spin).
I defended myself for 30 min and I lost but gracefully.
I bought a book and I prepared (in my mind) quite a few questions but it seems that the police officer had done his work (collecting all the data he needed) and (even though hard to say it) he deserved to win.
The whole atmosphere in the courtroom was very nice and the officer answered all of my questions patiently and with really good attitude. Nobody seemed to be getting pissed feeling that I wasted their time. The judge actually commented at the end of the process that my questions were very good...but the police officer had really done his homework while I wasn't as prepared as well as I could (since I haven't had taken any notes when I got pulled over - next time you get pulled over remember to take notes and if it's possible your gps location).
At the end of the process I asked to get my fine reduced but the judge denied that since I have had 3 tickets within the last 2 years... but he did allow me to attend Level II traffic school (12 hours and $149).

So here is the aftermath:
Romantic weekend in Napa Valley $2K (in August)

Speeding ticket on the way back from Napa Valley
Bail $430
Fed EX TBD $15
Fed Ex the letter to the court Trial De Novo $15
Hotel @ Monteray for the night before the trial $75
Gas (Audi A6 27mpg) $120
Buying Book how to beat your ticket $30
Traffic school/court fee $60
Traffic School fee $90
taking the day off and wasting it driving up and down in Monteray... priceless

I'm curious, how did he imply that your driving was unsafe? Or did you make that an issue?

[Christos Adam]

I'm curious, how did he imply that your driving was unsafe? Or did you make that an issue?

So the officer brought with him a research that was done 2 years ago on that stretch of the road showing that the average speed was 61 mph with maximum 66-67 mph.
I also asked him how he calibrated his radar and he said with a tuning fork (I was expecting him to say that he did the self calibration by just pressing on the calibration button).
I asked if the tuning fork had been tested by a lab recently and he said no.
I then said that these things need to be checked periodically since moisture can change the frequency.
The Judge didn't know about that so he went though other court record and found a study from Hawaii showing that it's not actually necessary.

[George Schilling]

I'm curious, how did he imply that your driving was unsafe? Or did you make that an issue?

So the officer brought with him a research that was done 2 years ago on that stretch of the road showing that the average speed was 61 mph with maximum 66-67 mph.
I also asked him how he calibrated his radar and he said with a tuning fork (I was expecting him to say that he did the self calibration by just pressing on the calibration button).
I asked if the tuning fork had been tested by a lab recently and he said no.
I then said that these things need to be checked periodically since moisture can change the frequency.
The Judge didn't know about that so he went though other court record and found a study from Hawaii showing that it's not actually necessary.

Ah, you focused on getting off on a technicality. Good idea if it works. Only one defense needs to stick. Remember, a 22350 says nothing about speed limits, it only talks about driving safely considering the conditions. For future reference, if the technicality doesn't materialize, focus on the law itself. He has to testify that you did something unsafe. Speed is only dangerous in context. Without that testimony, there is no evidence to convict. You have to point that out to the judge because even the judges assume that if you were speeding, your driving was unsafe.

[Bob Pl]

A lot of good points in this thread.

Regarding detectors:

I tried the latest greatest Escorts when they come out (and have owned a couple) but I end up returning them after the trial period ends. If you really know how to USE THE ARROWS on V1 (they are patented with the rear facing antenna) there is NO SUBSTITUTE. If you are uninformed or lazy about your detector then the brand does not really matter.

I either pace the flow or go maybe 5 over. If (occasionally) I go 10 + over I am scanning like that girl in the Exorcist movie, 360 degrees. Full focus on the driving environment, no radio or chat with passengers. Very high speed events are "pre screened" and during light traffic only .

I have not had to beat a speeding ticket in some years, but when I did, it was delay, technicality, details, and a friendly manner. Do try to talk it down at the scene. CHP/Sheriff/Local LEO stickers on the driver side rear window as a good luck charm.

[Christos Adam]

I managed to get out of 7 speeding violation just by being friendly with the police officers... that was good until I got my first ticket in my record... after that it was the downfall and nobody really cared of what I was saying. Sad but true... if you have a clean record it's easier to keep that way that ...

As far as the ARROWS in the V1, I'm sure they are good, but don't really matter, for me when my radar is set off I'm instantly 100% on the brakes and 10 mph less in split of seconds... true sometime it's on the other side of the road, and I still slow down.

A friend of mine had the v1 and one of the most annoying things was that you couldn't turn off some of the frequencies like the X-band used by motion detectors at the grocery stores and in the signs that warn you that you go too fast (you know the ones always blink red saying that you are doing 25mph and the speed limit is 10mph). Do you know if they have add that feature in any of the latest s/w revisions?

[Christos Adam]

I'm curious, how did he imply that your driving was unsafe? Or did you make that an issue?

So the officer brought with him a research that was done 2 years ago on that stretch of the road showing that the average speed was 61 mph with maximum 66-67 mph.
I also asked him how he calibrated his radar and he said with a tuning fork (I was expecting him to say that he did the self calibration by just pressing on the calibration button).
I asked if the tuning fork had been tested by a lab recently and he said no.
I then said that these things need to be checked periodically since moisture can change the frequency.
The Judge didn't know about that so he went though other court record and found a study from Hawaii showing that it's not actually necessary.

Ah, you focused on getting off on a technicality. Good idea if it works. Only one defense needs to stick. Remember, a 22350 says nothing about speed limits, it only talks about driving safely considering the conditions. For future reference, if the technicality doesn't materialize, focus on the law itself. He has to testify that you did something unsafe. Speed is only dangerous in context. Without that testimony, there is no evidence to convict. You have to point that out to the judge because even the judges assume that if you were speeding, your driving was unsafe.

Well his point was that average speed was 61 , I was doing more than the average and then he mentioned that there was an intersection further down and that there was no barrier between the two sides of the road and that there have been too many accidents reported there. :barf:

[Bob Pl]

I managed to get out of 7 speeding violation just by being friendly with the police officers... that was good until I got my first ticket in my record... after that it was the downfall and nobody really cared of what I was saying. Sad but true... if you have a clean record it's easier to keep that way that ...

As far as the ARROWS in the V1, I'm sure they are good, but don't really matter, for me when my radar is set up I'm instantly 100% on the brakes and 10 mph less in split of seconds... true sometime it's on the other side of the road, and I still slow down.

I friend of mine had the v1 and one of the most annoying things was that you couldn't turn off some of the frequencies like the X-band used motion detectors at the grocery stores and in the signs that warn you that you go too fast (you know the ones always blink red saying that you are doing 25mph and the speed limit is 10mph). Do you know if they have add that feature in any of the latest s/w revisions?

I am pretty sure you can disable x band in the later ones, a sequence of buttons to push - owners manual stuff, or google it.

[Bill Martin]

I gotta assume they object to your process whether they let on or not. I've heard some cops aren't fully paid for court appearances, so that's gotta piss them off. And judges probably consider this a petty use of their time when they could be trying OJ or something. If you had a really interesting situation it would be different. But they must get hundreds of "did-not, did-so" cases. It may have been a unique experience to you, but it was probably the 30th time in a month for them. I think once the cop shows up it's strikes one and two. And if he can pronounce his own name, you're toast. I'm sure there are exceptions.

[Bob Pl]

I gotta assume they object to your process whether they let on or not. I've heard some cops aren't fully paid for court appearances, so that's gotta piss them off. And judges probably consider this a petty use of their time when they could be trying OJ or something. If you had a really interesting situation it would be different. But they must get hundreds of "did-not, did-so" cases. It may have been a unique experience to you, but it was probably the 30th time in a month for them. I think once the cop shows up it's strikes one and two. And if he can pronounce his own name, you're toast. I'm sure there are exceptions.

Were there any reports of kangaroos being seen in the court room?

[KJ Christopher]

I am pretty sure you can disable x band in the later ones, a sequence of buttons to push - owners manual stuff, or google it.

http://valentine1.com/lab/MikesLabRpt3.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bob Pl]

Do you think there is any x band still in use?