Ticket

[pigbat]

Originally Posted by ianbiz

hmm... are there a lot of curvy roads?
What is there to do in Iowa anyway?

I grew up in Iowa..... we drank a lot of beer and talked about getting out. Now I'm in Nebraska. lol

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by pigbat

I grew up in Iowa..... we drank a lot of beer and talked about getting out. Now I'm in Nebraska. lol

Yikes, that might even be a downgrade!

I grew up in West Des Moines so I know what you are talking about. Drinking is something you get very good at living here... especially if you go/went to the U of Iowa

[pigbat]

Heh, it was definitely a downgrade in some aspects. I lived on the east coast for a few years before I took a job back in the midwest. I'm working my way toward So Cal.

[soeharyo]

hawkeye, you usually go as far as +10mph of the speed limit if you don't want to get a ticket?

just curious... cause over here, I have been driving 10 miles per hour above the speed limit on most roads and highways and 5-7 miles per hour above the speed in residential and campus area and have been getting away scot free. There were times when I don't pay enough attention to the speedometer and how fast I go. Such as the last time I got a ticket for going 50mph on a 35mph; a 15mph violation. The fine was adjusted and the officer gave me a ticket for 5mph instead.


ianbiz, as for exhaust noise.. they really are addicting.

[MTHEORY]

I'm a criminal defense lawyer. When I get a ticket, I make it my goal to make the cop's life a living hell for having stopped the wrong person. I make each ticket a pet project. I give it to one of my associates, who immediately demand discovery, road surveys, citation (quota) information, as well as the officer's personnel file for any complaints by other drivers. Through my connections with lawyers who actually do tickets, (I only handle Felony cases) I find out the officer's other set hearings and set my hearing at the same time. Then instead of agreeing to a dismissal, My associate demands the officer's presence through the District Attorney under threat of contempt for ignoring a subpoena. By the time I'm finished about 6 months later, the officer wishes he never issued my citation. I actually had one offer to pay my fine so he wouldn't have to attend the 5th hearing in 3 months. Since 85% of county and municipal ticket issuances are directly related to revenue raising by government and have nothing to do with enforcement, I look at these ticket "opportunities" as a fun diversion from my everyday job of defending murder, rape, and robbery. My advice is: Don't be so quick in paying that BS ticket.

[plasmasmp]

Originally Posted by MTHEORY

I'm a criminal defense lawyer. When I get a ticket, I make it my goal to make the cop's life a living hell for having stopped the wrong person. I make each ticket a pet project.

You sir, are the hero to all of us who own fast cars (and drive safely)

[MTHEORY]

Originally Posted by plasmasmp

You sir, are the hero to all of us who own fast cars (and drive safely)

Thanks, my current pet project is the ticket I got in Barstow California on my way to Bimmerfest. I was driving 85 in a 70 along with all the other traffic around me, and the CHP picked out my M Coupe for special treatment. It was Laser at a 90 degree angle (very defendable in court). I just subpoenaed the "Highway Speed Survey" for the section of highway I was driving. The law states that if the survey is not up to date, ticket dismissed. We'll see what turns up.

Why would they pick on me?

[Hawkeye]

haha. I had my plate in my windshield fastened with 4 suction cups and it was very visible and he wrote me up under this code:

321.38 Plates, method of attaching -- imitations prohibited.
Every registration plate shall at all times be securely fastened in a horizontal position to the vehicle for which it is issued so as to prevent the plate from swinging and at a height of not less than twelve inches from the ground, measuring from the bottom of the plate, in a place and position to be clearly visible and shall be maintained free from foreign materials and in a condition to be clearly legible. An imitation plate or plates imitating or purporting to imitate the official registration plate of any other state or territory of the United States or of any foreign government shall not be fastened to the vehicle.


I don't see any problem getting out of it.

[Dammmittt]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

haha. I had my plate in my windshield fastened with 4 suction cups and it was very visible and he wrote me up under this code:

321.38 Plates, method of attaching -- imitations prohibited.
Every registration plate shall at all times be securely fastened in a horizontal position to the vehicle for which it is issued so as to prevent the plate from swinging and at a height of not less than twelve inches from the ground, measuring from the bottom of the plate, in a place and position to be clearly visible and shall be maintained free from foreign materials and in a condition to be clearly legible. An imitation plate or plates imitating or purporting to imitate the official registration plate of any other state or territory of the United States or of any foreign government shall not be fastened to the vehicle.


I don't see any problem getting out of it.

You should keep a copy of that in your car.

[Hawkeye]

Yeah, I emailed it to myself so my iPhone will always have it handy incase I get pulled over again.

[laidback]

Originally Posted by MTHEORY

I'm a criminal defense lawyer. When I get a ticket, I make it my goal to make the cop's life a living hell for having stopped the wrong person. I make each ticket a pet project. I give it to one of my associates, who immediately demand discovery, road surveys, citation (quota) information, as well as the officer's personnel file for any complaints by other drivers. Through my connections with lawyers who actually do tickets, (I only handle Felony cases) I find out the officer's other set hearings and set my hearing at the same time. Then instead of agreeing to a dismissal, My associate demands the officer's presence through the District Attorney under threat of contempt for ignoring a subpoena. By the time I'm finished about 6 months later, the officer wishes he never issued my citation. I actually had one offer to pay my fine so he wouldn't have to attend the 5th hearing in 3 months. Since 85% of county and municipal ticket issuances are directly related to revenue raising by government and have nothing to do with enforcement, I look at these ticket "opportunities" as a fun diversion from my everyday job of defending murder, rape, and robbery. My advice is: Don't be so quick in paying that BS ticket.

[pigbat]

Originally Posted by MTHEORY

Thanks, my current pet project is the ticket I got in Barstow California on my way to Bimmerfest. I was driving 85 in a 70 along with all the other traffic around me, and the CHP picked out my M Coupe for special treatment. It was Laser at a 90 degree angle (very defendable in court). I just subpoenaed the "Highway Speed Survey" for the section of highway I was driving. The law states that if the survey is not up to date, ticket dismissed. We'll see what turns up.

Why would they pick on me?

Any suggestions for a guy who's daughter ran a red light with his car on camera?

[Dammmittt]

Ground her.

[pigbat]

Originally Posted by Dammmittt

Ground her.

She's 19, so she has realized the grounding thing doesn't work. lol

She was following me on our way to the hospital and I pushed the light assuming she would stop but she kept on going. doh!

[Dammmittt]

That's not fair...tell your wife to take away one of your toys!!!

[pigbat]

Originally Posted by Dammmittt

That's not fair...tell your wife to take away one of your toys!!!

I need to keep you away from my wife

[MTHEORY]

Originally Posted by pigbat

Any suggestions for a guy who's daughter ran a red light with his car on camera?

That depends on how deep you want to go. Most municipalities use private corporations to install and maintain the red light camera system. These private entities get a cut from each ticket. Consequently, they adjust the timing of the camera to maximize their take. You can subpoena the camera timing logs. There are also experts who will analyze the technical camera specifics and come up with challenges to the manner in which the camera was positioned, serviced, updated, calibrated, etc. Remember, there is always a defense. (Martha Stewart went to prison because she hired the wrong lawyer.) The beauty of our system is that if you have enough money, you can F*** with the government until they say uncle. That's my philosophy. (My last murder case was a double murder where my client burned two people to death in a house trailer after they wouldn't open the door. Through tenacity and strategy, I got the guy 6 years. He was very happy.)

The most practical thing for you to do is hire one of your local ticket experts and he will probably be able to get a reduced fine and convert the ticket to a non-moving violation so your insurance will not be affected. Hope this helps.

[MTHEORY]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

I don't see any problem getting out of it.

I agree. based upon the law, you are in a strong position. Your biggest problem may be a lying cop. Take a photo of the front plate setup and bring a witness who can testify that your plate has been fastened in that position for a certain period of time before the ticket. Never underestimate the ability of the police to lie and cheat in order to win a court case. Don't be surprised if the cop testifies he found your front plate under your floor mat.

[Hawkeye]

Originally Posted by MTHEORY

(My last murder case was a double murder where my client burned two people to death in a house trailer after they wouldn't open the door. Through tenacity and strategy, I got the guy 6 years. He was very happy.)

As long as he doesn't live in Iowa...

I had a friend with me at the time and I have several different pictures with it in the front windshield so that shouldn't be a problem.

[Burt Reynolds]

Here in Chicago, all you do is double sided tape that bad boy on the front, take a picture and mail it in to get the ticket dropped. (btw, you promptly remove the plate too).

Not sure if you can do the same in IOWA?

Cheers

[ATX750i]

What about a 85 in a 70, cop said that he clocked me at 87 but wrote the ticket for 85. That makes me wonder if he even clocked me. How could I defend that to try and get out of it? It was on a stretch on straight highway and he was sitting in the median, as I sat there, pulled off the road quite a bit, I could FEEL cars go by at what seemed like 90. There were plenty other cops in the immediate area, about 14-15 others, one was sitting in a rest stop parking lot, and they were all sitting in about a 2 mile stretch. HELP please.

[ianbiz]

Originally Posted by pigbat

She's 19, so she has realized the grounding thing doesn't work. lol

She was following me on our way to the hospital and I pushed the light assuming she would stop but she kept on going. doh!

19... O rly?!