Speeding Tickets: To Pre-pay Or Not To Pre-pay?
by David A. Cardon, Esquire

Dear Mr. Cardon,

I was pulled over for speeding 66 mph in a 55 mph zone while coming home from work. I have never before been convicted of any traffic or criminal offenses, and I am very worried about going to court. Should I just pay the fine? Should I hire an attorney and fight it? Could I go to jail? HELP!

Dear Ed,
First of all, relax. You received a speeding ticket - you did not commit murder! If this is your first driving offense, and you are not on probation for any other criminal or traffic convictions, you are not going to jail for going 11 miles over the speed limit. The most that the judge is likely to do is order that you pay a fine, complete community service, attend driving school, and/or pay court costs.

Should I pre-pay the traffic ticket? When you pre-pay a traffic fine, the advantage is, you do not have to take time out of your schedule to go to court. Sometimes, court can take the better part of a day. The problem is that when you pre-pay, you have no chance of having the charge reduced or dismissed. A judge may reduce or dismiss a case if you can show you have a good driving record and/or prove that your speedometer was defective. Sometimes, the judge will reduce the speeding ticket to defective equipment when a calibration shows that your speedometer was off by a significant amount. more>>

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