Traffic Ticket Question

Always go to court!! I'm not sure about SD but in Maryland they try so many cases they usually always reduce it just to get people out of there. And I always postpone the first court date and reschedule a lot of time the cop isn't there for the second date and ticket gets thrown out.

 

Hire a lawyer and let them do the leg work. Its well worth it.

 

In a personal vehicle, here in PA, I get honked at if I don’t run a yellow light, plus a lot of hand gesticulating. Since cities in PA can’t use radar for checking speed everyone drives as fast as the bumpy roads allow. Now that roads are being paved traffic is moving a lot faster.

PA state law only allows cops to use the painted lines on the road to check speed with whatever device works with those lines. State troopers are allowed to have radar guns on interstates and state highways.

 

I understand wanting to get a lawyer. I myself cannot stand the thought of paying a lawyer a dime if I can avoid it.
A guy pulled out in front of me in my personal vehicle. I smashed in to his passenger side. His fault he got the tickets. When they ran my license I found out that I had forgotten to pay a ticket and got a driving on a suspended. Called a lawyer and he said $750 and you won't even have to go to court. Pfft! I was 18 I didn't have that just laying around. I went to court on my own went to the DA and he said did you pay the ticket and reinstate? Yes sir. He said I'll throw it out have a nice day.
That weasel lawyer knew that and was just going to make a phone call and charge me $750!!! Lawyers suck!!!

 

Yes,Op SHOULD GET IT REDUCED or better yet changed to a non moving violation.I had a ticket for 68mph in a 40 in personal car.Had a CDL at the time but,wasnt driving for anyone.Paid money(to the court) and got it reduced to a "Non moving violation" Faulty equipment(Speedometer). Its Really all about the money.Kept it off my driving record and didnt go to my insurance company.

 

Sounds like a money ticket. Should be a non moving violation. Make sure. If it is, no points. Pay it and be done.

 

always fight.
Any moving/traffic violations affect it. Maybe parking tickets or red light camera tickets don't.
If CDL is the key to your career, it has to be clean.

 

Probably less than $200 to Attorney plus maybe some money to the court and you will never see the inside of the court room or loose a days pay. He will make a deal before it even gets to the court date. Thats how all mine have been handled anyway.

 

In my time I had it thrown at me and other times tossed. I believe it affected the CDL since it is the only license there is. I went up against a light once and lost due to bear being a block away watching. This was long before traffic cams infest the area.

As far as the intersection is concerned I generally hang somewhat beyond the white line on the green so that when it turns yellow im gone. They don't like that particularly. It beats having to wait 10 plus minutes or more in rush hour traffic cycling the lights.

 

It is not illegal to enter an intersection on a yellow light in South Dakota as long as your car entered the intersection or passed the crosswalk/white limit line before the light turned red. Also, failure to obey a traffic signal is 3 points.