Need tips on MA speeding laws

[xsiliconkid]

Seen this movie a few times before in the court room - the defendant challenged the Police officer's (cap)ability to asses speed. Questions the officer with a variety of points; when radar was last calibrated, training on estimated speed, on and on... 9/10 times the judge will then say something like, "Police officers, day in and day out are on the roads and can quite accurately estimate speed". I am going to believe the officer over you. Guilty".

[Degsy]

If I had known then what I know now, last time I went to court I would have walked in and said to the MSP cunt "you're a liar and I hope somebody shoots you in the face one day. Your honor, where do I pay?"

[-Dutch-]

Degsy, I had no idea you didn't like the po-po... You should be more open about your feelings.

[Degsy]

Certain cops. I have nothing but respect for many many cops and forces.

Mass state police troopers are just a waste of space. We have no need for them except to rob people by the side of the highway.

[butcher bergs]

Have we figured out what OP's mystery car is yet?

[mzdagrl]

Have we figured out what OP's mystery car is yet?

my vote is Miata

[xsiliconkid]

Yugo?

[Drewski]

Have we figured out what OP's mystery car is yet?

Honda Civic with a fart can and an unpainted spoiler???

[BMMCBR]

Honda Civic with a fart can and an unpainted spoiler???

Don't forget the one primer door too!

[-Dutch-]

my vote is Miata

I was thinking the same.

[Garrett]

Recently, I was pulled over on 93 South by a statie. Ticket says "80 on a 55 'estimated'" No radar, no laser, just 'estimated' Not that it is a valid defense, but there were 2-3 cars ahead of me in my lane when I got pulled over, all going faster, including some green Subaru station wagon. I feel like I got pulled over because I was driving a sporty car and stood out.

Anyway, its been 10 years since my last speeding ticket and I haven't had to fight one in MA (yes, going to trial tomorrow). Any loop holes, tips or best practices? My license plate is misspelled on the ticket, it also says "estimated". In the olden days in other states, you could go in there and ask for proof that the officer's radar gun or speedo was recently calibrated. I am not sure if those tricks have all been shut down and what goes in MA.

Can anyone share any tips please? Need to be in court tomorrow, anything you can throw my way today would be very helpful. Thanks a lot.

Many moons ago I got a speeding ticket for 10 over and the dopey cop must have had dyslexia cause he wrote the plate perfectly backwards on the ticket. Never paid it. Never mailed it in to fight it. Scott free.

[Falko]

Certain cops. I have nothing but respect for many many cops and forces.

Mass state police troopers are just a waste of space. We have no need for them except to rob people by the side of the highway.

Don't forget retire early on disability.


Oh, my guess is Scion XC

[TheIglu]

my vote is Miata

Red Miata, turbo no less, with a vanity plate. No tickets yet! WOOOOOOOOO

[Manny]

Wirelessly posted

Ya Im only here for the mystery car.

[tsorfas]

Have we figured out what OP's mystery car is yet?

i vote for civic

[butcher bergs]

I'm voting penis until we hear otherwise

[G21forme]

Not to thread jack but does anyone have experience fighting a ticket that was circled pm given in the am? It was a minor operation violation if that helps.

[Falko]

As long as they got your tire size correct, you're screwed.

[Degsy]

Hate to break it to you but I showed up in court for a ticket on the Cape about 10 years ago and there wasn't even a record of me getting a ticket and I was found responsible. Cop didn't have me down as getting a ticket. Judge said "finding in the mail" which means guilty but I don't have the balls to tell you right now.

[Tunertype]

I've had the same experience in court on a speeding ticket. They are just trying to make money. Rather than pay the $50 extra I paid the $100 ticket and didn't notice any real increase in premiums. In hind sight I really should have said I was going exactly the speed limit, no shadow of a doubt. Instead of trying to be honestish and say "I don't know, but there's no way I was going 85mph".

[Gixxer]

911.

[SVRACER01]

should have said 55. he was offering you both an easy out. when you say 'i don't know" its tough for him to find not responsible.

reasonable and prudent is the right answer here.
ive only fought 1 ticket in MA. i lost. to be fair he had me dead to rights. the first appearance is a formality. the cop that is there only knows whats written in the report of the ticketing officer. hes just a rep for the police to state the facts that are written on the ticket and in the report. he has no answers.
you showed your hand a bit by asking too many questions, questions that they may be prepared for when you appear next time.

[SVRACER01]

I love this thread. Debate all you want on strategy. It's traffic court and the reality is that it is a crap shoot. There is no real right, wrong or burden of proof in reality.

I've had cops perjure themselves on the stand and I've had tied them all up in their testimony and proved that what they claimed was inconsistent and mathematically impossible. Didn't matter. GUILTY!

I've also been popped for something I actually did, made up some B.S. story and the judge threw everything out.

Moral of all this? Just fight it. You might win, you might not. Everything else doesn't really matter in traffic court. Biggest dog and pony show (errr money grab) out there.

i can agree with this to a point. i got a nice 6 pack ticket in AZ. speeding, unsafe lane change, no license (on me), no reg (on me), wheelie, illegible plate. i was totally guilty but the cop never pulled me over. he came back later and started writing tickets. went to court and the prosecutor had asked for a continuance because the cop had to go to a funeral. he asked what happened. told him i didnt know, i was at work and i think he mistook my bike for another one. the prosecutor said "maybe he got your plate number" thinking quickly i said "he wrote me for an illegible plate"..."good point....dismissed" never even made it to the judge.

on the other hand myself and 2 friends got bagged on one of the few twisty roads in phoenix. i knew the cop was behind us in traffic. i was last in the group. the beginning of the road was straight for about 1/4 mile before the first turn. ilooked back one more time before i twisted it. he wasnt there. speed limit on the road is 35. we got to the other end of the 4 mile road and sat at the light. the light had turned red as we rolled up. lights in phoenix are generally on a 45 sec loop. just as the light turned green the cop pulled up and lit us up. in court he claimed he was right on us up to 90 but he had to back off because he was over driving the car. i made valid points when i was up there that not only was that not true but it was impossible for a cruiser that takes 23 seconds to go from 0-60 could keep up with a bike that gets to 60 in 2 seconds. it was literally physically impossible for a chevy caprice to even stay within eyesight of 3 accelerating motorcycles on a twisty road, which is what he claimed, even if we were only doing 60. he also stated that he heard us accelerate away from him. i asked what kind of noises did he hear and described angry bees. i pointed out that of the 3 of us only 1 was on on a 4 cyl bike that makes that sound and that bike had an OEM exhaust and therefore made little to no noise and that only 2 bikes that had loud exhaust was mine and another and they were both v twins and sound like harleys. i even made a plausible reasonable doubt claim that isnt it possible that they were following 3 similar bikes and after they went out of view when the cop slowed they passed us and we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time and since they caught up to us first they just mistook us for the speeders......GUILTY....all of us. were we speeding? yup. was it 90? fuck no. more likely 60-65. maybe less as i didnt have a very good headlight at the time. i had a great argument, the only thing i was missing was charts and video to prove that the cop was lying through his teeth and never even saw us speeding and just assumed that we were.
to add insult the night this happened we were on our way home...doing 65 in a 55 on the highway...and got pulled over by 6...yes 6 AZHP and a helicopter because they were responding to a report that there were bikes doing wheelies on the highway. wasnt us. the cops that wrote us up earlier even showed up. spotlights on us from the helicopter, blocking traffic...it was a total circus.

[e30addict]

[Drewski]

I have definitely got the impression that MA police can see every detail of my NH license history.

I had my magistrate hearing today for a speeding ticket in Haverhill and when the review of my record came up, they only had the expired inspection sticker back in '98 on my record. There was nothing about the speeding ticket back in 2012 in FL.

I kept to my story that I was travelling at or near the posted speed limit, not doing 47 in a 30, until the magistrate said "I'm really trying to help you out here". I took the hint and admitted that I might have been a little north of the speed limit but certainly not doing 47mph. She lectured me about how it only takes a few seconds of not paying attention to get to that speed and then tossed the ticket.