RE: Need Advice for Ticket

[Khan Klatt <kmk@pacificrim.net>]

At 1:34 PM -0800 1/28/99, Christopher Callahan wrote:
>My buddy out here in WA tried this three times now and got off each time.:
>On the front of a WA state speeding ticket there is a small check box to
>indicate that you want to contest it.  On the back there is a spot where you
>are to write down any requests you have.  This is key because you can
>request that the cop be present at your trial.  If you request one and they
>don't show up your OFF.  So the trick is is to not have the cop show up.  To
>do this, you right with a fat black marker on the front that you want to
>contest it.  Then on the back you shove the ticket through your ink jet
>printer using a font and color the same as the ticket itself stating that
>you want the cop there.  When the court gets you request then never notice
>that you requested a cop but the ticket is present at the trial and you just
>show the judge that you indeed asked for a cop.  This gets you completely
>off with no points or fines.  Not sure if this'll work in PA but its worth a
>shot.

On the other hand, the judge may find that your weasely attempt is
outrageous and stick you with the entire fine.

You have two options:

1. Plead guilty, and get the $151 reduced (they will do this on your first
attempt)

2. Challenge the ticket. But first, call in advance to the precinct and
find out when the officers days off/vacation are. They might tell you this
if you tell them you want to have the cop present at the hearing due to a
traffic infraction that you want to challenge (don't give on that you're
the party that DOESN'T want him there). Then, ask the court to postpone the
hearing to the date you have set. You can say that you need the time to get
documents from the precint that show when the equipment was last
calibrated, and when the officer last was trained on the proper use of the
equipment.

Then, the day of the trial, the cop probably won't be there. If he is, you
can ask questions such as "When were you last trained upon using speed
detection equipment." and "When was the last time the equipment as
calibrated and tested." If the cop answers "I don't know", or "I don't
remember", then you can say something like "So you expect this ticket to
hold up in court, yet you have no reliable information about the accuracy
and reliability of your equipment or usage skills?"

If they give a rough timeline like "about six months ago" or such, try to
nail him down on the month. If he can't remember say, "How can you expect
us to believe you got your training six months ago if you can't remember if
it was July or August. Even so, how can you expect us to believe that the
detector was properly calibrated."

Of course, I have never used these techniques, so I will be the first to
say that I could be talking out of my ass.

-Khan




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Khan Klatt <kklatt@nw.verio.net>                                       Verio
Network Engineer                                    Bellingham Branch Office
Tel 800.591.2757 x 13                                    725 N. State Street
Fax 360.738.8315                                        Bellingham, WA 98225

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