Just got a speeding ticket today....a question...

[littletanuki]

The only schools that I have applied to that require disclosure of minor traffic violations are W&L and American (if fine over $100).  I'm in NY State, and apparently you don't find out your fine right away, only if you plead guilty and then you are notified by mail.  I'm planning on pleading not guilty and going to court, but my question is do I need to send an addendum to my application to W&L and then to American (if I end up having to pay more than $100), even though this happened after I submitted my apps? 

TIA

[Dano]

The only schools that I have applied to that require disclosure of minor traffic violations are W&L and American (if fine over $100).  I'm in NY State, and apparently you don't find out your fine right away, only if you plead guilty and then you are notified by mail.  I'm planning on pleading not guilty and going to court, but my question is do I need to send an addendum to my application to W&L and then to American (if I end up having to pay more than $100), even though this happened after I submitted my apps? 

TIA

It does seem silly, but why not?  I can't see how it will harm you.  In fact, you might impress them with your integrity.

[TradeWonk]

If they asked for it, which you say they did, then yes (all apps say that if anything changes after you submit the app you must notify them.. usually it's written right above where you sign).  They aren't going to withdraw an offer, assuming it wasn't criminal speeding (25mph or more over I think in most states?).  And even if it was they probably won't withdraw.   Definitely go to court, as I find they always knock something off just for showing up.

Reason you have to tell them isn't the crime itself, but rules of "disclosure."  Failure to disclose could keep you off the bar when they run your background checks after law school (basically they will run a check, see the ticket and say "hmm.. wonder if he noted it on his app.  they will check and when they see you didn't that's failure to disclose and boom, all that debt for nothing.  I've heard of it happening.

[littletanuki]

Yeah, that's what I figured.  *sigh*  I'll call the schools on Monday. 

[TradeWonk]

Now hold on there.  technically if you're going to court I wouldn't just say "hey I got a ticket" because technically you aren't guilty yet if you aren't just going to sign it and send them money.

Presumably the application asked if you had any thing in your background, or pending?  check wording.. you may not need to notify "pending."  Otherwise if you do, you call and say "I was pulled over, but actually I disagreed with the officer/radar read and I will be going to court on that matter.  But given it's a pending matter I wanted to make sure I'm clear with disclosure."  Then later you call and say "I lost and have to pay a fine of XXX"

(how big was the ticket?  $120?)

[littletanuki]

No idea how much the ticket is.  In NY State they don't tell you when you are issued the ticket.  If you plead guilty, you send it back and a judge assigns a fine to you.  If you plead not guilty, then you get to go to court.  If I knew how much the fine was going to be, I'd probably just pay it, but since I have no clue, I'm not sure what I want to do.  I'd feel like an ass showing up in court with no good reason for why I disagree with the ticket. 

I guess if I decide to just be done with it and pay the fine, I'll have to let W&L know, as they ask if I've ever plead guilty to any offense.  If the ticket ends up being more than $150, American will need to know as well. 

Man, do I feel like an ass!!!!!!

[Aurora]

I defeated my ticket last time I got by going to the court and one of the two cops didn't show up. Here is what you need to do...

1. plea NOT guilty and set up th court time.
2. By the time the court time is approaching -- Maybe two weeks before the date, send in a registered mail and ask for changing the date (you don't even need to detail a reason, just say the time is not going to work for you). Then the court will notify you what the new date is...

Go to the court on the new date...your best hope  is that the cop might not show up, then you win!! No points and no record and no fine!!

The trick of changing date is that the cop usually has good tie with the local court, the first date that they set up usually is a date when they gather all the cases for that paticular cop so that he can take a day off duty to go to court and finish the business once and for all. By changing the date, he will have to go to the court for YOU only...which might not suit his schedule. You will have better chance of wining.

I will agree that this is a "pending" case unless you plea guilty. It might not need to be reported but you should always check with the school to make sure this is the case.

Good luck!

[TradeWonk]

In addition to changing the date (a good idea) I think you usually get thirty days to mail the ticket in regardless of whether you're paying or requesting a date.  Wait the max time before sending it in (but of course be sure it gets there on time).  The more time that's elapsed the less likely any cop can claim to remember anything.

On the ticket, was it a radar read only, or radar/estimate?  (sometimes they check both - when they do you fight it and say it "seems high")

[littletanuki]

I have only 48 hours to mail it back if I want to plead not guilty. 

It doesn't say anything about radar/estimate...only the MPH I was going and the speed limit.  I didn't think to ask the officer when she pulled me over whether it was radar or not...I just assumed it was. 

My insurance doesn't raise your premium for one speeding ticket, though, so that's good news!  If my husband or I get another one, though, we'll get slammed....

[Aurora]

I spent a lot time last time for my speeding ticket and even went to the local law library to study the case laws related to speeding    So much for the motivation of being a lawyer.  A story that I was told is that a person is always flying on a high way with speed of 85-90mph, cop caught him once but never stopped him again...why?? because he is a lawyer!! 

Well, to the topic. You lose nothing going to the court. The worst case is to pay the SAME fine and be pronouced guity of speeding -- which is the same as you plea guilty. However, a lot cases, if you show up in the court, the cop will offer to reduce the fine or get rid of the points or both. Indeed, when I showed up in the court, the cop approached me and offered to lower the mph over the limit from 16 to 5 (which will reduce the fine by ~$20 to about ~$130), PLUS no points on my record (that will take care of the insurance premium). Most people will be happily accepting the offer...but since I spent so much time preparing for the case, I thought I would at least give it a try...another 5 minutes passed and the other cop still didn't show up...the judge called us in and said to me, you win...What a waste of my time and effort!!!!! But I win at least