Speeding ticket -- advice requested.

[akima]

Corksil: what @Brother Michigan (sarcastically) pointed out is quite valid I think.

(It feels weird saying Brother Michigan!)

The part of your plan which involves letting her know that you already, involuntarily contribute plenty to her salary and the state as a whole doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. You've said Hawaii is different, but Hawaiians are still people right?! People work on incentives and they usually have some kind of moral system that they live by. If I was going into that meeting, I would expect the ticketing officer to be acting from a (misguided) moral standpoint.

From what you've said it sounds like you're going to say something along the lines of:
"look: I've given you guys lots of money. That's what you want right? I can't give you any more, as you guys are bleeding me dry. I wont be much use to you as a source of income if you take so much that I can't afford to operate my business. Also: I didn't hurt anyone through my actions and I strongly believe no one was likely to be hurt through my actions."

I can't imagine the ticketing officer would like that at all. I'd bet money that she thinks she's doing the right thing; that she's helping to make you a better person and give restitution to a society that you harmed. If you then bring her back down to earth by describing the true nature of the event (ie no harm done, no loss caused, unlikely you would have hurt anyone, you've already payed lots of money into the state), then I expect that's going to upset/anger her.

You may expose in her mind some conflicting beliefs and some of her own irrationality.

If I was going to speak to someone like that, I would approach it from the perspective of talking to a dangerous, crazy person. She is dangerous (she has the power to take what little you have) and she is crazy (her beliefs are probably irrational and inconsistent, and she probably can't see the true nature of the business she is working for).

If you know what she believes (that you're a bad person that owes something and needs punishing! ) and you know what she wants (money! ), then that's a starting point you can work from. They want you to see the error of your ways: so act. Pretend that you're very sorry and you've learned your lesson. They want your money: so compromise. Show them that you don't have much, so paying the full amount will be very hard for you. I think @Motofool gave some pretty good advice in this thread.

Just my

Disclaimer: I have no experience in court at all.

I'm just coming at this from a behavioural perspective.

I wish you luck, whatever you choose to do!

[corksil]

[Redacted]

[Skullz]

DO NOT ever contact an officer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EVER

Once the ticket is written, bad things can happen talking to an officer after the fact, and can reflect very bad in court for you even though your intentions are the very best.

Do as i suggested and contact the city attorney as THEY are the only one able to change the offense you see and plead to in front of the judge.

EDIT: If you send that letter in and talk to the officer it can and will be used against you in court. The deed is done, either man up or talk to the attorney.

[Skullz]

A simple i made a mistake and wasn't paying attention to what was going on and didn't realize i was doing the speed i was stopped for doing, they really do appreciate honest answers over the nonsense people tell all day every day. Being humble and admitting your mistakes will better serve you than the excuse you were going to try telling them.

[Tigerpaw]

Originally Posted by corksil

My plan thus far is to write a letter to the ticketing officer requesting a brief face-to-face meeting with her to ask a few questions and feel out her end of the situation. I'll be bringing receipts of the recent major expenses my business has incurred, specifically those to the county regarding road tax, insurance -- and anything else pertinent to my funding the very system she is employed by. Will have a couple questions ready regarding the LiDAR gun used to capture my speed that day -- and a printout of the exact law I am accused of breaking. If all goes according to plan, I'll walk out of that meeting with her dropping the charge with no fine.

[snot]

Throw yourself on the mercy of the courts.

Speak to the judge or an attorney only. Speaking to the officer could come across as harassment.
Ask the judge if they have a traffic program. If you mention anything about what you pay for, you might get more than you want in fines. It sounds like " I pay $$$ in taxes and bla bla I should be allowed to speed". Either admit nothing and hope for the best or ask for mercy. Riding 5 miles over the limit is speeding and you can get a ticket for it.

[LNasty]

Us:
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Op:
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[Xtina]

So op is whining like a 5 year old because he got a ticket for speeding, which he was doing?
Really, really?!
Grow the **** up.
Just pay it and accept it. You asked for ways around it, we told you, you didn't agree, tell us we don't know your circumstances (some of us don't care), call us stupid, and accept us to coddle you? BULL. You know what you did wrong so don't do it again.
I don't know why this is so hard to understand.

[Xtina]

Originally Posted by Tigerpaw

Tell me about it. insinuating you pay her salary is gonna make her say "yeah, you know, I think I wont give you the ticket."

[Ninjinsky]

yeah I have found that if you explain to a cop why they were wrong they usually accept it and apologize. Especially if you show them pictures of your sick kitten and overdraft.
Sometimes they even give you 60 bucks or so compo because they feel bad about issuing the ticket and ask the judge drop the charge it's a kind of reverse fine thing.

Meanwhile, the real world of damage limitation best course consists of keeping it simple and using charm school tactics (ie humility) on any officials you deal with en route.

NB
Perversely, the best course of action is to ask the official "What is my best course of action?" This empowers them and often they will advise and be helpful

(Do not ask for a face to face meeting, I mean really, don't go there even if you got one it would be an ego battle that cannot be won because the cop has the whole system behind them and knows it.)

[Ninjinsky]

+1 to xtina