The thread on muffler tickets/excessive noise got me thinking of the biggest "save" you ever got in traffic court. Mine was definitely getting popped for "exhibition of speed" with a few "enhancements" at about 20-21 years old. Car at the time was '60 falcon with 421 injected Poncho set back in the ch***is 10%, everything not necessary to drive had been removed (drivers seat bare fibergl*** bucket, plexy windows, nothing not essential had been removed), down to near 2400 pounds. Cop witnessed minor wheel stand and a couple of long black tracks behind me. Wrote me up When I went to see the Judge he asked how I plead. In my most respectful self I stated that the officer claimed I was guilty of exhibition of speed...the judge again asked "how do you plead?" Before I could answer he slammed down his gavel and said, "CASE DISMISSED" He was reading my ticket and found out I was driving an old Falcon. "My wife had one of those and there is no way you could have done those things". I thanked him but was glad I rode to the courthouse with a friend as the cop who wrote me up wasn't too happy
The town I lived in if you got a ticket you were going to pay the fine or go to jail,,I was introduced to both for drag racing on main street,,stupid kid! HRP
I was caught drag racing on a dead end street. The cops blocked us all off. 6 points and $250. I told the judge I wasn't driving, it was my girl friends car. She owned a 69 Mach 1. He let me off with 10 over hehehe...
I got popped for drag racing in a '75 Chevy Monza with a sbc (stock) and auto. Boy, was it slow (16:20's in the quarter). I was racing a '72 Ford 4X4 running a 427 BBF. He was giving me 3 rolling from behind. As I p***ed him, he nailed it and promptly dropped a driveshaft. The car, going in the opposite direct was an LAPD. He comes after me and pulls me over. The guy in the 4X4 throws his driveshaft in the bed of his truck, locks his front hubs and takes off down a side street. The cop that stopped me has his partner go after the 4X4. We both got tickets for drag racing. I went to court and the 4X4 guy is just leaving. He got nailed for $135. I requested a mini trail which is your word against the ticket. I explain that I wasn't racing. I was p***ing some 4X4 stopped in the street. As soon as I p*** him, he starts burning rubber. Your Honor, I drive a '75 Chevy Monza. The judge dismisses the ticket.
I have never beat a ticket in court. And only had one that I didn't deserve. Not bad for all the the crazy stuff I have done.
1992 Driving with a suspended license, no proof of insurance, lapsed registration, and an illegal tag. I went to court, got in front of the judge, she asked if what she was reading was correct that I was driving a 51 Chevy Pick-up. I said yes ma'am. She said it looked as though I was just an old car hobbyist that had a really bad day and dismissed all the charges, although she strongly suggested I get my act together before driving my truck again.
a good storey from down under sydney australia way back in 1981, midnite street racing, 4 hopped up cars full of young guys got chased by a highway patrol car, pulled us all over and booked us all for 100 mph in a 40 mph zone when we all appealed the fine (at once) and took it to the judge we argued, that the radar technology could not clock 4 cars at once we ended up all retaining our rides and licences but got a $110 fine each i earnt $55 per week and had 1 week to pay the fine
7 tickets, all at once. 10-15 over, no insurance, no reg, no tag, busted taillight, and a couple more I can't remember. Cop was being an ***. I had just bought the car and fixed the trans, it was insured and tagged, but I couldn't find it one the side of the road. the judge let me off when I showed him proof. It got impounded though and that ****ed. Reckless driving- I was doing a burnout. Cop saw it and popped me a few blocks later, hit me with reckless driving, which was ridiculous, it was a '65 Chevy with a small-block and a pegleg. nice show, but not really that reckless. Judge asked me if I was racing or showing off for my girlfriend. I told her no, which I wasnt, I was just being stupid. She let me go with no points. Still not sure how I pulled that one off.
In 92 I got a 127 m.p.h. in a 55,wreckless driving,drag racing,and too fast for conditions. Sounds bad but went pretty well cause the guy I was racing was a cop. They dropped one ticket and changed two to non-moving violations and gave me court supervision on the other. I don't know what the cop that was racing me got. It was his idea too!
In '93 I got a ticket for tinted side windows on my old pickup. The time I had to fix it & have it signed off came and went with me pretty much ignoring it. I got pulled over again for the same thing, the Sheriff ran a check and told me if I didnt go to court the next day the would issue a warrant. The following day I woke up late, hauled it down to the courthouse and was graciously let in even though I probably shouldnt have been. After I had sat waiting my turn for about twenty minutes the judge finished his current case and started calling names. "Rodriguez?" "Here." "Do you need an interpreter?" "Yes." "Sit down, the interpreter is tied up in another courtroom." This routine continued for about five minutes with various Hispanic names. The judge was not happy. Finally he asked "Does anyone else here speak English?!?!?" Me and two other people stood up. The judge pointed to me, asked to me to come up front and read my violation. He looked at me, rolled his eyes and said it was ridiculous to waste his and the courts time with **** like this case, slammed his gavel down and said "$20, next case!"
About 24 years ago I was sitting at a stoplight in my '68 Camaro when it had a 427 in it, to my left was my buddy in his '68 El Camino with a 454, and behind me was another friend in a '66 El Camino, 396, Doug Nash 5 speed. The light changes and I get a case of "oh, what the hell" and stand on it smoking the tires for most of the block, taking up both lanes. The Cop, who had been going the other way, lights me two stoplights down the road and writes me for Exhibition of Speed. I was already a couple points away from being without a license, so I got myself a cheap attorney. He tries for a week before the trial to plea bargain it away, but the Deputy DA wont even return his calls. We got to court early and the judge wants to see both lawyers in his chambers to hear each side. The Deputy DA tells his side, then my guy says that the road was damp (in the gutters, maybe) and my car fishtailed when I took off a bit spiritedly and that I did a masterful job controlling the car to avoid an accident. The DA said, but your honor, he drives a '68 Camaro, to which my guy responds with, you have been listening to too many Camaro commercials (the ones with the squeeling tires that were popular around 1986) on the radio. The judge laughed and asked my guy what did we want to do? To make a way too long story short, I was charged with Driving too Fast for the Conditions of the Road and got a $102.00 fine!
My race car partner and I once got ticketed for street racing over 100 in a 55. Got a laywer and went to court. Cop didn't show. DA said he was at Army Reserve summer camp, so they postponed it. Came back a few weeks later. No cop. Still at camp? DA offers to drop racing and go with 100 in a 55. I say no. Come back to another few weeks. No cop. Still at camp? Even judge has to question that. DA offers 75 in a 55. We go for it. Seemed like a win.
1971 I was messing around with another car,driving like jerks.A town cop pulled me over and I got a reckless driving ticket.I got the name of a local lawyer and he said 200 bucks,the charge will be dropped to something minor.How the hell did he know what might happen? 200 bucks was a lot of money but better than losing my license.Went to court,the cop explained his side of the story,but it was different that what actually happened,the cop changed the story to say he didn't really get a good look at me and what was going on.The lawyer put pressure on the cop somehow.I pleaded quilty to minor charge,paid a small fine.
I got a following too close ticket for an accident that wasn't my fault. Other guy made a crazy illegal turn in front of my 65' Mustang. You know, any accident in a lap seatbelt car will scare you good. I represented myself at trial for it, and won. It was a very powerful experience for me. I had my ducks is a row with pictures and everything. I still go F'd by my insurance company though.
Habitual violator, had to go a year with no violations or loose my license and pay a big fine. I made through the year! This was about 50 years ago.
Well Ive had a wreckless driving ticket the day i Graduated High School.. I owned a 68 Charger , and me and a Buddy of mine went around at every stop sign and lit them up. didnt get out of that one. The only one I ever got out of was a 5 over ticket, only because the cop didnt show up and the judge threw it out saying " I do 5 over every day on my way in here this is a stupid ticket" dismissed!
When I was young I beat them all. My uncle was a Judge and would get me off. But not for free. I would have to do work for him or one of his friends for free. Hes retired now and living in Florida, so now I got to behave.
I got popped going 50 mph over the posted speed limit, in this state thats a "go directly to jail" kinda ticket, funny thing the officer said he was behind me for a long time, I told him I wish he would have pulled me over earlier, I would have been going alot slower. Come to find out He had the same kind of truck I did and we spent 30 min on the side of the road with my hood up, as I was telling him everything I had done to it. I have a feeling he made some upgrades to his truck too. So did I beat the ticket? I was in a 70mph zone, thats 120mph, he dropped the speed down to the maximun he could write without taking me to jail. It was still cost more than my house payment that month, but I was happy to pay it, I deserved it. I call it a win
so many!!smoke show in frount of cop,getting chased by cops,getting away from cops,car bright orange 69 camaro, some that where there still talk about it!that was 82!
Get a ticket for recless driving whitout doors/secured persons to fall out..... using warlights ( small shadowed lights for use at battle, so the enemy woudnt see you easy..) in time of peace, driving without a target..(been driving the small town mainstreet only, in 24h)trying to enforce driving stairs to a house, crossing a brigde (for walking & bicycle) All with a Willys jeep at 18y.age.... take it to court...the judge give me a double ticket.......
I've had a few I'm not proud of. The slickest one I ever got out of was my 3rd speeding ticket in 18 months, adios license! I delayed it in court so many times that the judge made me post $200 cash bond and gave the ticketing officer a 3rd chance to face me in court. The time span was close to 2 years. On the last court day, I was going to fork over my license plus another $100. I'm sitting there as I'm down in the alphabet a ways and they're calling people up and I caught.. "the officer is not here, case dismissed.. case postponed.." and voila, when my turn came up they dismissed the ticket. The judge called me behind his bench where he had a mainframe PC that had my driving record on it. he said most people have a few lines on theirs, mine ran 4 PAGES. I walked out with my $100 plus I got my $200 bond back, and it was my 1st wedding anniversary, we ate well that night. Bob
Got nailed for drag racing, and while the cop was writing the ticket he got a call for a robbery. He took my license and sent me home. (I actually wasn't racing, but the guy beside me wanted to show how fast his car was, and I wasn't interested.) The cop showed up at 2:00 AM to finish writing the ticket. When we got to court I told the story to the judge, and he was shocked to hear he sent me home without my license and showed up 3 hrs. later to write the ticket. He asked the cop if this was true, and he "didn't remember that happening", but my wife (girlfriend back then) was at my house and corroborated my story. The judge dismissed the case and scolded the cop for handling the case in the way he did. When I got outside the courtroom the cop was waiting and told me he would "get me one of these days". I turned and went back into the courtroom just in time to catch the judge and relay what happened in the hallway. He told me if ANY county sheriff gave me any h***les I should call him, and gave me his card. I pretty much had a free p*** for awhile, but was never h***led again.
Friend who ran a speed shop stopped by my garage.Just put a B&M blower on his car.Take it for a spin,he says.I got clocked at 105 in a 45.County sherriff turns out was a customer of my friend,wanted to see under the hood,gave us a little lecture about not playing on his county roads but to take it to the state roads so the troopers would have to deal with us. No tickets.Left with a smile. Long time ago.
76 in a 55, folowing to close and wreckless operation. Got it knocked down to faulty equipment. Louisville Kentucky unmarked cruiser got me on that one, I was not doing anything worse than those around me. Oh well. lesson learned.
I've had two tickets that were thrown out in court because the cop wrote down the wrong Vehicle Code section number. Always check your ticket against your code book or go online to find the code section. Makes the cop look silly in court.
I was coming come about ten years ago after seeing a movie... Rolling down I94 in my OT late model quick car, I p***ed a SN95 Mustang GT, and then toyed with him and then blew his doors off 4-5 miles. It was an undercover state trooper, and I was arrested for reckless driving. I did not get off. 130 in a 55, 17 improper lane changes., etc... I've chilled out since then.
DUI, back in 1980 my dad bought a new Silverado, 3 months later i totaled it drinking, left the road doing over 80mph, hit a culvert sliding backwards upsidedown, no seatbelt and not so much as a bruse, walked across the street and called Dad, he comes and takes me to the hospital, while there a nurse calls the cops, they show up read me my rights and take me away, i failed the breathalizer, thrown in jail, the list of charges was long, the fines totaled about $2500, the insuarance was not going to cover the truck, which my Dad still owed $14,000 on, hired a lawyer who was a family friend and had gone to law school with the judge, at the pre trial it was discorvered that while the cops were at the hospital reading me my rights another cop was trying to raido and confirm that there really had been an accident, that was the loop my lawyer used to get me off scott free, no charges, lawyer bill was $1000, the insuarance company paid for the truck, from that day on every time i asked to borrow one of Dads vehicles he would reply, "go ahead and smash it it's paid for" your all safe now i havent had a drink in over 20 years.
I helped a friend stay out of jail. His was revoked and caught once already for still riding his Harley. I waved as I walked in front of him to cross the street to my car. Then I heard the bike screaming and burning rubber and turned in time to see him barely hanging on to the bike with his feet above the handle bars as it slammed into a parked car. Only other witness was a guy who claimed to have seen it in his rear view mirror. Judge tossed that. The officer kept trying to say what happened. Judge said, you weren't there, it doesn't count. I got up and explained that it was illegal for him to ride, but that he still had to start the bike from time to time and not allow it to sit without running for long periods. Instead of standing around while it was running, he decided to sit on it and bumped the shift pedal throwing it into gear. As it took off, the throttle opened up as he hung on to the bike. His feet were in the air and the kick stand was dragging the road throwing sparks. I'm not sure if you own a Harley your Honor, but I think you'll agree that's not how you ride one. It jumped in gear and took off with him hanging on till impact. No driving was involved. The judge said, I'm glad someone finally stood up that knows what happened. Case dismissed. Just glad no one asked why he was wearing goggles and a helmet.