Got pulled over earlier this month in a school zone, something isn't right though. If anyone of you guys know Lakewood im sure you'll know Gravelly Lake Dr down by Towne Center. Anyways,

Refer to this map:
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/3131/drivingtm6.jpg

I was driving down this street in the morning around half past 7. When I entered the school zone I was driving 28 mph on a normally 30 mph road. The school zone speed limit is of course 20. In Lakewood, school zone lights turn on (meaning the speed is in effect) 30 mins prior to the school opening. Park Lodge Elementary opens at 8, so the lights would turn on at exactly 7:30. I continue along Gravelly until the secondintersection where I hit a red light. When it's green I see a parked cop with his radar gun out on me and as I pass, lights up and pulls me over. I wait in my car until he walks up explains how fast I was going and that the area is a school zone. I hand him my registration and wait for the bad news. No less than a minute and a half later he walks back up with my ticket for a speeding violation in a school zone at 8 over. $177 fine.

The thing is, the time he wrote the ticket was 7:34, which is on the actual ticket which I mailed to the court. Is it plausible that I entered the school zone BEFORE the lights turned on? I find it hard to beleive this all happened in less than 4 mins, from the point which I entered the school zone to the red light, to when he pulled me over and collected my information, and when he wrote my ticket. Do I have a chance if I contest that the lights were not on warning me to slow down? I hardly ever drive down this road, and it is actually one of the cities main streets with 4 lanes, so the elementary school is kind of secluded along side. The judge also cannot lower my fine (WA laws )

Anyone here had any luck fighting traffic tickets? If there isnt a chance in hell of winning this case then I might as well save my time and mail in the cash.

 

don't just mail it in, the cop might not show up to court and you get off. second, if you are apologenic and polite and explain the situation, it sounds extremely plausible that you got pulled over before the warning light turned on. i mean, 28 mph is not exactely like you were hot rodding through the school zone. if the police officer was in plain sight, why would you just deliberately break the law right in front of him?

sounds like profiling. also, if you don't have any privious moving violations, use that to try and convince the judge that you are a safe motorist and not a rev happy street racer.

 

head over to radardetectors.net. there's a guy over there who is an EXPERT...and i mean EXPERT on getting out of tickets. for example....hell you might have been doing 28 in that zone....but if his radar detector wasnt certified within the past year then that's shot to pieces. head over there and ask for help. they'll point you in the right direction. be prepared to do a lil bit of legal work (calling around and gettin documents), and be prepared to do some research...but hey....177 bucks could get me a nice new progress rear sway bar.

 

A guy I work with is from WA and he said in some places the school zone speed limit is in constant effect. This includes summer and at 2 a.m. which is when he got his ticket. He thought the cop was b/s ing him so the next time he went through he checked the sign and the cop was right. This is a dumbass law summer & 2a.m. gimme a break

 

I don't think that 2am & summers law applies, I'm not sure though and will check that out. Here is the ruling form Lakewood City Council:

10.12.040 - Traffic Control Devices
The City Manager or designee is directed to post City streets and roads with the proper traffic-control devices to regulate the maximum speed limits as established by the City, including traffic control signs in school zones pursuant to RCW 46.61.440, and said speed limits shall become effective when posted.

This is normally a very busy street during the normal hours of the day. Traffic flow is generally between 30-40mph.

 

Could this have happened just after the change to DST? Just a thought. If so, the 'puters running the lights may not have had the correct time...

I would definitely show up in court in person and explain, but chances are you are out $177.

Tom

 

Spectre.....there are always ways to get out of a speeding ticket when caught on radar. I'm an ex-traffic cop...trust me...there are lots of ways to beat them. As far as the time on the ticket goes, more than likely he got his time from dispatch. That time would have been when he called it in..not when he actually wrote the ticket. As far as the lights are concerned....you will need to sit and watch the lights for several days in a row. Document exactly what time that they come on. If there is any appreciable difference in times you may be able to argue that their timing is off and they may very well have not been on when you entered the school zone.

But keep one thing in mind.......if you were going 28 in a school zone you got a good ticket.....regardless of anything else. To be perfectly honest with you...I've got kids and I'd write a school zone ticket in a heartbeat.

But let me know if I can help you at all.

-Kevin

 

I don't know if you're looking for professional help or not. I've had tickets (and learned my lesson), but while trying to not let 2 five over tickets affect my insurance, i got an attorney who was really great. he's in seattle, Jon Rongerude 425 893 8200. He should be able to help you if you were looking to go that route.

You should take it to court at least. Most of the times i've been to court, they let it go and you pay a fine. Good luck though! I have a friend who's a doctor and at three in the morning had to run to the hospital and got pulled over in a school zone for 2 mph over.

 

Its not profiling, I can promise you that. I've fought off tickets, driving while suspended, speeding, running red lights etc, you can PM me if you want to talk about it, but your case that you have presented here sounds reasonable enough. I would go to court and see if the officer shows, even though I believe you, there is no proof to show the judge.

 

Yea, I can pretty much talk all I want in court, but I don't have any really hard evidence that proves any of this. I just down want the insurance hike, not to mention the $175 fine and any court fees. I don't think it was profiling, I drove past afterwards and sure enough he had another guy pulled over.

I just have to wonder how they can pin you with speeding, 4 mins after the school zone started, and the speed limit wasn't in effect when you entered the school zone as long as you were going under the regular posted speed.

 

you can't, you just have to convince the judge that most likely you were pulled over before the light came on. if you have a good driving record, he might give believe you.

also, maybe ask for probation before judgement if they have it in your state.

 

uh dude....i wasnt telling you to head over to radardetectors.net so i could waste my time. there's a guy over there who WILL get you out of your ticket. but if you dont want to put in the time and effort to do so then forget it, i'm not needed here.