I disagree. If the judge believes in facts and you demonstrate that your radar detector is working properly, he would have to throw the ticket out. Cops can't "estimate" your speed. A lawyer would tear them a new one in court. They can get you on another charge, e.g., reckless, etc., but if he didn't use a speed measuring device, the ticket isn't going to stick. If he says he used radar or laser(assuming you have laser detection) and your detector didn't go off, he's BS'ing you and it won't standup in court. Remember, when the judge asks you why you have a radar detector(and oh, they're legal in your state by the way), you say you have one so you can keep your speed in check because your eyes are mostly on the road, not on your speedometer. Keeping your eyes constantly on the speedometer would be hazardous. Go ahead laugh ppl but I'm telling you radar detectors are legal in 48 of the 54 states and territories because they can't be proven as a speed evading device. If they were purchased solely for the purpose of getting away with speeding, they would be illegal in a heartbeat. Now, with that said, when I get pulled over do I have my radar detector in plain sight when the cop walks up to my car? HELL NO! I'm not stupid. lmao

 

It depends on the judge, but from my experience it does not matter what you tell the judge if the cop says differently. Also, radar detectors are legal in the state of Illinois, but not in the city of Chicago (where 25% of the population in IL live). I'm sure there are a few other states/cities that operate like this as well, so again you may want to check that out.

If you really did get a ticket for going faster than you were, then I'm assuming that he was using laser and tagged someone else. However, he could have been estimating your speed by using two markers and a timer. This of course doesn't hold up nearly as well as radar/laser detection.

Nate

 

I'd probably handle this by questioning the credibility of the radar/laser reading. Let the judge know you have a detector and that it never went off. Then let him know that you were aware of your speed and what it was, yet the officer is saying you were going an even higher speed. I would stay away from relying too heavily on the radar/laser detector not going off. If you build a case with just that, it can be shut down simply by saying it's possible the unit wasn't working or there was a condition at the time that prevented it from picking up a signal. Too many variables. I would focus on what speed you know to have gone. Then mention that the detector also did not go off and bring up a speculative argument that perhaps he did not read your vehicle's speed or the radar/laser gun was not functioning properly. Just be adament that your speed was not the speed he put down or told you. Don't throw in too many arguments. A person who has strong conviction about the fact that he is not guilty will argue the strongest point the most. Those just wanting to get out of a ticket will usually try to throw out as many arguments on the table as possible. You can try to question the maintenance of the radar/laser gun, but try to obtain the records before the court date so you can determine if there is actually anything that could be seen as questionable. This particular argument can lend itself well if there is something you can use as part of the argument you can make is the whether or not the gun was working properly at the time.