I left my house around 3am to drop off a friend in Burlingame. Made it there and dropped off my friend successfully. On my way back I was doing roughly 80mph and matched the speed of a Honda Civic who was also driving 101 S. I have a radar detector, so I figured I would pick up any cops radar. Well as I am driving I see a car approaching from the rear rapidly. I thought about slowing down but my radar did not go off, so I figured it was just some fool speeding. Next thing you know there are lights flashing and the cops pulls over both the Civic and I.

This is when I realized I left my house in such a hurry to drop off my friend that I left my wallet in my house. Which contains my license and insurance. Dohh So the cop comes and talks to me first and asks me for my license and insurance and I explain the situation about how I left out rapidly etc etc. He then goes to his car and says he cannot find my name in the system. I then tell him I have an Illinois license. He goes back and says I still cannot find your name in the IL registry. So I am really confused because I definitely have a valid IL license. Then he asks how fast do you think you were going. I was like 80-85 max, but I would say 80 or less. He then says "yeah something like that." Anyways he goes back to his car. Then comes out and taklks to the Civic. The conversation last 5 mins max and then the Civic is on its way. So I am thinking it is impossible for him to write the civic up that quickly. So I am thinking he will let me off the hook. Nope.

Civic gets away free and I get cited for doing (1) 85 in 65. (2) no license and (3) no insurance. ****ing A so now I have to go to court and show my valid license and insurance and request driving school so that this doesn't show on my clean record.

Question: I know he did not use his radar. It appears that he picked the max number I estimated and went with it. Is that valid in court? Can I fight it? I would have to say I was doing a solid 80, but I know he did not use his radar @ all.

On a good note. He did not cite me for my 20% tints on the front windows, nor missing front license plate. However he never looked at the front of my vehicle and when he approached my car I had all the windows rolled down, but I am sure if he would have been happy to add those to the ticket.

I also told the fool I was from Palo Alto and it even said it on the registration, but he wrote down East Palo Alto on the ticket as my address. What is up with that?

 

Why do you have an IL drivers lic, if the car is reg'd here and you have and address here? He paced you or the radar he is using is better than your detector. I have been in that seat-you see the gun but nothing on the detector...maddening. Good Luck with the judge.

 

That really sucks. At least the issues with no insurance and no DL will get tossed if you take those and show the proof. The speed issue I think you would be best off to just take the traffic school and be done with it, since you know you were above the limit it's probably not worth the hassle to fight it. I have had judges reduce the fine to the min when I don't argue the ticket. Good luck!

 

yeap, I agree with cyberecho79 on this one because of all the time that I've gone to court and try to fight a ticket without a witness, the judge will always find you guilty. On the other hand, unless you want to hire a lawyer and let him deal with it.

 

Congratulations! Welcome to the ticket club.

you can get the ins. and lic. tickets knocked out by producing them in court. You're pretty much stuck with the speeding ticket

 

Yeah that is what I figured. Just opt for the traffic school. I have an Illinois License because I am orginally from Chicago and I have not taken the time to switch my license over to California even though I have been here since September 2005. I should probably get on that.

In terms of radar detector I have an Passport X50 8500. One of the best detectors out there with the Valentine, but yeah maybe it did not get the radar, but I have never seen it fail against any polices radar until now. I am sure he probably paced me. Well wish me luck when I go in August.

 

you're black, you can't possibly live in palo alto

(to be clear, yeah i'm being sarcastic)

getting paced sucks. i think when you get pulled over you can ask for proof that you were going the cited speed (usually they'll save the speed they clocked you with on the radar). pacing you might not hold up in court.

 

you will have to pay 10 dollars processing fee for you ins. and lic. each. I got a 88 in a 65 zone during medium traffic and the fine was $131. So I'm guessing your fine will be right around there.

 

Damn hasn't Cali taken enough from me in taxes.

 

dam..he got you by going the same speed u are..nice..cops are getting tricky now..

 

nope...always can get more from you!

 

An optimist might say that if you had your lic & proof of ins. w/ you, he might have let you go too like the Civic..

Never know, but having a cali lic will probably improve your odds in the future for that. bummer/ but remember: it always could have been worse!

 

bend over and grab your knees

 

The best of luck to ya, Jameel, when you appear before the judge.

 

Just a little off the subject but if you live in Cali and your car is registered here and have a resident address here, are you not supposed to obtain a CA license within a set period of time?