Speed Trap

[Fireman1224]

I had a question and figured a lot of law enforcment officers read this site, so who better to ask. I recently received a traffic ticket for a speeding violation 56/40 (ouch). To ask the question I must first share the story. I was traveling on a secondary road that was posted 55 mph, I came to a stop sigh made a left and proceeded on at 55 mph. Well a town cop pulled out from a side street and pulled in behind me (I never slowed down). We came to a stop sign and he turned on his blue lights and I pulled over. He told me that I had been pulled for speeding and I asked where had he clocked me and he told me after he asked did I have an attitude. I told him that there was no posted sign stating the speed limit and I assumed it was 55 mph. He then informed me that there was a sign and wrote me a ticket for 180.50 plus 4 points. Not wanting to make things worse I took the ticket and went back to retrace my path. I still did not see a posted speed limit. I went further down the road and turned around and about 20 yards past the road I turn off from was a sign that read 40 mph but it was facing oncoming traffic and was not visible to me. OK my question is, can they actually do this (leagally). I had to pay the ticket because the court date was set when I would be out of town. Anyway just wantied a professional opinion. It happend in the speed trap of the Pee Dee (Sellers, SC)

[Sundance-WARLOCKS MC]

I had a question and figured a lot of law enforcment officers read this site, so who better to ask. I recently received a traffic ticket for a speeding violation 56/40 (ouch). To ask the question I must first share the story. I was traveling on a secondary road that was posted 55 mph, I came to a stop sigh made a left and proceeded on at 55 mph. Well a town cop pulled out from a side street and pulled in behind me (I never slowed down). We came to a stop sign and he turned on his blue lights and I pulled over. He told me that I had been pulled for speeding and I asked where had he clocked me and he told me after he asked did I have an attitude. I told him that there was no posted sign stating the speed limit and I assumed it was 55 mph. He then informed me that there was a sign and wrote me a ticket for 180.50 plus 4 points. Not wanting to make things worse I took the ticket and went back to retrace my path. I still did not see a posted speed limit. I went further down the road and turned around and about 20 yards past the road I turn off from was a sign that read 40 mph but it was facing oncoming traffic and was not visible to me. OK my question is, can they actually do this (leagally). I had to pay the ticket because the court date was set when I would be out of town. Anyway just wantied a professional opinion. It happend in the speed trap of the Pee Dee (Sellers, SC)
I am not law enforcement...but....by paying the ticket, and not being able to appear in court to make your case....it is moot point.
Not trying to upset you friend, I too have had the same experience. Let's wait and see what others have to offer.

[swampfox]

In general, it's always a good idea to challenge a traffic ticket. It's extremely unlikely that the fine would get bigger, and there's a good chance that they will reduce it or even drop it once you explained (and showed pictures of) the lack of a posted speed limit. The exception would be if you were inside of some city limits, where the speed limit is always 35 unless otherwise posted.

But since you paid already, that is technically a guilty plea and can't be changed. It has happened to a lot of people. The big pain is if your insurance company holds it against you. Nowadays some companies don't if you haven't had any other violation in a long time.

They should have had a sign. I think that most of the highway engineers are the sons-in-law of the highway dept. commissioners.

[Captain Worley]

They should have had a sign. I think that most of the highway engineers are the sons-in-law of the highway dept. commissioners.

I think they are supposed to have signs past major intersections, but I'm not sure.

The last sentence is not correct at all.

[Gator]

This is the section you could have used in court. Page 24 in your driver's hand book.

The maximum un-posted speed limit in an urban district or
residential area is 30 miles per hour. The maximum un-posted speed
limit in a rural area is 55 miles per hour except when a higher limit is
allowed by the federal law.

http://www.scdmvonline.com/DMVNew/forms/General.pdf

[swampfox]

Dang! They changed the in-town limit from 35 to 30!

With life on this old planet speeding up we're slowing down.

Natural selection cannot do anything about this.

[Paul on Cressfell]

Of course, it takes a real legal mind to give the correct answer here, so it is time for me to step up to the plate. The truth of the matter is that regardless of whether one has a chance of beating a traffic ticket, you should always challenge it in Court. Even if you're found guilty and assessed an infraction that will result in DMV adding the most points to your license, you can still take defensive driving(assuming you haven't in the last 3 years) and get up to 4 points shaved off your driving record. The class takes maybe only a couple of hours, and it isn't that expensive.

____________________________________________

The great one has spoken!

[cuebald]

Or, you could simply elect to avoid the whole mess by not speeding.

Just a thought.

[Vanessa in SC]

Unfortunately, I was issued my first speeding ticket in 15 years and was able to go to court. If I had some evidence of wrongly being pulled over, I believe the judge would have let me off. I only wanted a reduction in fees, so I plead guilty and paid my fine.

[Vanessa in SC]

I had a question and figured a lot of law enforcment officers read this site, so who better to ask. I recently received a traffic ticket for a speeding violation 56/40 (ouch). To ask the question I must first share the story. I was traveling on a secondary road that was posted 55 mph, I came to a stop sigh made a left and proceeded on at 55 mph. Well a town cop pulled out from a side street and pulled in behind me (I never slowed down). We came to a stop sign and he turned on his blue lights and I pulled over. He told me that I had been pulled for speeding and I asked where had he clocked me and he told me after he asked did I have an attitude. I told him that there was no posted sign stating the speed limit and I assumed it was 55 mph. He then informed me that there was a sign and wrote me a ticket for 180.50 plus 4 points. Not wanting to make things worse I took the ticket and went back to retrace my path. I still did not see a posted speed limit. I went further down the road and turned around and about 20 yards past the road I turn off from was a sign that read 40 mph but it was facing oncoming traffic and was not visible to me. OK my question is, can they actually do this (leagally). I had to pay the ticket because the court date was set when I would be out of town. Anyway just wantied a professional opinion. It happend in the speed trap of the Pee Dee (Sellers, SC)
My advice would be to go to court and plead your case-definately helps with lowering your fine and/or points.

[McGarrett]

You mentioned that you paid the ticket due to your being out of town. For future reference (Heaven forbid you need it), you can always go through the Clerk of Court and request a continuance. I'm not entirely clear on the process for doing so, only that it starts there.

[po po]

pay the ticket and shut up. dont do the crime of you cant pay the fine...

[swampfox]

And don't climb the pine
Unless you lost your mind.

[Captain Worley]

And don't chew the rind,
If the fruit's still on the vine.

[swampfox]

Everything will be fine if we watch our behinds.

[Gator96]

I watched my behind,
all I saw was a vertical line.. :huh:

[swampfox]

The thought that comes to my mind I cannot write here.

[Gator96]

Now whyda have to go and ruin the rhyming? EVERYBODY has a crack in their @ss, porcelain, fine china, or not...

[swampfox]

I wasn't thinking of porcelain.

What I was thinking about, I always heard that I would think about it less as I got older. Not happening yet.

[Gator96]

GAH! :shock:

[swampfox]

Oh, how nature doth offend some people.

[Captain Worley]

Submit to the fate of your own free will.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

[swampfox]

Good one.

[Gator96]

Quit throwing things... that one just hit me in the back of the head. ;-)

[swampfox]

Oh, come on. It's not like it's rocks.

[Captain Worley]

But it ain't silly putty either.

[Gator96]

What WAS it, then?

[swampfox]

Ask my dog.

At least until I move the cats' litter boxes into the garage again.

[Captain Worley]

Speaking of cats, we've been feeding a stray and she let me stroke her a few times yesterday. I've noticed the squirrels don't stick around as much, but she's decreased the number of birds at the birdfeeder, too.

[swampfox]

I've had both good and bad luck taking on stray cats. They rarely make good pets, but I've got two right now that are great.

Three cats that live in the yard and on the porch at night. No squirrels, but not many birds either.

[Captain Worley]

All of our cats have been strays, and been pretty good cats.

Growing up, all the family's cats were strays, and were generally good cats, about half of them were outdoor only.

Cats are extremely amusing creatures.

[swampfox]

I bought a wonderful rubber brush at WalMart the other day called a Fur Remover. I found that it works great on both furniture and cats.

Who knew?

[better days]

Speed trap, fur remover, fuzz buster, yeah I see how it all ties together now.

[swampfox]

The worst speed trap that I regularly run into, Turbeville, has cleaned up their act some in recent years. The speed limit on the approx 4-5 blocks of downtown (with 378 running right through it) used to be 25 but they raised it to 35. I think that I-20 took away some of their speed trap business, but 378 is still the quickest way for me to get to my family at the old home place.

This one is not a speed trap, it's for a very good reason, but always mind the lowered speed limits around schools. Some people seem not to notice. And I even sometimes see people pass stopped school buses for which the fine is pretty high as it should be. Some major intersections have lowered speed limits even when there is not a school.

The life you save may be my own.

[ZooFuzz]

http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures/3500/Amish-Police--3910.jpg (http://www.freakingnews.com/Amish-Police-Pics-5182.asp)


Amish buggy upgraded to clydesdales to catch speeders.

[swampfox]

I like the picture, but Clydesdales are not fast. They're very big and strong, but not fast at all.

I'd try thoroughbreds.

[watchdogforjustice]

a continuous in any traffic ticket is not automatically granted, that is the Judge's decision or in some cases the court administrator.