Got a Ticket

[Ponyup]

Originally Posted by Marilyn

Oh, ladies, if you haven't had tickets, you must be novice drivers or just don't drive very much. I have no idea how many tickets I've had. Tickets here are very expensive, however, you can request to take defensive driving to keep the ticket from appearing on your driving record, if you haven't taken defensive driving within the past 12 months for ticket dismissal. If you have, you can request deferred adjudication . With both options, you pay the full price for your ticket and in addition to that, you pay to take defensive driving or to apply for deferred adjudication and for a copy of your driving record to be sent from Austin to the judge. With deferred adjudication, the judge will put you on probation for a specific period of time, like 90 days, and if you do not get another ticket within the probation period, he/she will dismiss the ticket. I've taken defensive driving so many times, I can almost teach the class. I take it online so I don't have to go attend a class somewhere. I've also gotten deferred adjudication before. Currently, I have no tickets on my driving record at all.

Also, I've been stopped twice in the past month for speeding and have gotten warnings both times. Oh, and I do have a radar detector, and try to drive within the 5 miles over that is allowed and still have lapses. I drive over 30,000 miles a year though, so my exposure is pretty high.

So that's my story, officer, and I'm sticking to it!!!!

Where do I go to request to take defensive driving & have the ticket dimissed. I'm all for that. You can take it over the internet now. Do I go to the BMW or do I have to call the court house & meet with a judge? I checked the Indiana BMW & my ticket puts 6 points on your license & if you get 18 in 2 years you're in big trouble. so if i could get it dismissed that'd be really great. I drive like a bat outta hell & I love to drive, my husband drives the speed limit (aka too slow) so that's why i always drive. But i know the area & what roads I can speed on. The only ticket before this one was in warren dunes state park when I was 16 & I guess it didn't count as a speeding ticket, but more like a parking ticket, it didn't stay on my record or put points on my license.

Funny story: 6 years ago i should of gotten a ticket. I was heading back to school it was around 10:30 at night & i had been on the phone with my hubby; then my finance bawling because my brother was trying to take over planning my wedding & my family told me to let him that it was cute he was trying to help. My brother is not a little kid he's 3 years older than me. The cops had a speed trap set & got 2 of us right in a row. I got this young, sweet, kinda cute cop. He came to the window & i had to look a fright. He started talking really slowly and calmly trying to calm me down. Little did he know i wasn't crying because of him. He came back with a warning & said he needed me to slow down because there could be deer or something & he didn't want me to get hurt. I was going at least 80 in a 55. it's the only time I've cryed to get out of a ticket & i wasn't doing it on purpose.

[Marilyn]

Originally Posted by Ponyup

Where do I go to request to take defensive driving & have the ticket dimissed. I'm all for that. You can take it over the internet now. Do I go to the BMW or do I have to call the court house & meet with a judge?

Don't know how it works where you are, but here we have to contact the judge's office and they will get the forms ready for you to pickup. You have to fill out a form requesting permission to take defensive driving, and stating that you have not done so within the past 12 months for a ticket dismissal. Pay your fines and the fee for processing of the form. Send off to Austin for a copy of your driving record. Then you take defensive driving and take or send the DD completion certificate with the copy of your driving record and proof of insurance to the judge's office before your deadline (usually you have 60 days). In Texas there are websites that offer the defensive driving, and for procrastinators, you can pay an extra fee and they will rush your certificate and if you haven't gotten your copy of your driving record, and your deadline is almost here, they will, for a fee, rush your driving record from Austin. You can also drive there and pick it up yourself the same day if you need to, but this is a large state, and if you are not close to Austin, that would be a pain.

Here in Texas, once this is completed and processed by the judge, the ticket won't show on your driving record but defensive driving will, but not the reason you took defensive driving, and there are some folks that take it for an insurance discount, so just because it's on there is not an indication that you got a ticket.

Hope this helps!! and will work where you are.

[DianaB]

Personally, I wouldn't worry about 6 points if you're allowed 18 especially in a two year period. If you get another ticket then just slow down until the two years are up. It's no big deal! Just shrug it off!

[Tiramisu]

Funny, I had almost forgotten that I got pulled over last Sunday afternoon. A couple of the g-kids were with me when I got the call that my Mom had gone into a coma. I took them home and was SPEEDING back home to get on the road to Louisiana. A deputy constable was going the opposite direction and turned around with his lights on. I honestly thought the limit was 45mph, but he said I was going 48 in a 30. I was already crying and told him what was going on and that I hadn't had any kind of ticket in 19 years. When he saw my car packed, he told me that he was sorry and to please "try to slow down and be safe".

Of course, if he had followed me, he could have pulled me over again right up the road. I keep it about 5 miles over, but can let the hammer down when I'm by myself.

[Ponyup]

Originally Posted by DianaB

Personally, I wouldn't worry about 6 points if you're allowed 18 especially in a two year period. If you get another ticket then just slow down until the two years are up. It's no big deal! Just shrug it off!

Thanks Diana, this makes me feel a little better. My friend michelle said even if I take Defensive driving my insurance will probably go up. I have to call today & find out how much my ticket was. I'm a little nervous. I've been being really careful & staying on roads I know & following the speed limit. If hubby is with me; I've been making him drive. I miss driving, but I know I'm not capable of slowing myself down.