Speeding Tickets in Oregon

[SnowByrd]

Does anyone know how to get out of a speeding ticket in Oregon? I was pulled over by a State trooper on my way to Smiff.

 

If I make the court appearance what should I be prepared for and what should I ask?

[Winter]

Oregon used to be pretty lenient with speeding tickets. They would pretty much reduce fines by as mush as 75% if you showed up and claimed financial hardship or wrote a nice letter. Now, you're screwed. You can ask for a hearing and hope the cop doesn't show up, but I don't have a lot of other suggestions.

[b-rock]

Didn't you get clocked at some 98 miles per hour? Dunno how you'd get out of that. I've contested a couple of tickets back east and both times they chopped the fine in half just for showing up with some lame excuse, maybe that'd work. Good luck!

[badvoodoo]

Ya, if you find a way, let me know. I'm 0-4.

[scott_harpell]

98? damn what's the dammage on that one?

[iain]

If it was 98 mph you should be prepared by bringing your checkbook.

[billcoe]

If it was 98 mph you should be prepared by bringing your checkbook.

 

And be prepared for a "no lubrication" moment.

 

Good luck.

 

If it works out OK for ya, share your secrets with us!

[Off_White]

I heard it was only 94 in a 55, but I still thought it was doing alright to not get arrested or charged with reckless. I think the only hope is for the cop to not show up. For $411, you might as well try, and as you noted, at least you can turn the appearance into another trip to Smith...

[specialed]

I don't know about Oregon as their shits all fucked up, BUT in Washington if you have a relatively clean driving record you can qualify for one deferral every five years. What I'd do would be to call up relevant prosecuting authority (county prosecutors or municipality) and talk to the person who prosecutes traffic offenses and ask for a deferral. If they agree, you'll probably end up paying anywhere from half to as much in fees as the actual ticket but it won't go on your record or effect your insurance.

You probably also won't have to show up in the actual court in Oregon this way either

 

If you want to play hardball, you can plead innocent and request discovery from them and generally be annoying and see if they drop the charges, which they might. However, this way you might actually have to show up. Depending on the circumstances you can say you just finished passing a slow car and it was safe, etc, and cite to the statute that says you can speed when passing.

 

A third option, is that you can plead guilty but claim they're was mitigating circumstances. Which pretty means you make up some bullshit story like you were going with the flow of traffic or you were going down a hill and your speed momentarily got away from you. Some jurisdictions let you do this by mail so you won't have to go down there. This is the safest course of action and they most likely will just reduce your fine.

 

I wouldn't just plead guilty and pay it though.

[Ireneo_Funes]

I got a speeding ticket here in Portland a while back. I didn't bother contesting it, 'cause I knew I was speeding (35 in a 25 zone), just sent in my check dutifully.

 

A month later they sent back half of my fine, with no explanation.

[chelle]

Wow. You should have played the lottery on the way down. You were lucky enought to get caught by one of the 6 or so state patrolers on duty in OR that night.

[slothrop]

Were you caught speeding in the "safety zone" or whatever it's called around Mt. Hood? "Traffic fines double in the safety zone"... yikes.

[John Frieh]

If you have a history of speeding tickets...I wouldn’t show as judges have the right to raise the ticket amount to "teach a lesson"... you would qualify for a “lesson” at 98.

 

If this is your first one swear up and down how this is uncharacteristic of you and request the driving school option… though this would require yet another trip to OR.

 

You can appeal to the court via mail (you explain your case/situation in mail and they write you back and let you know your options); I would recommend this if you plan to fight it.

 

If you plead not guilty; you will have to come back and hope that the cop doesn’t show… chances are he will…

 

only 1 ticket in the weekend? amateur.

[abalch]

I got a speeding ticket in that safety zone around Mt. Hood a couple years back coming up from Smith, and when I went in to try to get it reduced, The first thing the judge said is that if it was in a construction or safety zone, Oregon Statute does not let them reduce it for any reason. At that point, your best choice is to try to perjure convincingly, and demand proof you were speeding, subpeona the radar detector, and generally do all you can to get them to become tired of trying you. The flip side, is if you lose, you have to pay more for the court costs of you being such a dingus.

[rbw1966]

Oregon's really cracked down on tickets lately. Used to be you could show in court for a reduction, even if you plead guilty. Now its BOHICA BABY!

[David_Parker]

Next time only go 98 while on the Warm Springs Indian reservation. Do not speed between Madras and Terrebon!

 

Showing up and having the cop not show up is NOT a guarantee you'll get off. His written report IS evidence even without him there. Not being there only serves for him to not being able to substantiate it. You must unequivocally deny speeding at all. If you say you "might have been speeding, but gee judge, I wasn't going 98 though" you will not get off. Beware of the trap of the judge getting you to admit even that you "might" have been speeding.

 

Claiming the cop must have radared the car in front of you has worked for me. But that is what really happened too. Lieing in court is not a good thing. At 98mph, I doubt there were many cars in front of you!

 

If it's your first offence, it shouldn't affect insurance but I'm not sure for a 98mph. It might be worth showing up because like said before, they will probably reduce the fine and usually that means they reduce the "speed" as well.

 

How the hell do you climb with lead feet anyway?

Edited October 11, 2004 by David_Parker

[SnowByrd]

98? damn what's the dammage on that one?

 

I was NOT going 98! I was going 94, or at least thats what he said I was going. He was driving towards me though and there was a big truck near so I don't know if the radar was correct.

 

$411...thats why I want to at least go back to Smith and climb...er, I mean make the court appearance.

[SnowByrd]

I don't know about Oregon as their shits all fucked up, BUT in Washington if you have a relatively clean driving record you can qualify for one deferral every five years. What I'd do would be to call up relevant prosecuting authority (county prosecutors or municipality) and talk to the person who prosecutes traffic offenses and ask for a deferral. If they agree, you'll probably end up paying anywhere from half to as much in fees as the actual ticket but it won't go on your record or effect your insurance.

You probably also won't have to show up in the actual court in Oregon this way either

 

If you want to play hardball, you can plead innocent and request discovery from them and generally be annoying and see if they drop the charges, which they might. However, this way you might actually have to show up. Depending on the circumstances you can say you just finished passing a slow car and it was safe, etc, and cite to the statute that says you can speed when passing.

 

A third option, is that you can plead guilty but claim they're was mitigating circumstances. Which pretty means you make up some bullshit story like you were going with the flow of traffic or you were going down a hill and your speed momentarily got away from you. Some jurisdictions let you do this by mail so you won't have to go down there. This is the safest course of action and they most likely will just reduce your fine.

 

I wouldn't just plead guilty and pay it though.

 

Special Ed, you hit it right on the nose.

 

1) I have a perfectly clean driving record...no tickets in 4 years.

 

2) I had just passed a semi.

 

3) I was going downhill.

 

4) I drive a Subaru...do they even go that fast?

[SnowByrd]

Wow. You should have played the lottery on the way down. You were lucky enought to get caught by one of the 6 or so state patrolers on duty in OR that night.

 

Is that 6 state troopers thing really true? Or is it a myth? If there are only 6 state troopers, how is the guy going to find time to make it to court? He was really nice about it and I'm sure I was speeding....but I have a hard time believing i was going 94. It was on 97, about 10 miles outside Madras.

[David_Parker]

I always find twisting the truth works:

 

Dear Judge, well you see I am a single girl and I heard of this raging party at Smith Rock with a bunch of honed climbers who like to party like me. Thing is there was going to be this keg of excellent TG beer and since it was already 12:30 in the morning, I was afraid it was going to be all gone. My co-pilot had just said we had passed a cop, so I really didn't think there were any more. Anyway, there is no way I was going 94 mph because otherwise I would have been wearing a truck on the front of my car. And really, do you think my Plymouth Volare can really go that fast? I swear, that cop must have radared that truck because he passed ME like he was late for his daughters wedding. Scared the holy @((#%&^@ out of me. I think this has been a huge mistake and I promise not to ever, ever speed in you lovely state again! Not that I was speeding to begin with!

Edited October 11, 2004 by David_Parker

[klenke]

I got out of a ticket once by claiming I was speeding only because I had to go the bathroom real bad and the nearest toilet was in town, the direction I was heading. You could try it. You could prepare a different version depending on whether the magistrate turns out to be a man or a woman, if you know what I mean.

[SnowByrd]

I always find twisting the truth works:

 

Dear Judge, well you see I am a single girl and I heard of this raging party at Smith Rock with a bunch of honed climbers who like to party like me. Thing is there was going to be this keg of excellent TG beer and since it was already 12:30 in the morning, I was afraid it was going to be all gone. My co-pilot had just said we had passed a cop, so I really didn't think there were any more. Anyway, there is no way I was going 94 mph because otherwise I would have been wearing a truck on the front of my car. And really, do you think my Plymouth Volare can really go that fast? I swear, that cop must have radared that truck because he passed ME like he was late for his daughters wedding. Scared the holy @((#%&^@ out of me. I think this has been a huge mistake and I promise not to ever, ever speed in you lovely state again! Not that I was speeding to begin with!

 

 

thats classic!

[J_Kirby]

Showing up and having the cop not show up is NOT a guarantee you'll get off. His written report IS evidence even without him there. Not being there only serves for him to not being able to substantiate it. You must unequivocally deny speeding at all. If you say you "might have been speeding, but gee judge, I wasn't going 98 though" you will not get off.

 

This really depends on the judge. Some judges are much more lenient when it comes to pitching tickets in court. My ticket for 88 in a 55 went to a Deschutes county judge who pitched it when the "State failed to appear." I walked out the door (passing right by the officer that issued the ticket) and went down to the clerks office. No argument or discussion at all on my part.

[cluck]

Try to get the fine reduced or whatever, but committing perjury isn't an acceptable option - regardless of the example set by our former president.

 

You were speeding and got caught. Suck it up and take your punishment.

[jhc]

I got a ticket coming back from Smith a little while ago, like 78 in a 55 or something, and I pleaded "no contest" and mailed in this letter for the whole trial by mail thing:

 

I am typically a very conservative driver, paying attention to the posted speed limits carefully and never handling my vehicle in an aggressive manner like some motorists on the freeways. On April 25th I was driving a friend’s car back from a rock climbing trip at Smith Rock State Park along ____. Through the townships and busy sections of road I was keenly aware of and following the speed limits, being especially careful as it was not my car I was driving! However, there are many long, empty (obviously not completely empty or I would not have been cited), straight sections of highway between _____ and Yakima, and not being fully accustomed to the way the vehicle cruised at higher speeds so effortlessly and quietly, I was essentially lulled into driving significantly faster than the limit and honestly not taking much notice of it. Yet I feel that my driving could still be considered safe and conservative given the conditions, and that I honestly hadn’t been speeding intentionally.

 

I absolutely committed this infraction, and apologize for it. I would like to ask the court to consider a reduction in the fine amount given these circumstances. Certainly the increased insurance rates I will undoubtedly bare are sufficient punishment to keep from making this mistake again.

 

They promptly wrote me back saying they'd cut the fine in half. Not a bad result I think.

 

Jake