Knoxville speeding ticket, fight it?

[TNcitizen22]

Howdy all.

So I am headed west on I-40 in Knoxville and am around the west hills exit when I see blue lights in my mirror. At the time I was following the flow of traffic in the middle lane while doing around 70 (posted speed is 55). The officer was very efficient and gave me no trouble. Now what I am wondering is should I pay the $107 dollars and change or go to court and fight it. It is my first offense of any kind, and I was wondering if any of you have any insight, especially into the knox city court system as to whether it is worth my time. By the way, I am correct in assuming court costs are included in my fine? If not... fml.

[dats82]

Ask your insurance agent what will happen to your rates with a ticket on your record.

If you choose to fight it, be prepared to get bent over the table. I fought one in Knoxville and had to pay the fine, court cost, and like 20hrs of community service. The judge wanted me to go to driving school, but I could not with my work schedule. It cost me right at $200 dollars. If I would have gone to driving school, it would have been another $65.

Good luck with it.

[Murgatroy]

Pay it and move on IMO.

I drive 55MPH through the gauntlet.

That is Lovell Road to 640, either direction. I drive it multiple times a day. I see no less than 10 LEOs in my trip from Western to Watt.

It is just not worth the five minutes I would save to speed. Imagine the time lost for the ticket.

However, that is not to say you were wrong. Well, other than speeding. I am not trying to imply you are a bad person.

The point I am making is that the area is a revenue trap. However, quite often, as I am poking along, using my indicators and just enjoying my challenge of staying at 55MPH without the use of cruise (that is cheating you know; ) it irks me to no end when I am cut off, passed on both sides by folks doing 80MPH or better and watching everyone else on the road fail to signal a lane change. It is those moments that I smile when I see someone pulled over, especially if they passed me a few moments before at Mach 1.

Not to gloat or imply that you are a bad person. And I mean that. I have gotten more than my fair share of speeding tickets.

I just know better than to speed through the gauntlet.

Talk to your insurance agent, see if they can help you on the fines, not so much the costs in town, but the hike in your insurance rates. A three hour course on the internet at $45 might seem harsh now, but over the course of the next couple of years, as you wait for the ticket to fall off, it could save you a heap. Especially if this was a rare event, and you don't expect to accumulate more points on your license.

[Erik88]

I dunno Kevin, that's 15 over the posted limit. On the other hand you were going with the flow of traffic. My mom always goes to court and is honest with the judge and admits that she made a mistake. Every time the judge throws it out and she only pays court cost. That probably has something to do with the fact that she is a woman though haha.

I think it would honestly come down to the judge and what mood he/she is in. And what exactly would your defense be? If it were me, I'd say something along the lines of "your honor I admit that I was speeding but I honestly did not realize it because I was going the same speed as the traffic around me"

That's about the only viable defense you could have and that's not exactly bullet proof.

[Guest Askgeneral]

You admit you were speeding well over the limit and you want to" fight" the ticket? I must be missing something.

[TNcitizen22]

Thanks fellas. I think I am just going to pay it outright.

Murgatroy, you are absolutely right about that area being a revenue trap. Believe me, I have since adjusted my driving habits, and completely understand what you are saying about how hard it is to stay at 55 in that area... especially in a sports car.

Confirm I am right guys, the fine on the city site for me is $107, that's all I pay right? I have always assumed court costs are included (or do I not have to pay them since I am not actually going to show up in court)?

[Oh Shoot]

You admit you were speeding well over the limit and you want to" fight" the ticket? I must be missing something.

Yeah, me too.

I'm the little red Chevy S10 impeding traffic at max 60 all the way out past Campbell Station Rd.

Cuss me as you blow by if you like.

- OS

[TNcitizen22]

Askgeneral, what I meant is show up and enter a plea of no contest and see if it is possible to get the fine reduced / no points on my license via dismissal considering its my first offense.

[Guest guardlobo]

I don't think it is worth fighting. You can't tell a judge that LEO shouldn't be writing tickets in a certain area or that they do it to much. If you have a clean record, you could always admit you were wrong and ask for mercy. A friend I knew only had to go to driving school and kept a clear record when he did that. This saves money on insurance but should cost about the same as the ticket.

[Daniel]

I would try guardlobo's suggestion. BTW TN does not have a no contest plea.

[Murgatroy]

Eh, I drive a heavily modified sports car. I don't have much of an issue keeping it at 55MPH. Through the Gauntlet.

At most, I will get up to 62MPH to pass slower traffic (ie the guys running 45MPH.) Most of the time that takes a little bit of a snap inside me though. I tend to get in the lane I need for where I am going (home is one lane, Freightliner is another) and stay there. If I get behind someone going 52MPH. Well, I go 52MPH.

I just drive through there too much, in a car that is way to memorable to speed. Not the attention, or fees I want.

[TNcitizen22]

"If this is your first ticket (traffic or otherwise), or if the last time you received a traffic ticket was over four years ago, you are a good candidate for diversion. That means that under normal circumstances, if you appear before the Judge in Court with a plea of Guilty or No Contest, there is a fair chance the Judge may offer you Judicial Diversion on one (1) violation with a ruling of "Dismissed upon payment of Costs"…" Link

I dunno, just what the site says.

[Murgatroy]

Oh, and the fine on the ticket is the total cost, as long as you mail it in by whatever date is listed.

If you miss that date, you will have to pay costs, which I think is another $75, and they will suspend your license until you get it paid and cleared.

[TNcitizen22]

Thanks for clearing that up for me Murgatroy.

[Kenstaroni]

If you haven't had a ticket in the last few years...4 I think....just tell the judge you would like to plead guilty and ask if you can go to traffic school. Hopefully he'll be nice about it and let you do traffic school instead of the ticket and points on your record (plus insurance issues). Definately don't call your insurance company and tell them you got a ticket....that's not good advice...lol Most insurance companies will run an NVR yearly, or when a change in the policy is made...maybe not for a couple years sometimes, so you're better off just waiting to see if they do anything to your rates then you are telling them you got a ticket.

On another note, the speed limit in Knoxville is rediculus anyway. The semi-trucks will literally run you off the road if you don't at least do 10mph over. I try to drive 55-60 and stay in the right lane, but it's difficult to even do that sometimes. I don't understand how the cops can feel good about writing people tickets when the semi trucks are barreling down the road doing 10-20mph over or more and have no regard for the speed limit or how close they get to your bumper.

After the Papermill exit, I-640, and on the other side of Strawberry Plains should be 70mph. The 55 crap is less safe due to the drastic difference in driving styles on the roads and those who want to adhere to the 55mph, and those who think 70 is fine....it would be much safer if the speed limits were at least 65 if not 70 once you get out of downtown.

[Murgatroy]

On another note, the speed limit in Knoxville is rediculus anyway. The semi-trucks will literally run you off the road if you don't at least do 10mph over. I try to drive 55-60 and stay in the right lane, but it's difficult to even do that sometimes. I don't understand how the cops can feel good about writing people tickets when the semi trucks are barreling down the road doing 10-20mph over or more and have no regard for the speed limit or how close they get to your bumper.

After the Papermill exit, I-640, and on the other side of Strawberry Plains should be 70mph. The 55 crap is less safe due to the drastic difference in driving styles on the roads and those who want to adhere to the 55mph, and those who think 70 is fine....it would be much safer if the speed limits were at least 65 if not 70 once you get out of downtown.

Agreed wholeheartedly.

[Erik88]

On another note, the speed limit in Knoxville is rediculus anyway. The semi-trucks will literally run you off the road if you don't at least do 10mph over. I try to drive 55-60 and stay in the right lane, but it's difficult to even do that sometimes. I don't understand how the cops can feel good about writing people tickets when the semi trucks are barreling down the road doing 10-20mph over or more and have no regard for the speed limit or how close they get to your bumper.

After the Papermill exit, I-640, and on the other side of Strawberry Plains should be 70mph. The 55 crap is less safe due to the drastic difference in driving styles on the roads and those who want to adhere to the 55mph, and those who think 70 is fine....it would be much safer if the speed limits were at least 65 if not 70 once you get out of downtown.

Agreed wholeheartedly.

+1000

[HOGNUT]

Be a man. You were just as wrong as I was doing 78 in a 55 (hit my brakes quickly because it should have been more written up ticket 60 in 55) going to Myrtle Beach for a much needed vacation. Make a mistake, admit it and do better next time(radar/lazer detector).

[dralarms]

That area is a big speed trap.

I set my cruise control @ 59 MPH and let traffic pass on the left and right. LOL

I went through there one day and all 10 of the organ donor cops were handing out tickets at the same time.

[Mdunntn]

I have gotten two tickets in the past year, the only tickets I have ever gotten. The first ticket was on riverside drive for 35 in a 30. When I asked the cop I'd I could just get a warning he flat out told me no. My second ticket was also a 35 in a 30 on Brooks road. Both of these were KPD, they just love to harass me in my car all of the time. No matter where I am I get followed, sometimes having a nice sports car just isn't worth it.

[Motasyco]

Pay and learn.

[DaveTN]

If you can afford it and can take the time off work; I would fight it. You are already paying so you might as well get something out of it. You will learn something about the traffic court system and watching some of those people defend themselves is priceless; it is great entertainment.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I try to drive exactly the speed limit, because life hands out enough random daily annoyance, there is no sense going looking for more by speeding.

That traffic flow thing is worrisome sometimes. Going exactly the speed limit in the right hand lane is good for dangerous idiots to change lanes whizzing by shooting me the bird, but that is easy enough to ignore.

Driving up signal mtn road to the mountain, or up suck creek mountain to prentice cooper range are problems with the speed limit. They are twisty roads and the natives of those two mountains are familiar with the turns and like to drive like a bat out of hell. It can be embarrassing going the speed limit with numerous cars stacked up behind cussing me, and no way for them to safely pass.

Also I have the mere suspicion that perhaps the local fuzz are more likely to write tickets to strangers than natives. Dunno that for a fact. Just a suspicion.

So I usually speed on those two roads just to avoid getting run over or enticing some speed demon to pass me on a blind curve and wreck us all. If I ever get stopped, will try to beg off by telling the cop I was just trying to avoid getting run off the road.

[Daniel]

"If this is your first ticket (traffic or otherwise), or if the last time you received a traffic ticket was over four years ago, you are a good candidate for diversion. That means that under normal circumstances, if you appear before the Judge in Court with a plea of Guilty or No Contest, there is a fair chance the Judge may offer you Judicial Diversion on one (1) violation with a ruling of "Dismissed upon payment of Costs"…" Link

I dunno, just what the site says.

I wonder how long that has been.... I am from Knoxville originally even though I havent lived there going on 10 years. I used to spend a fair bit of time in some type of traffic issue and was specifically told they did not have no contest.

[Guest tnxdshooter]

Howdy all.

So I am headed west on I-40 in Knoxville and am around the west hills exit when I see blue lights in my mirror. At the time I was following the flow of traffic in the middle lane while doing around 70 (posted speed is 55). The officer was very efficient and gave me no trouble. Now what I am wondering is should I pay the $107 dollars and change or go to court and fight it. It is my first offense of any kind, and I was wondering if any of you have any insight, especially into the knox city court system as to whether it is worth my time. By the way, I am correct in assuming court costs are included in my fine? If not... fml.

Dont trust knox county as far as you can throw them. I would fight it til my dying breathe. Here is why.

Several years ago (probably 3-5) I got a ticket in the same general vicinity. I got a cop that was a real jerk and who I had to wind up filing an IA complaint with. Anyways to make a long story short, I called the number on the back of the ticket. The court clerk or whoever it was told me if I went to driving school I would not have to pay the ticket (this is the way it was at every other place I had ever gotten a ticket), so I went to the driving school paid the 70 dollars or ever how much it was and sat through 8 hours of class or so, as I was leaving for the night the instructor gave me the certificate and again I asked if I still had to pay the ticket. He advised no. So I took the certificate down to the court clerk or whever it was (I cant remember now). They told me it was resolved and it would not be going on my record. At the end of the class the instructor said he would be turning in our paperwork (He never did). Anyways, three months after the fact I get a letter from the state saying my license is about to be suspended unless I paid the ticket (you guessed it the one in knoxville), I faxed all the driving school info to the state, and they advised I still had to pay the ticket. I advised them the clerk said no. So i called the clerk and they said I would have to pay it. To make another long story short I got my attorney involved and threatened to sue the state, Knox county, City of Knoxville, KPD, etc. My attorney even sent letters to them in regards to pending law suit. Well I got a call the next day. They were dismissing it and I didnt have to pay anything else. I had the state send it to me in writing that my license would not be suspended, I currently have a clean driving record. Dont mess around with KNOX COUNTY document everything. THey are frauds. I see now how haslam got all his money.