I got a ticket
I got a speeding ticket. I haven't had a traffic violation in 20+ years but I got one last month. I was on my way home from vacation and I was traveling through Illinois as I approached a construction zone. Since the entire trip will filled with Highway Patrol Officers on the sides of the road with someone pulled over I had been trying to stay safe and traveling with the cruise control on usually a mile or two over the speed limit but well below most other drivers.
As I approached the construction zone I popped the cruise control off to slow down. I passed the new speed limit sign for the upcoming construction zone and as I was slowing down. pop, out comes the Highway Patrol to pull me over. "Speeding in a Construction Zone" the ticket said. Required Court Appearance! Yes, REQUIRED COURT APPEARANCE!
So, it is now one month later and I had to take off work, travel back to the middle of Illinois, to show up for court at 8am (according to the ticket) which didn't actually start until 8:30am. Fortunately, this made me 1st in line. Not knowing how long this would take, I loaded the parking meter with quarters to the max 10 hours. Hopefully, I would be out.
For the last month I was worrying about what the judge could do. Yes, he could fine me. Jail? I doubt it. Take my driver's license and suspend my driving rights? Possible. If that happened how would I get home? I didn't know and I tried not to think about the options.
Have you even notice that when you try not to think about things you end up thinking about that one thing all the time? Bummer, isn't it?
While half listening to the judge as he gave he opening "rules and rights" speech I heard him say something like, "For most of you facing jail time for your traffic violations ..." What! "Most of you ...?" Jail for a speeding ticket??? Boy are they tough. I figured I needed to get a lawyer fast.
This was only a preliminary court appearance to determine if they need to schedule a jury or judge trial for me (if I contested the officers citation), or pay fines and fees and be on my way. But, I didn't know which option was for me. Jail time?
Finally, I got called up to face the judge. Even though I was first in line and I only waited for about 10 minutes while the judge gave his speech, it seemed like hours. He told me since this was a first offense it would be a fine only. I remember the signs along the road that the fine was a minimum of $375 and I was prepared for the worse.
The judge told me what the fine and the approximate court costs would be if I gave a guilty plea. I plead guilty and accepted the fine. Down to the cashier to pay the fine and court costs. The total fine and court costs was not up to the expected $375, but close enough. The interesting thing was that they receipt for the fine listed each part I paid. Here are some of the topics to which part of my fine was paid toward:
Fine
Clerk
State's Atty
Court
Automation
Surcharge/LEADS
Drivers Ed
Violent crime
Judicial Security
Document storage
Trauma Center
T&CCSF
Now I don't know what some of those items are but it is a strange way to break down the costs on a receipt. Maybe this is their way of documenting which division and/or department gets what amount from each fine. Maybe I can claim a tax break on some of that?
I'm home now after traveling the entire way home right at the speed limit. Boy, I think I saw every cop on duty between there and here. I think I will be more careful when I travel. I'm going to let the other guy fly past me on the interstate. I would hate to be several states away and have to go back for a court appointment! There was no way not to show up (I checked) unless I wanted a warrant out for me for failure to show.
And yes, I can understand the heavy fines for speeding in construction zones. Those workers do work in some of the worst conditions, many times at night, and with cars and trucks speeding by just a few feet away. I don't think I could do it.
So yes, I was speeding within the construction zone, but no, I did not speed through any work area. I was in the buffer zone before the work area. Maybe the officer needed another ticket to write, maybe I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I do think he jumped the gun.
So, be careful out there. I tried to be but I wasn't careful enough.
BoBack
As I approached the construction zone I popped the cruise control off to slow down. I passed the new speed limit sign for the upcoming construction zone and as I was slowing down. pop, out comes the Highway Patrol to pull me over. "Speeding in a Construction Zone" the ticket said. Required Court Appearance! Yes, REQUIRED COURT APPEARANCE!
So, it is now one month later and I had to take off work, travel back to the middle of Illinois, to show up for court at 8am (according to the ticket) which didn't actually start until 8:30am. Fortunately, this made me 1st in line. Not knowing how long this would take, I loaded the parking meter with quarters to the max 10 hours. Hopefully, I would be out.
For the last month I was worrying about what the judge could do. Yes, he could fine me. Jail? I doubt it. Take my driver's license and suspend my driving rights? Possible. If that happened how would I get home? I didn't know and I tried not to think about the options.
Have you even notice that when you try not to think about things you end up thinking about that one thing all the time? Bummer, isn't it?
While half listening to the judge as he gave he opening "rules and rights" speech I heard him say something like, "For most of you facing jail time for your traffic violations ..." What! "Most of you ...?" Jail for a speeding ticket??? Boy are they tough. I figured I needed to get a lawyer fast.
This was only a preliminary court appearance to determine if they need to schedule a jury or judge trial for me (if I contested the officers citation), or pay fines and fees and be on my way. But, I didn't know which option was for me. Jail time?
Finally, I got called up to face the judge. Even though I was first in line and I only waited for about 10 minutes while the judge gave his speech, it seemed like hours. He told me since this was a first offense it would be a fine only. I remember the signs along the road that the fine was a minimum of $375 and I was prepared for the worse.
The judge told me what the fine and the approximate court costs would be if I gave a guilty plea. I plead guilty and accepted the fine. Down to the cashier to pay the fine and court costs. The total fine and court costs was not up to the expected $375, but close enough. The interesting thing was that they receipt for the fine listed each part I paid. Here are some of the topics to which part of my fine was paid toward:
Fine
Clerk
State's Atty
Court
Automation
Surcharge/LEADS
Drivers Ed
Violent crime
Judicial Security
Document storage
Trauma Center
T&CCSF
Now I don't know what some of those items are but it is a strange way to break down the costs on a receipt. Maybe this is their way of documenting which division and/or department gets what amount from each fine. Maybe I can claim a tax break on some of that?
I'm home now after traveling the entire way home right at the speed limit. Boy, I think I saw every cop on duty between there and here. I think I will be more careful when I travel. I'm going to let the other guy fly past me on the interstate. I would hate to be several states away and have to go back for a court appointment! There was no way not to show up (I checked) unless I wanted a warrant out for me for failure to show.
And yes, I can understand the heavy fines for speeding in construction zones. Those workers do work in some of the worst conditions, many times at night, and with cars and trucks speeding by just a few feet away. I don't think I could do it.
So yes, I was speeding within the construction zone, but no, I did not speed through any work area. I was in the buffer zone before the work area. Maybe the officer needed another ticket to write, maybe I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I do think he jumped the gun.
So, be careful out there. I tried to be but I wasn't careful enough.
BoBack
posted by Bob Ackerman at 7:21 PM
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