I was going south on 85 doing 80mph (just keeping up with traffic), and came around the corner at Chamblee Tucker exit, and saw 5 motorcycle cops and 4 police cars shooting lasers... Somehow they picked me out of the crowd (I was in the HOV lane) and wrote me a ticket for doing 80mph in a 55mph zone... I am also only 20 years old and I have about 3 points on my license, because I was in a bad wreck and got a wreckless driving and too fast for conditions ticket. I'll HAVE to go to court for this and I'm praying that I can keep my license due to college and work... If anyone has any connections in the Dekalb County PD, *PLEASE* send me a PM
i got my ticket just south of there two years ago.... but i don't often see cops there. must have had to meet quota for the month.
It looked like the whole damn county parked on the shoulder, and by the time I got stopped, I could see 3 mor cop cars and 2 more motorcycles in front of me
sorry to hear that... i got pulled over in july while keeping up with traffic too so i feel ur pain... my only recommendation: get a good lawyer
you shouldn't need a lawyer to postpone it. I would get one though. Ouch, sorry to hear this bro. +1 on the wingless, though this doesn't sound like this was the problem.
There has definitely been a stepped up presence on the highways and, especially, in that area. I travel past it everyday on the way home...I saw one cop shooting laser under the overpass yesterday around 4:00 and his buddy running cars down. He tagged me, as the V1 went off. They also love the northbound side of 85 at North Druid in the early morning 6:30-6:45am...tough to spot them as you're up and around the bend. Anyways...sorry to hear it man.
I'm not sure if any of these tips would work, however, it's a good read. http://www.lifehacker.com/software/...et-or-at-least-better-your-chances-208611.php
Man this sucks the same thing happend to me about a two weeks ago. Going with the speed of traffic and they picked me out and i'm wingless. Hope you get this worked out.
Umm, Sorry to hijack, but i guess one topic is good enough.. My friend got a speeding ticket recently. Well it is his first time. He apprently got writtin up for 29 over in a 45... I forgot what road he was on (PIB or something?), but it is 55 except this one section, then it turns back to 55.
I picked up a book on how to beat a speeding ticket and so far so good. Remember they ONLY want your money...as soon as it cost them resources it will be reduced or dropped altogether. For example you have the right to calibration records on the device (laser) and on the vehicle (cop car) as well as the officers arrest/citation records they do not want to give out this info as insight could be drawn.
^^^ What book are you reading? If you take that route you'll be coughing up lots of $$$ for a lawyer and court costs..... yes, your lawyer may subpoena all of those documents, but to what end? All it requires is research, and it takes no additional "resources....." that's kinda what they get paid for. Once a lidar unit is calibrated at the factory it doesn't lose that calibration, unlike radar units which must receive periodic factory service. Yes, a calibration log is kept for lidar units, but pulling the log isn't gonna give you any sort of edge in court. Neither will checking vehicle calibration, especially in the case of lidar, which is stationary. And what "insight" would you expect to draw from citation records? If you're charged with a number of heinous traffic offenses, then yes, I could possibly see dragging your case out for that. For just a speeding ticket? You'll just try the judge's patience and you can be sure you'll get the whole package if it doesn't work out. To the OP: Slow down. I've never had any problems going 55-65 around that area. And if you can't slow down, stay out of the HOV lane..... impatient drivers jump in the HOV lane cuz there's less traffic there, so it's like shooting fish in a barrel. Good luck! And speaking of shooting fish in a barrel........ There are several spots on PIB where the speed limit drops to 45 mph for short periods, inside city limits and just before major intersections. And these areas are frequently patrolled..... in fact it's one of my favorite spots to run laser
3 tickets reduced and 1 dropped completely. Just speaking from my personal experience. A lawyer is probably the best bet but I enjoy the challenge. I jacked this from another forum: Many radar based speeding tickets are dismissed every year because the defendant may request any or all the following and does not receive them: 1. The Radar unit's calibration, maintenance, and history records. 2. The officer's certifications for radar training or other things. 3. The tuning fork(s) used to calibrate the radar unit as well as their calibration certificates. 4. The specific radar unit that was used. 5. That agency's FCC license 6. List of models, makes and serial numbers of every radar unit currently in use with that agency. The things above are a matter of public record, which as most of us know, means that we all have a right to obtain these records to insure that a safe, fair, and truthful trial takes place. You may obtain these records one of a few different ways. The first is you may go to the officer's (who issued you the ticket) specific agency, and ask to speak with someone whom can help you with public records like the Public Records Custodian, or another officer. You give them a detailed list of what exactly it is you want. If they aren't *******s about it, they'll give you pretty much everything you asked for except probably the tuning forks and radar unit itself. They'll probably tell you that the officer will bring these with him to the trial. If on the other hand, they ARE *******s and refuse you any of this information, you can call the State Attorney General whom is in charge of prosecuting all violations of public records laws. Mark my words, you'll get EXACTLY what you asked for in short order after notifiying the S.A.G. If you really want revenge you can even file a civil lawsuit against that agency for punitive damages. You can also sobpoena anything reasonable you wish from the court. You may do this by requesting them at the court clerk explaining the things you want. The only catch to this is you need to do it 14days in advance, furthermore you won't get to check out the records until the actual court date, which takes valuable time from the construction of a bulletproof case. Look for any inconsistancies within whatever records you get, these leave the cop very unstable ground to testify upon. Many times an agency will be sending and reveiving radar units for various reasons constantly. The FCC gives a liscense to the agency for every single radar unit being used, but this isn't automatic. The agency must request these liscenses from the FCC by giving them all the information on the unit, only then can they legally use them. Make sure that the serials and other information on the unit match the FCC liscense list that you look at. Because agencies are getting many new units in from time to time, sometimes they fail to register them with the FCC, which is grounds for immediate dismisal of your ticket, and the agency is in a heap of trouble! =) If it's not liscensed with the FCC, they can't use it against you in court, and when radar can't be used based on a radar ticket, your ticket is history. In addition to what I've mentioned thusfar, there are a few other things that can be used as ammunition for you in court. A Radar unit can sometimes read the speed of the patrol car's heater or AC fan. An inadvertent false reasong can appear on a radar unit if the unit's antenna (which is moveable) is pointed for any period of time at the readout part of the unit. Neon lights, power transformers, electrical storms, and other sources of harmonic frequencies can all influence radar readings as well. Radio transmitters and towers are a great source of radar interference. Radar itself is a radio wave, CB radios are notorious for messing with radar speed readings. The fact is, many MANY cars have CB equipped, Police Cruisers included, this means that this error happens quite frequently. Moving radar which is no different from stationary radar besides the fact that it has to calculate in the speed of the police vehicle into the equation. When an officer accelerates too quickly, this throws off the reading of the radar. Most units are unable to compensate for the sudden increase in ground speed from the officer, and until it does catch up, it will add the increase in the officer's speed to the target...which is usually YOU. When an officer makes this mistake, it is known as "batching". When "batching" occurs, it can cause a very substantial error in the speed reading, and this can in turn lead to an unwarranted citation. Now onto Laser, or "Lidar" Lidar stands for LIght Detection And Ranging. It works relatively on the same principal as radar only it uses a laser beam as opposed to a radar beam to detect your speed. A laser beam is however very direct, and will hardly ever give a readout of another vehicle. The narrowness of the beam however can be used to your advantage. For instance, if you drive a black RX-7 or Corvette, you have little to worry about. Since lidar uses light to measure speed, there has to be something to reflect that light in order to give a reading. When you drive a black vehicle with retracting headlights, there is very VERY little targeting area in which the Lidar can be used effectively. The only target now is your front liscense plate (if you even have one), if you do, simply tilt the liscense plate upwards a bit to deflect the straight travel of light, after all, its not illegal to make your vehicle invisible to lidar, as long as the cop can see your plates. If your vehicle deflects or absorbs most or all of the light, then the calculation cannot be completed. So if you drive a dark colored vehicle with retractable headlights and little or no chome etc, you are a VERY hard target. In addition to all this, Lidar involves a number of complex counterparts that mean problems for the officer trying to use it. Because of this, Lidar is not terribly popular with cops. An automotive "bra" is also a good way to help make your car invisible to lidar. Or if you drive a pile of crap and really don't care about areodynamics, you can use carpet...anything that absorbs light. Remember, DEFLECT not REFLECT.
I should add that none went before a judge. My goal was to not have any points and having a clean record to start and willing to pay the fine was probaly key to my madness. I do not condone speeding but my madness was started by shady practices by Marietta and Cobb law enforcement.
defensive driving might be your only savior for this....hopefully you can get a lawyer that will get you out of enough trouble so that you dont loose your license.
I got a ticket for 80 in the HOV lane more than a year ago, a little south of there. I felt that I was running with traffic, too. I no longer use the HOV lane, unless there really is traffic, because I hate being passed on my right hand side. If they're passing me to my left, I'm OK and the police get someone else. DD
UPDATE: I went to the DMV today and got a printout of my driver's history, its clean. I called my lawyer (friend of the family, and free) and he said that after the wreck, he sweet talked them into just a fine and no points. I was also told from a guy at work, that in Dekalb county they have a program for first time offenders to get the ticket dropped. He didn't know what was involved with the program though. Does anyone know? I plan on taking defensive driving, again, in a couple of weeks. Anyone want to join me?
im going to: ALFA Driving School 8610 Roswell Rd., Ste 340 Atlanta, GA, 30350 (770) 650-7787 class is on 10/28/06 from 9am-4pm my brother is going too.. not sure if its full or not
I did an online drivers school for my defensive driving school thing for my ticket. It took 1/2 the time of the physical course, and you just need to answer questions on the website, and pass, and they mail you a certificate. The court accepted it, without issues. Also, with the lawyer, with continuances, it was 10 months from the date of the ticket, to the date in court. This should allow you to be 21 by the time you are in court. $1100 later and my reckless driving ticket was reduced to "too fast for conditions". -- Brian
Most of what you've written is accurate except for a few things, including this. Lidar is tremendously simple to use and is far more popular than stationary radar. The biggest advantage of radar is the fact that it can be used while moving. Used while stationary, radar has no real advantage over lidar. True, radar has several factors that affect it's range and accuracy, but lidar does not. While factors such as weather may decrease it's effective range, the accuracy is only compromised by geometry (cosine effect) and always works in favor of the motorist.
So there is not a max distance for it's use??? I was told that it was 500ft clear view? Also read of something pertaining to a land/road grade greater than I believe 7%? Just for my personal knowledge, thanks for the clarification.
Do that just to keep your money as long as you can. Court's not too bad. I got a 20 over two months ago. In Cobb you'll talk to a prosecutor when you get there who will offer to lower it to 14 over if you plead guilty. The fine's $160 and you won't get any points. If you did something huge they won't play ball. I don't know about other courts. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Getting fancy with the calibration stuff isn't going to help. They'll offer to lower it before you even ask. Hey Alex- didn't I do a better job of bitting my tongue???
State law places restrictions on the use of speed detection equipment in general. The officer's vehicle must be visible from 500 ft meaning that he can't completely hide behind something or set up 200 ft from the exit of a curve or the other side of a hillcrest. Sitting lights-out in the dark doesn't count as hiding behind something though. This is a safeguard against unfair revenue generation as well as a safety concern. And yes, no grade greater than 7%. As far as max distance, as long as you get a lidar return on the vehicle you selected, there is no max distance. I have personally clocked vehicles out to almost 3000 ft, and I've heard of others shooting farther, although there's no real need for it nor are there many places it can be done.
What does the Lidar do when you hit cars with the laser jammers? Does it just not give a reading, or do you get an error code? -- Brian
Oh wish I would have know that years ago:squint: Buford hwy bike cop just cresting hill behind a sign just past the CDC before renovations. Was that legal? Savannah speed trap posted limit 45 doing 45 i get pulled over says I was doing 10 over wtf? with witnesses in the car. points at the moss tree that we just so happen to stop in front of. still dont see it till he moves the stuff out the way says 35. whatdoyathink? Till this day the most racist cop/person I have ever met. It was my first ticket I was 18 and had us so intimated that we did nothing. Won't happen Ever again...
Thanks BluelineScooby...So the young officer that was hiding in a church parking lot behind a 4ft high cinderblock wall is somewhat not fair as to what you explained above?