I got a speeding ticket 22348 b vc and would really appreciate advice from either LEOs or anyone knowledgeable in the situation. I'll explain the event in as much detail as I can to give a chance for the best assessment of what I should do.
I was traveling on I-5 South in CA about 25 miles north of Valencia going at speeds approximately 90 mph. I was speeding irresponsibly and it is something I do not want to try to justify, I got carried away by the speeds of the vehicles traveling near me and shouldn't have matched their speeds. Going down the mountain I see a CHP officer (too far to tell if he was moving or not but the passengers in my car thought he was moving) on the far right side of the road and I slowed down significantly. Unfortunately for me it was too late and he put on his lights behind me.
As soon as I saw the lights I put on my signal to show that I was pulling over but I was not sure where to pull over because I did not feel there was a safe amount of room on the shoulder at the moment. I continued in the right lanes for about a mile until the shoulder no longer had a barrier and I could pull over safely. Before I was able to pull over I could see that the officer was noticeably upset and making hand motions through my mirror.
When I pulled over the officer charged towards the car yelling profanity and was very upset, asking things like if I knew who he was, or where I got my license. I tried to explain to him very politely, always addressing him as officer or sir, that I was trying to find a safe place to pull over but he didn't want to hear any of it and continued with the yelling.
He finally asked me how fast I thought I was going and I said that I was not sure because I honestly wasn't. I felt that I was going around 90 mph but I am inclined to believe a LEO if he is telling me what speed I was going. He said 101 mph but did not present any evidence that would suggest that I was in fact going that speed and I guess its possible that in his anger he would want to give me a significantly harsher penalty. The ticket shows a box checked Radar/Lidar unit/ Patrol vehicle No.
He called me out of my vehicle to explain to me that this was going to be a heavy fine and I would probably lose my license for 30 days. By this time he was much calmer and it seemed much more like he was just having a bad day. He advised me to go to court and told me that if I was going that fast again he would take me to jail and impound my vehicle. He then told me to be safe, I thanked him and went back on my way.
I am looking for advice on how to handle the situation. Through a quick google search I saw multiple responses and do not know how to sort through the bad advice and the good advice. Should I contact the officer? Get a lawyer? Fight the ticket? What should I expect? Can I get the court location changed? Is a court appearance necessary? Should I plead not guilty and explain that I didn't feel I was going 101, or plead guilty and apologize for going anywhere near that speed?
I am a 21 year old full time student and the court is 300 miles away. I understand that a possible penalty is losing my license for 30 days and this would be disastrous for me. All advice from those with valuable information is greatly appreciated, thank you.
I was traveling on I-5 South in CA about 25 miles north of Valencia going at speeds approximately 90 mph. I was speeding irresponsibly and it is something I do not want to try to justify, I got carried away by the speeds of the vehicles traveling near me and shouldn't have matched their speeds. Going down the mountain I see a CHP officer (too far to tell if he was moving or not but the passengers in my car thought he was moving) on the far right side of the road and I slowed down significantly. Unfortunately for me it was too late and he put on his lights behind me.
As soon as I saw the lights I put on my signal to show that I was pulling over but I was not sure where to pull over because I did not feel there was a safe amount of room on the shoulder at the moment. I continued in the right lanes for about a mile until the shoulder no longer had a barrier and I could pull over safely. Before I was able to pull over I could see that the officer was noticeably upset and making hand motions through my mirror.
When I pulled over the officer charged towards the car yelling profanity and was very upset, asking things like if I knew who he was, or where I got my license. I tried to explain to him very politely, always addressing him as officer or sir, that I was trying to find a safe place to pull over but he didn't want to hear any of it and continued with the yelling.
He finally asked me how fast I thought I was going and I said that I was not sure because I honestly wasn't. I felt that I was going around 90 mph but I am inclined to believe a LEO if he is telling me what speed I was going. He said 101 mph but did not present any evidence that would suggest that I was in fact going that speed and I guess its possible that in his anger he would want to give me a significantly harsher penalty. The ticket shows a box checked Radar/Lidar unit/ Patrol vehicle No.
He called me out of my vehicle to explain to me that this was going to be a heavy fine and I would probably lose my license for 30 days. By this time he was much calmer and it seemed much more like he was just having a bad day. He advised me to go to court and told me that if I was going that fast again he would take me to jail and impound my vehicle. He then told me to be safe, I thanked him and went back on my way.
I am looking for advice on how to handle the situation. Through a quick google search I saw multiple responses and do not know how to sort through the bad advice and the good advice. Should I contact the officer? Get a lawyer? Fight the ticket? What should I expect? Can I get the court location changed? Is a court appearance necessary? Should I plead not guilty and explain that I didn't feel I was going 101, or plead guilty and apologize for going anywhere near that speed?
I am a 21 year old full time student and the court is 300 miles away. I understand that a possible penalty is losing my license for 30 days and this would be disastrous for me. All advice from those with valuable information is greatly appreciated, thank you.
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