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Old 11-02-2012, 01:40 AM
 
1 posts, read 2,067 times
Reputation: 10

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Ok, I got a speeding ticket for going over 10 just outside of UH main. That was the 16 of oct, my court date is next Thursday. I've been told over and over that I just show up to court on that day, plea guilty and ask if I could take the defensive driving course to get the ticket removed from my record. My first ticket btw. Is that true? I don't pay for my ticket? They sent me this thing in the mail. It confused the hell out of me and I called the lady seemed pissed I kept asking questions. It says I can plea guilty and ask if I want to apply to see if I can take the driving class or not. And I send it back via mail. They said I could do it online to where I scan my info and such. I don't know which one to do? Ignore that mail and just go to my court date? It's my first time and I don't know what I'm doing.
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Old 11-02-2012, 05:55 AM
 
5,976 posts, read 15,268,391 times
Reputation: 6710
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fateerror View Post
Ok, I got a speeding ticket for going over 10 just outside of UH main. That was the 16 of oct, my court date is next Thursday. I've been told over and over that I just show up to court on that day, plea guilty and ask if I could take the defensive driving course to get the ticket removed from my record. My first ticket btw. Is that true? I don't pay for my ticket? They sent me this thing in the mail. It confused the hell out of me and I called the lady seemed pissed I kept asking questions. It says I can plea guilty and ask if I want to apply to see if I can take the driving class or not. And I send it back via mail. They said I could do it online to where I scan my info and such. I don't know which one to do? Ignore that mail and just go to my court date? It's my first time and I don't know what I'm doing.
Fateerror,

You do not plead guilty, that would negate Defensive Driving afterall. Call the number on the ticket (the court's number) and ask them that you want to take Defensive Driving. You will be approved if you have not done this recently, I think a year, or more. You will be given a deadline, I can't recall how long it is, I think at least three months. In any case, it is plenty of time, don't wait until the very end because then you run the risk of not getting your certificate in on time since it is mailed to you, not the court.... or you can pay "extra" to have it overnighted to you, but you then need to get it sent in certified so it has the time stamp.

You can do an online course, at your own pace, or you can go to a group setting and knock it out in one day. I'd prefer the one day course, but I just can't afford the time, so I've done mine on the computer.

Even though you will not pay the fine for the ticket, you will pay for the "privilege" of taking defensive driving, plus court costs, plus the DD course.

Good luck.
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Old 11-02-2012, 07:54 AM
 
Location: Underneath the Pecan Tree
15,982 posts, read 35,206,894 times
Reputation: 7428
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fateerror View Post
Ok, I got a speeding ticket for going over 10 just outside of UH main. That was the 16 of oct, my court date is next Thursday. I've been told over and over that I just show up to court on that day, plea guilty and ask if I could take the defensive driving course to get the ticket removed from my record. My first ticket btw. Is that true? I don't pay for my ticket? They sent me this thing in the mail. It confused the hell out of me and I called the lady seemed pissed I kept asking questions. It says I can plea guilty and ask if I want to apply to see if I can take the driving class or not. And I send it back via mail. They said I could do it online to where I scan my info and such. I don't know which one to do? Ignore that mail and just go to my court date? It's my first time and I don't know what I'm doing.
Call and ask for defensive driving. No need to appear in court unless you want to contest it.
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Old 11-02-2012, 08:21 AM
 
44 posts, read 110,188 times
Reputation: 20
Yeah, with defensive driving, even though you ended paying the same amount as the fine, but it won't go into your driving record. Also, you can probably get a discount from your auto insurance.
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Old 11-02-2012, 09:55 AM
 
Location: Underneath the Pecan Tree
15,982 posts, read 35,206,894 times
Reputation: 7428
Quote:
Originally Posted by dtshd View Post
Yeah, with defensive driving, even though you ended paying the same amount as the fine, but it won't go into your driving record. Also, you can probably get a discount from your auto insurance.
How much do DD classes normally cost??? I took mine back in like 2007 or 2008 and the overall cost was less than the ticket itself. My ticket was about 190 and the class was like around 110. I didn't have to pay the ticket.
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Old 11-02-2012, 01:53 PM
 
Location: USA
194 posts, read 524,563 times
Reputation: 236
Quote:
Originally Posted by blkgiraffe View Post
How much do DD classes normally cost??? I took mine back in like 2007 or 2008 and the overall cost was less than the ticket itself. My ticket was about 190 and the class was like around 110. I didn't have to pay the ticket.
Defensive driving classes are less than $30...if you really paid $110 for the class, you seriously got ripped off.

Heck, you can even do it online.
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Old 11-02-2012, 02:27 PM
 
110 posts, read 280,615 times
Reputation: 118
Better yet, contact Lance Smith or one of the other local traffic ticket attorneys and let them handle it for you. Their fee is generally about $80.
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Old 11-02-2012, 02:59 PM
 
Location: League City
682 posts, read 1,941,751 times
Reputation: 443
I had to pay $110 to the courts to take the class and then pay for the class itself which was around $30 and for a copy of my driving record which was $11. I just filled out a form pleading no contest and requested defensive driving. I never went to court.
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Old 11-02-2012, 08:29 PM
 
44 posts, read 110,188 times
Reputation: 20
What I meant was paying the court in order to take defensive driving class (around $120 I think) plus the class itself. The total cost is the same as paying the fine.
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Old 01-01-2013, 07:08 PM
 
Location: Coeur d'Alene Idaho
804 posts, read 2,892,050 times
Reputation: 549
Quote:
Originally Posted by dtshd View Post
Yeah, with defensive driving, even though you ended paying the same amount as the fine, but it won't go into your driving record. Also, you can probably get a discount from your auto insurance.
Generally in our city if you pay the fine, take defensive driving class, plus an addition set amount (generally like $100 or 150) they will not report it to your insurance if you have a clean record.. basically pay a little extra to the city not to have your insurance go up.

Agree or disagree ethically a lot of people who are first time offenders do it.
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