OT- Ticket on NJ Turnpike

[Knight Shift]

I am familiar with municipal ticket and accepting a lower/no point violation. Anybody know how it works with a ticket from the State Police?

A friend at work had this happen. Worth going to court to plead to a lower offense?




Got a moving violation ticket on the jersey turnpike around Exit 9 for
"failure to yield to the right."
(39:4-88A).
When I got on the turnpike I generally move
into the center lane to avoid the cars merging onto the turnpike. I was in the center lane and moved into the
left lane to pass the guy in front of me who was going 60. When I moved into the left lane the police
officer pulled up behind me so I went 65 (the speed limit) and didn't go faster
for fear of getting a speeding ticket,
but at 65, I clearly couldn't get over because there were cars in the
center lane.

39:4-88A says: "A vehicle shall normally be driven in the lane nearest the right-hand
edge or curb of the roadway when that lane is available for travel,
except when overtaking another vehicle."

 

[RU4Real]

First, congratulations - you (or your, um... "friend") became an example of something that we've been telling people here for years - the NJSP do not care about the speed limit as much as they care about keeping the flow of traffic moving. If you're in the left lane and you're not passing anyone, you are going to get a ticket.

Second, this works the same as municipal court, because it IS municipal court. Look on the ticket and it will tell you what court you have to go to. There's no difference between a ticket written on the Turnpike in, say, Bordentown and a ticket written on any other road in town.

 

[jay_hq]

doesnt matter.

the cop needed to get to dunkin donuts asap and you were in his way. safety has nothing to do with tickets. the city needs the money, pay up!

 

[RutgersUnion]

I think you jsut go to 1 of the local courts. I got a ticket on GSP and was sent to Woodbridge to fight it. They lost the ticket, cop never showed and I still had to pay but no points.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[WGLTAUD]

Originally posted by RU4Real:
First, congratulations - you (or your, um... "friend") became an example of something that we've been telling people here for years - the NJSP do not care about the speed limit as much as they care about keeping the flow of traffic moving. If you're in the left lane and you're not passing anyone, you are going to get a ticket.

Second, this works the same as municipal court, because it IS municipal court. Look on the ticket and it will tell you what court you have to go to. There's no difference between a ticket written on the Turnpike in, say, Bordentown and a ticket written on any other road in town.

Everything noted above is dead on.

If you get a ticket by the State Police, you go to court in the town in which the ticket was written, so if it was in Bordentown, you will go to the Bordentown court and it will be handled in the same way as if you got pulled over on Main St. by their PD.

Secondly, get out of the left lane doing 65. We've seen this argument on this board time and time again where people are complaining about people who have things to do. Please stay to the right if you are going to drive the exact speed limit.

 

[CodyRU]

I'm be willing to bet that's not how it went down. Your friend sounds like the dreaded "left lane Dick". Any chance he is from PA?
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[CodyRU]

I'm be willing to bet that's not how it went down. Your friend sounds like the dreaded "left lane Dick". Any chance he is from PA?
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[CodyRU]

I'm be willing to bet that's not how it went down. Your friend sounds like the dreaded "left lane Dick". Any chance he is from PA?
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Knight Shift]

Originally posted by CodyRU:
I'm be willing to bet that's not how it went down. Your friend sounds like the dreaded "left lane Dick". Any chance he is from PA?
Posted from Rivals Mobile

My friend is a woman, and yes she is from PA. She's a nice woman, I doubt she is what you called her.

I kind of see her point that you don't want to be in the far right lane because traffic is merging. But if you are going to pass someone in the far left lane, you have to stand on it.

Ignorance of the law is no excuse. We are patent attorneys in our office. She will probably go and explain her position herself, and perhaps the prosecutor will show her mercy and let her pay a fine with no points?

She was wondering if the points transfer to Pennsylvania. I think they do.

 

[retired711]

try talking to the prosecuting DA at the hearing. Maybe he or she will let you plead to "careless driving," which carries no points. On the other hand, it means a huge fine. In effect, the state of New Jersey is blackmailing you; "pay us a whole lot of money and we won't tell anyone about it."

 

[Abro1975]

On the NJ Turnpike you only have to be concerned about cars merging about every 10 miles, so that excuse is a bit weak.

 

[Terry_2426]

Pretty crappy if she gets points on that...whenever I've been in that situation I've always sped up a bit to get over to the next lane so the cop car can pass me and I've never had any issues.

And not that I'm saying this was the case in this situation--but the people who clog up the left lane by going anything under 70mph during rush hour need to have their license revoked.

 

[RU4Real]

Originally posted by camdenlawprof:
try talking to the prosecuting DA at the hearing. Maybe he or she will let you plead to "careless driving," which carries no points. On the other hand, it means a huge fine. In effect, the state of New Jersey is blackmailing you; "pay us a whole lot of money and we won't tell anyone about it."

Careless driving absolutely carries points. What's more, it carries a hefty surcharge.

What you want to plea out to, if you're looking to just pay money and not have points, is called "Unsafe Operation". The prosecutors will agree to that with zero argument.

This post was edited on 3/11 7:49 PM by RU4Real

 

[retired711]

Originally posted by RU4Real:

Originally posted by camdenlawprof:
try talking to the prosecuting DA at the hearing. Maybe he or she will let you plead to "careless driving," which carries no points. On the other hand, it means a huge fine. In effect, the state of New Jersey is blackmailing you; "pay us a whole lot of money and we won't tell anyone about it."

Careless driving absolutely carries points. What's more, it carries a hefty surcharge.

What you want to plea out to, if you're looking to just pay money and not have points, is called "Unsafe Operation". The prosecutors will agree to that with zero argument.

This post was edited on 3/11 7:49 PM by RU4Real

thanks for the correction . . . it's been a while since I've had to talk to a DA about it!

 

[Crazed_RU]

Originally posted by camdenlawprof:

Originally posted by RU4Real:

Originally posted by camdenlawprof:
try talking to the prosecuting DA at the hearing. Maybe he or she will let you plead to "careless driving," which carries no points. On the other hand, it means a huge fine. In effect, the state of New Jersey is blackmailing you; "pay us a whole lot of money and we won't tell anyone about it."

Careless driving absolutely carries points. What's more, it carries a hefty surcharge.

What you want to plea out to, if you're looking to just pay money and not have points, is called "Unsafe Operation". The prosecutors will agree to that with zero argument.

This post was edited on 3/11 7:49 PM by RU4Real

thanks for the correction . . . it's been a while since I've had to talk to a DA about it!

The problem with that fine though is it is VERY expensive - like $400 if I recall. You are going to pay money one way or another to someone. Court or insurance company...

 

[RU4Real]

Originally posted by Crazed_RU:

Originally posted by camdenlawprof:

Originally posted by RU4Real:

Originally posted by camdenlawprof:
try talking to the prosecuting DA at the hearing. Maybe he or she will let you plead to "careless driving," which carries no points. On the other hand, it means a huge fine. In effect, the state of New Jersey is blackmailing you; "pay us a whole lot of money and we won't tell anyone about it."

Careless driving absolutely carries points. What's more, it carries a hefty surcharge.

What you want to plea out to, if you're looking to just pay money and not have points, is called "Unsafe Operation". The prosecutors will agree to that with zero argument.

This post was edited on 3/11 7:49 PM by RU4Real

thanks for the correction . . . it's been a while since I've had to talk to a DA about it!

The problem with that fine though is it is VERY expensive - like $400 if I recall. You are going to pay money one way or another to someone. Court or insurance company...

This is why China will keep wining until ISIS kills us all...

Let's go with your logic.

Careless Driving: $100 fine, probably about $25 court cost and an insurance surcharge of no less than $300 per year for 3 years, and maybe as much as $500.

Unsafe Operation: $400 fine, probably about $50 - $75 court cost an no surcharge.

Do the math, show your work.

 

[GoRutgersGo]

It's a lot cheaper to obey the traffic laws and not put others at risk.

 

[Knight Shift]

Originally posted by Crazed_RU:

Originally posted by camdenlawprof:

Originally posted by RU4Real:

Originally posted by camdenlawprof:
try talking to the prosecuting DA at the hearing. Maybe he or she will let you plead to "careless driving," which carries no points. On the other hand, it means a huge fine. In effect, the state of New Jersey is blackmailing you; "pay us a whole lot of money and we won't tell anyone about it."

Careless driving absolutely carries points. What's more, it carries a hefty surcharge.

What you want to plea out to, if you're looking to just pay money and not have points, is called "Unsafe Operation". The prosecutors will agree to that with zero argument.

This post was edited on 3/11 7:49 PM by RU4Real

thanks for the correction . . . it's been a while since I've had to talk to a DA about it!

The problem with that fine though is it is VERY expensive - like $400 if I recall. You are going to pay money one way or another to someone. Court or insurance company...

Are you sure?



39:4-97.2 Driving, operating a motor vehicle in an unsafe manner, offense created; fines; surcharge.


/1. a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, it shall be unlawful for any person to drive or operate a motor vehicle in an unsafe manner likely to endanger a person or property.

/b./A person convicted of a first offense under subsection a. shall be subject to a fine of not less than $50.00 or more than $150.00 and shall not be assessed any motor vehicle penalty points pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1982, c.43 (C.39:5-30.5).

 

[RU4Real]

Originally posted by Knight Shift:

Originally posted by Crazed_RU:

Originally posted by camdenlawprof:

Originally posted by RU4Real:

Originally posted by camdenlawprof:
try talking to the prosecuting DA at the hearing. Maybe he or she will let you plead to "careless driving," which carries no points. On the other hand, it means a huge fine. In effect, the state of New Jersey is blackmailing you; "pay us a whole lot of money and we won't tell anyone about it."

Careless driving absolutely carries points. What's more, it carries a hefty surcharge.

What you want to plea out to, if you're looking to just pay money and not have points, is called "Unsafe Operation". The prosecutors will agree to that with zero argument.

This post was edited on 3/11 7:49 PM by RU4Real

thanks for the correction . . . it's been a while since I've had to talk to a DA about it!

The problem with that fine though is it is VERY expensive - like $400 if I recall. You are going to pay money one way or another to someone. Court or insurance company...

Are you sure?



39:4-97.2 Driving, operating a motor vehicle in an unsafe manner, offense created; fines; surcharge.


/1. a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, it shall be unlawful for any person to drive or operate a motor vehicle in an unsafe manner likely to endanger a person or property.

/b./A person convicted of a first offense under subsection a. shall be subject to a fine of not less than $50.00 or more than $150.00 and shall not be assessed any motor vehicle penalty points pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1982, c.43 (C.39:5-30.5).

Oh yeah, it's definitely around 400 bucks. I paid it once, one of my daughters paid it once, I know a bunch of other people who have paid it.

 

[Knight Shift]

Originally posted by RU4Real:

Originally posted by Knight Shift:

Originally posted by Crazed_RU:

Originally posted by camdenlawprof:

Originally posted by RU4Real:

Originally posted by camdenlawprof:
try talking to the prosecuting DA at the hearing. Maybe he or she will let you plead to "careless driving," which carries no points. On the other hand, it means a huge fine. In effect, the state of New Jersey is blackmailing you; "pay us a whole lot of money and we won't tell anyone about it."

Careless driving absolutely carries points. What's more, it carries a hefty surcharge.

What you want to plea out to, if you're looking to just pay money and not have points, is called "Unsafe Operation". The prosecutors will agree to that with zero argument.

This post was edited on 3/11 7:49 PM by RU4Real

thanks for the correction . . . it's been a while since I've had to talk to a DA about it!

The problem with that fine though is it is VERY expensive - like $400 if I recall. You are going to pay money one way or another to someone. Court or insurance company...

Are you sure?



39:4-97.2 Driving, operating a motor vehicle in an unsafe manner, offense created; fines; surcharge.


/1. a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, it shall be unlawful for any person to drive or operate a motor vehicle in an unsafe manner likely to endanger a person or property.

/b./A person convicted of a first offense under subsection a. shall be subject to a fine of not less than $50.00 or more than $150.00 and shall not be assessed any motor vehicle penalty points pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1982, c.43 (C.39:5-30.5).

Oh yeah, it's definitely around 400 bucks. I paid it once, one of my daughters paid it once, I know a bunch of other people who have paid it.

You are correct. Found this on a lawyer's website:"

Also, a state surcharge of $250.00 shall be assessed in addition to any fine and costs imposed by the court. (Court costs in most municipal courts is about $33.00.
So, to sum up a first offense for Unsafe Driving will get you a fine of somewhere around $400.00."

 

[Knight Shift]

Originally posted by GoRutgersGo:
It's a lot cheaper to obey the traffic laws and not put others at risk.

Thanks, smartass. It is not always that simple. I can see the point of moving to the center lane to avoid the merging traffic in the right lane and wanting to get around someone going under the speed limit in the center lane. If this is the case (taking everything at face value), she was driving in a safe manner and obeying the laws. She got caught in a classical NJ cash grab for an offense that does not exist in many other states.

----

What about points transferring to PA? I found this---is it accurate?

"

According to PennDot, minor traffic offenses such as
speeding, red light, stop sign offenses, etc. will not transfer to your
Pennsylvania driving record. If you have a commercial drivers license,
all offenses ("serious" or "non-serious") will transfer.

Does this eliminate the need for a lawyer to represent you for a traffic ticket you received in New Jersey or another state?

We believe it is still in
your best interests to obtain representation from an attorney. If you
get a ticket in NJ, that ticket will remain on your New Jersey record
even though you are not a NJ driver. We believe that your PA auto
insurance company still has access to your NJ driving record. If your
insurance company obtains knowledge of your NJ traffic ticket, be
prepared for an auto insurance rate increase."

 

[Terry_2426]

Technically she wasn't following the law. The "left lane for passing only" and "Keep right except to pass" signs are all along every highway in the state for a reason.

 

[ruhudsonfan]

Originally posted by RU4Real:

Originally posted by Knight Shift:

Originally posted by Crazed_RU:

Originally posted by camdenlawprof:

Originally posted by RU4Real:

Originally posted by camdenlawprof:
try talking to the prosecuting DA at the hearing. Maybe he or she will let you plead to "careless driving," which carries no points. On the other hand, it means a huge fine. In effect, the state of New Jersey is blackmailing you; "pay us a whole lot of money and we won't tell anyone about it."

Careless driving absolutely carries points. What's more, it carries a hefty surcharge.

What you want to plea out to, if you're looking to just pay money and not have points, is called "Unsafe Operation". The prosecutors will agree to that with zero argument.

This post was edited on 3/11 7:49 PM by RU4Real

thanks for the correction . . . it's been a while since I've had to talk to a DA about it!

The problem with that fine though is it is VERY expensive - like $400 if I recall. You are going to pay money one way or another to someone. Court or insurance company...

Are you sure?



39:4-97.2 Driving, operating a motor vehicle in an unsafe manner, offense created; fines; surcharge.


/1. a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, it shall be unlawful for any person to drive or operate a motor vehicle in an unsafe manner likely to endanger a person or property.

/b./A person convicted of a first offense under subsection a. shall be subject to a fine of not less than $50.00 or more than $150.00 and shall not be assessed any motor vehicle penalty points pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1982, c.43 (C.39:5-30.5).

Oh yeah, it's definitely around 400 bucks. I paid it once, one of my daughters paid it once, I know a bunch of other people who have paid it.

Including me. To South Brunswick. And your brother in law aside, every SB cop should get eye cancer and die penniless under a bridge...but I digress.

The process works thusly.

All the menace to society miscreants wait in the courtroom. The clerk will call the room to order. He/she will say, "does anyone wish to speak with the prosecutor." This is code for, who among you wants to get f@cked in the ass by the town of XYZ, just a wee bit softer, than your insurance company?"

At that point, your, ehem, "friend" will exit the courtroom--with the other intelligent forms of life who know that this ass f@cking is infinitely better than the one she will get if she decides to stay and exercise that law degree of hers in front of the judge. She will then wait in a long line that moves with the tempo of Disney World in July. When she gets to the prosecutor, she will say something along the lines of the following--presuming it's true, "my driving record is stellar. I'd like to see if there is anything we can do about lowering the impact of this violation on my record." The prosecutor will scoot over to the computer to confirm that her record is indeed stellar, will come back and say, "why, yes we can. You can plead guilty to Unsafe Operation of a Motor Vehicle...it carries no points. You must pay now via check or CC. Do you accept this plea?" She will say yes, and then go get in another line. At some point, she will get to the front and some irritable person on the other side of 4 inches of bulletproof glass will tell her, "$463 dollars please...payable to the Municipal Court of XYZ"

Depending on her insurance company there can be insurance surcharges associated with unsafe operation. So to run the calculation, tell her to call her agent. But insurance points ARE NOT license points. So even if the money is close, you want to avoid license points--you know, in case your "friend" get's nailed again. Two speeding tickets, at 10+ mph over, are now pretty close to enough points to get you into some sort of predicament with DMV.




This post was edited on 3/11 8:44 PM by ruhudsonfan

 

[mikeinsec127]

A moving violation issued by county or state police are exactly the same as one issued by local PDs. They are handled in the municipal court of the town where the offense occurred. That information is listed at the top and bottom of the ticket.

At first thought, pleading to a different charge always sounds like a good idea. However, to do so, your friend will be required to make a court appearance. For somebody from out of state, that means loosing a day's pay, even for night court.

Your friend should consider the following before looking for a plea.

Does she have a bad driving record. If so, she wants to get the charge amended to Unsafe Driving. That is a no point ticket, but the local prosecutor will jack up the fine amount for allowing the plea. Also, there is a surcharge of up to $250 that NJMVC will administratively take on (I don't know how being an out of state resident effects that). If this is your friend's third Unsafe Driving plea, there is an additional 2 point penalty.

Your friend should check with the MVC equivalent for Pa. The specific moving violation from NJ may not be a point violation in Pa. In fact, it may not reciprocate at all.

She should also check with her insurance company. MVC points are different than insurance points. So her insurance premium can be effected depending on what type of charge she pleads to.

Finally, she needs to decide if it is more important to clear this case up quickly or not. If it is more important to get this cleared quickly, she should either pay, or plead and settle as quick as possible. If your friend has a lot of free time and doesn't mind sitting in court a few times, she should continue to adjourn and demand a trial. The trooper will have to appear for trial. They are notorious for not showing. If that happens, your friend could luck out and get a dismissal.

A lawyer is not required for municipal court. What a lawyer does get you, is bumped to the front of the line to see and plead with the prosecutor.

This post was edited on 3/11 8:49 PM by mikeinsec127

 

[ruhudsonfan]

Originally posted by mikeinsec127:
A moving violation issued by county or state police are exactly the same as one issued by local PDs. They are handled in the municipal court of the town where the offense occurred. That information is listed at the top and bottom of the ticket.

At first thought, pleading to a different charge always sounds like a good idea. However, to do so, your friend will be required to make a court appearance. For somebody from out of state, that means loosing a day's pay, even for night court.

Your friend should consider the following before looking for a plea.

Does she have a bad driving record. If so, she wants to get the charge amended to Unsafe Driving. That is a no point ticket, but the local prosecutor will jack up the fine amount for allowing the plea. Also, there is a surcharge of up to $250 that NJMVC will administratively take on (I don't know how being an out of state resident effects that). If this is your friend's third Unsafe Driving plea, there is an additional 2 point penalty.

Your friend should check with the MVC equivalent for Pa. The specific moving violation from NJ may not be a point violation in Pa. In fact, it may not reciprocate at all.

She should also check with her insurance company. MVC points are different than insurance points. So her insurance premium can be effected depending on what type of charge she pleads to.

Finally, she needs to decide if it is more important to clear this case up quickly or not. If it is more important to get this cleared quickly, she should either pay, or plead and settle as quick as possible. If your friend has a lot of free time and doesn't mind sitting in court a few times, she should continue to adjourn and demand a trial. The trooper will have to appear for trial. They are notorious for not showing. If that happens, your friend could luck out and get a dismissal.

Good luck with that "Demand a trial" strategy. This is a moving violation, not a murder rap.

Tell her to do what I said above this post.

One step I left out...you must answer the charge in open court, whatever you lawyers call that, after you make the deal with the prosecutor. Then you pay...

so yeah, it's a few hours. But tell her to get there early, get the lay of the land as to where the prosecutor sets up to deiscuss pleas...and then sit as close as she can. This is not a time for garden party manners. Gotta get to the front of that line ASAP to be out as fast as possible.

South Brunswick's court was in the day time. I was there at 0800 and out by about 1130.

Being a model citizen, I didn't know any of the advice I'm giving you right now...and sat in the middle and walked to the prosecutor like a gentleman, rather than a runaway train...won't happen again. lol

 

[Knight Shift]

Originally posted by mikeinsec127:
A moving violation issued by county or state police are exactly the same as one issued by local PDs. They are handled in the municipal court of the town where the offense occurred. That information is listed at the top and bottom of the ticket.

At first thought, pleading to a different charge always sounds like a good idea. However, to do so, your friend will be required to make a court appearance. For somebody from out of state, that means loosing a day's pay, even for night court.

Your friend should consider the following before looking for a plea.

Does she have a bad driving record. If so, she wants to get the charge amended to Unsafe Driving. That is a no point ticket, but the local prosecutor will jack up the fine amount for allowing the plea. Also, there is a surcharge of up to $250 that NJMVC will administratively take on (I don't know how being an out of state resident effects that). If this is your friend's third Unsafe Driving plea, there is an additional 2 point penalty.

Your friend should check with the MVC equivalent for Pa. The specific moving violation from NJ may not be a point violation in Pa. In fact, it may not reciprocate at all.

She should also check with her insurance company. MVC points are different than insurance points. So her insurance premium can be effected depending on what type of charge she pleads to.

Finally, she needs to decide if it is more important to clear this case up quickly or not. If it is more important to get this cleared quickly, she should either pay, or plead and settle as quick as possible. If your friend has a lot of free time and doesn't mind sitting in court a few times, she should continue to adjourn and demand a trial. The trooper will have to appear for trial. They are notorious for not showing. If that happens, your friend could luck out and get a dismissal.

A lawyer is not required for municipal court. What a lawyer does get you, is bumped to the front of the line to see and plead with the prosecutor.

This post was edited on 3/11 8:49 PM by mikeinsec127

Very solid advice, along with several others in this thread. Thank you very much. This board is awesome with some awesome people.

 

[ruhudsonfan]

Originally posted by Knight Shift:

Originally posted by mikeinsec127:
A moving violation issued by county or state police are exactly the same as one issued by local PDs. They are handled in the municipal court of the town where the offense occurred. That information is listed at the top and bottom of the ticket.

At first thought, pleading to a different charge always sounds like a good idea. However, to do so, your friend will be required to make a court appearance. For somebody from out of state, that means loosing a day's pay, even for night court.

Your friend should consider the following before looking for a plea.

Does she have a bad driving record. If so, she wants to get the charge amended to Unsafe Driving. That is a no point ticket, but the local prosecutor will jack up the fine amount for allowing the plea. Also, there is a surcharge of up to $250 that NJMVC will administratively take on (I don't know how being an out of state resident effects that). If this is your friend's third Unsafe Driving plea, there is an additional 2 point penalty.

Your friend should check with the MVC equivalent for Pa. The specific moving violation from NJ may not be a point violation in Pa. In fact, it may not reciprocate at all.

She should also check with her insurance company. MVC points are different than insurance points. So her insurance premium can be effected depending on what type of charge she pleads to.

Finally, she needs to decide if it is more important to clear this case up quickly or not. If it is more important to get this cleared quickly, she should either pay, or plead and settle as quick as possible. If your friend has a lot of free time and doesn't mind sitting in court a few times, she should continue to adjourn and demand a trial. The trooper will have to appear for trial. They are notorious for not showing. If that happens, your friend could luck out and get a dismissal.

A lawyer is not required for municipal court. What a lawyer does get you, is bumped to the front of the line to see and plead with the prosecutor.

This post was edited on 3/11 8:49 PM by mikeinsec127

Very solid advice, along with several others in this thread. Thank you very much. This board is awesome with some awesome people.

From a strategy standpoint, I'm going to disagree with the continuing to adjourn and requesting a trial strategy. Too much risk. She could end up being in court on the day that the Troopers were told to show up for court for 4 hours. In that case, she is gonna pay the full boat, plus points, plus court costs, plus insurance surcharge. Too much downside risk if the trooper shows.

If her record is clean, show up and plead the unsafe operation ticket. It's a painful check to write all at once--it literally is $460+ bucks--but you are all done, free and clear in under 4 hours.

 

[RU4Real]

Originally posted by ruhudsonfan:

Including me. To South Brunswick. And your brother in law aside, every SB cop should get eye cancer and die penniless under a bridge...but I digress.

The process works thusly.

All the menace to society miscreants wait in the courtroom. The clerk will call the room to order. He/she will say, "does anyone wish to speak with the prosecutor." This is code for, who among you wants to get f@cked in the ass by the town of XYZ, just a wee bit softer, than your insurance company?"

At that point, your, ehem, "friend" will exit the courtroom--with the other intelligent forms of life who know that this ass f@cking is infinitely better than the one she will get if she decides to stay and exercise that law degree of hers in front of the judge. She will then wait in a long line that moves with the tempo of Disney World in July. When she gets to the prosecutor, she will say something along the lines of the following--presuming it's true, "my driving record is stellar. I'd like to see if there is anything we can do about lowering the impact of this violation on my record." The prosecutor will scoot over to the computer to confirm that her record is indeed stellar, will come back and say, "why, yes we can. You can plead guilty to Unsafe Operation of a Motor Vehicle...it carries no points. You must pay now via check or CC. Do you accept this plea?" She will say yes, and then go get in another line. At some point, she will get to the front and some irritable person on the other side of 4 inches of bulletproof glass will tell her, "$463 dollars please...payable to the Municipal Court of XYZ"

Depending on her insurance company there can be insurance surcharges associated with unsafe operation. So to run the calculation, tell her to call her agent. But insurance points ARE NOT license points. So even if the money is close, you want to avoid license points--you know, in case your "friend" get's nailed again. Two speeding tickets, at 10+ mph over, are now pretty close to enough points to get you into some sort of predicament with DMV.

East Brunswick, not South.

Sounds like a bad setup. You should try it in Manalapan next time around. Here's how it works, there:

The prosecutor, a VERY cute and personable young blondish female, comes in and says - loudly - "Okay, if you are here because you got a moving violation you are eligible, under certain circumstances, to plead to a charge of "Unsafe Operation of a Motor Vehicle" which carries no points but comes with a $400 fine. If you would like to do that, please form a line along this wall."

Takes 30 seconds per person. She has a list of all the people in court who have received moving violations, along with the first page of each person's extract. Check, cross-check, go stand over there...

As each person is moved through her line, the paperwork is walked over to the court clerk, who checks it and hands it to the judge, who calls your name, hears your plea and directs you to the window.

Next.

 

[ruhudsonfan]

Originally posted by RU4Real:

Originally posted by ruhudsonfan:

Including me. To South Brunswick. And your brother in law aside, every SB cop should get eye cancer and die penniless under a bridge...but I digress.

The process works thusly.

All the menace to society miscreants wait in the courtroom. The clerk will call the room to order. He/she will say, "does anyone wish to speak with the prosecutor." This is code for, who among you wants to get f@cked in the ass by the town of XYZ, just a wee bit softer, than your insurance company?"

At that point, your, ehem, "friend" will exit the courtroom--with the other intelligent forms of life who know that this ass f@cking is infinitely better than the one she will get if she decides to stay and exercise that law degree of hers in front of the judge. She will then wait in a long line that moves with the tempo of Disney World in July. When she gets to the prosecutor, she will say something along the lines of the following--presuming it's true, "my driving record is stellar. I'd like to see if there is anything we can do about lowering the impact of this violation on my record." The prosecutor will scoot over to the computer to confirm that her record is indeed stellar, will come back and say, "why, yes we can. You can plead guilty to Unsafe Operation of a Motor Vehicle...it carries no points. You must pay now via check or CC. Do you accept this plea?" She will say yes, and then go get in another line. At some point, she will get to the front and some irritable person on the other side of 4 inches of bulletproof glass will tell her, "$463 dollars please...payable to the Municipal Court of XYZ"

Depending on her insurance company there can be insurance surcharges associated with unsafe operation. So to run the calculation, tell her to call her agent. But insurance points ARE NOT license points. So even if the money is close, you want to avoid license points--you know, in case your "friend" get's nailed again. Two speeding tickets, at 10+ mph over, are now pretty close to enough points to get you into some sort of predicament with DMV.

East Brunswick, not South.

Sounds like a bad setup. You should try it in Manalapan next time around. Here's how it works, there:

The prosecutor, a VERY cute and personable young blondish female, comes in and says - loudly - "Okay, if you are here because you got a moving violation you are eligible, under certain circumstances, to plead to a charge of "Unsafe Operation of a Motor Vehicle" which carries no points but comes with a $400 fine. If you would like to do that, please form a line along this wall."

Takes 30 seconds per person. She has a list of all the people in court who have received moving violations, along with the first page of each person's extract. Check, cross-check, go stand over there...

As each person is moved through her line, the paperwork is walked over to the court clerk, who checks it and hands it to the judge, who calls your name, hears your plea and directs you to the window.

Next.

North, South, East, West they all suck..except your BIL.

And yeah, the 'Pan sounds much better. I'll keep that in mind next time I go 3.87 mph over the speed limit like I did in EB.

 

[RUsSKii]

Originally posted by Knight Shift:
I am familiar with municipal ticket and accepting a lower/no point violation. Anybody know how it works with a ticket from the State Police?

A friend at work had this happen. Worth going to court to plead to a lower offense?




Got a moving violation ticket on the jersey turnpike around Exit 9 for
"failure to yield to the right."
(39:4-88A).
When I got on the turnpike I generally move
into the center lane to avoid the cars merging onto the turnpike. I was in the center lane and moved into the
left lane to pass the guy in front of me who was going 60. When I moved into the left lane the police
officer pulled up behind me so I went 65 (the speed limit) and didn't go faster
for fear of getting a speeding ticket,
but at 65, I clearly couldn't get over because there were cars in the
center lane.

39:4-88A says: "A vehicle shall normally be driven in the lane nearest the right-hand
edge or curb of the roadway when that lane is available for travel,
except when overtaking another vehicle."

Not to beat a dead horse, but your friend is advised to place a higher priority in getting the hell out of the left lane over obeying the posted speed limit on all highways patrolled by the NJSP. I've been approached numerous times by patrol vehicles while passing in the left lane doing 70-80 with traffic flow, and simply moved out of the way quickly with no stops/fuss. In fact, it takes someone doing something recklessly stupid (for example, and Audi weaving past a trooper at 95-100 whom had been quietly flowing at 75 with the rest of GSP traffic), to actually get pulled over for speeding.

..And your friend may very well be a nice/normal person, but from personal experience I am highly wary of all PA-plated vehicles on our highways and almost immediately start looking out for windows to pass on the right once they inevitably don't get out of the left lane..

To end my rant, I'll leave this informative link..

A Warning

 

[RU4Real]

That video never gets old.

 

[Knight Shift]

Originally posted by RU4Real:
That video never gets old.

The guy narrating that video needs some more testosterone.

Point taken, RUsSkii, but once in a while, you get stuck in the left lane trying to get around someone.

Ever have the D-bag you are trying to pass going 60 mph all of the sudden speed up? It happens. Driver trying to pass is now in a catch 22 with a cop behind her.

Nobody's perfect. If my friend's story is true, the Trooper could have used a little discretion and not ticket the driver if she was "stuck" in the left lane for a minute or two. The speed limit is 65---in all three lanes. If they want people to drive faster in the left lane, raise the speed limit. I don't give crap if the other drivers are breaking the law. That's why I pretty much avoid the TPK and Parkway on my commute, because reckless idiots driving 75-85 mph are tolerated by the Troopers. Like I said, if they want to raise the speed limit, raise it.

I figured out that for my commute to and from work, if I drive 10 mph faster on the Parkway, I get to my destination a whopping 2 minutes faster than if I go the speed limit. Is 2-4 minutes worth driving 85 mph?

 

[HPNJRUfan]

Originally posted by RU4Real:
That video never gets old.

I've seen it at least a thousand times and I laugh just as hard every time. NJSP at their best.

 

[RutgersRaRa]

Originally posted by GoRutgersGo:
It's a lot cheaper to obey the traffic laws and not put others at risk.

^^Dear Lowered, this is such a namby pamby response. Put others at risk of what--frustration?? It's just as easy to do what is customarily allowed by law enforcement, which is speed up to 75 to get out the way, then get into the middle lane and call it a day. There isn't a cop on the highway that will ticket you for going 75, especially if s/he knows you're speeding up temporarily to keep traffic moving. And there's not a cop on the highway that will ticket you for doing 75 on the Turnpike as long as you're not being a doosh otherwise.

 

[newell138]

I dont think anyone mentioned the fact that when a cop is behind you, the best thing to do is move over regardless of if he has his sirens on or not. If they have the intention of pulling you over it doesn't matter what you do at that point so speed up and move over.

I commute from NJ to PA every Wednesday (200 miles round trip) and have seen my share of Philly people coming to and leaving the NJ shore. Most of them have no clue that the left lane is for passing only and have no problem clogging up the lane going 1 MPH over the speed limit.

What I also find hard to understand, is that when I am driving in at 530 AM there is usually not a lot of traffic so i just set it on cruise control at 78 MPH on the ACX. There have been times when the same car will pass me 3-4 times, then slow down so I go by him and the pattern just goes on and on during the commute.

Tell your friend not to bother trying to fight the ticket, you have a .01% chance of beating it and end up paying court costs on top of all the other fines and surcharges. Just plead out and accept your punishment.

 

[RU4Real]

Originally posted by Knight Shift:

Originally posted by RU4Real:
That video never gets old.

The guy narrating that video needs some more testosterone.

Point taken, RUsSkii, but once in a while, you get stuck in the left lane trying to get around someone.

Ever have the D-bag you are trying to pass going 60 mph all of the sudden speed up? It happens. Driver trying to pass is now in a catch 22 with a cop behind her.

Nobody's perfect. If my friend's story is true, the Trooper could have used a little discretion and not ticket the driver if she was "stuck" in the left lane for a minute or two. The speed limit is 65---in all three lanes. If they want people to drive faster in the left lane, raise the speed limit. I don't give crap if the other drivers are breaking the law. That's why I pretty much avoid the TPK and Parkway on my commute, because reckless idiots driving 75-85 mph are tolerated by the Troopers. Like I said, if they want to raise the speed limit, raise it.

I figured out that for my commute to and from work, if I drive 10 mph faster on the Parkway, I get to my destination a whopping 2 minutes faster than if I go the speed limit. Is 2-4 minutes worth driving 85 mph?

I think it's a bit much to consider 75-85 "reckless". Under most conditions, 75-85 is a perfectly reasonable rate of travel on an interstate highway. And being "stuck" in the left lane "for a minute or two" is far too long. If there's no one in front of you preventing you from going faster, a minute or two is a very long time to be holding up the left lane. On the Turnpike you're given a standing 8 count - if you haven't passed anyone in 8 seconds, you're assumed to be impeding the flow of traffic.

And 20 over the speed limit won't make much of a difference on a 20 mile drive, but not everyone on the road is driving 20 miles. On a 200 mile drive, 20 over the speed limit saves you almost 40 minutes.

 

[Knight Shift]

Originally posted by RU4Real:

Originally posted by Knight Shift:

Originally posted by RU4Real:
That video never gets old.

The guy narrating that video needs some more testosterone.

Point taken, RUsSkii, but once in a while, you get stuck in the left lane trying to get around someone.

Ever have the D-bag you are trying to pass going 60 mph all of the sudden speed up? It happens. Driver trying to pass is now in a catch 22 with a cop behind her.

Nobody's perfect. If my friend's story is true, the Trooper could have used a little discretion and not ticket the driver if she was "stuck" in the left lane for a minute or two. The speed limit is 65---in all three lanes. If they want people to drive faster in the left lane, raise the speed limit. I don't give crap if the other drivers are breaking the law. That's why I pretty much avoid the TPK and Parkway on my commute, because reckless idiots driving 75-85 mph are tolerated by the Troopers. Like I said, if they want to raise the speed limit, raise it.

I figured out that for my commute to and from work, if I drive 10 mph faster on the Parkway, I get to my destination a whopping 2 minutes faster than if I go the speed limit. Is 2-4 minutes worth driving 85 mph?

I think it's a bit much to consider 75-85 "reckless". Under most conditions, 75-85 is a perfectly reasonable rate of travel on an interstate highway. And being "stuck" in the left lane "for a minute or two" is far too long. If there's no one in front of you preventing you from going faster, a minute or two is a very long time to be holding up the left lane. On the Turnpike you're given a standing 8 count - if you haven't passed anyone in 8 seconds, you're assumed to be impeding the flow of traffic.

And 20 over the speed limit won't make much of a difference on a 20 mile drive, but not everyone on the road is driving 20 miles. On a 200 mile drive, 20 over the speed limit saves you almost 40 minutes.

Most people at rush hour are driving 20-40 miles--so most people are saving 2-8 minutes each way. Slow down. Let's be real. So there is an "assumed" 8 second rule built into the law, and an assumed 20 mph cushion over the speed limit because a few people don't think it is reckless. Maybe they should make the laws clear. Change the left lane speed limit to 85 mph, and make it clear you have to get out of the left lane within 8 seconds and you have a cushion to exceed the speed limit to do so. Otherwise, it's just NJ shenanigans and ticket revenue for out of state drivers who are not familiar with our stupid law.

 

[RUsSKii]

Originally posted by RU4Real:

Originally posted by Knight Shift:

Originally posted by RU4Real:
That video never gets old.

The guy narrating that video needs some more testosterone.

Point taken, RUsSkii, but once in a while, you get stuck in the left lane trying to get around someone.

Ever have the D-bag you are trying to pass going 60 mph all of the sudden speed up? It happens. Driver trying to pass is now in a catch 22 with a cop behind her.

Nobody's perfect. If my friend's story is true, the Trooper could have used a little discretion and not ticket the driver if she was "stuck" in the left lane for a minute or two. The speed limit is 65---in all three lanes. If they want people to drive faster in the left lane, raise the speed limit. I don't give crap if the other drivers are breaking the law. That's why I pretty much avoid the TPK and Parkway on my commute, because reckless idiots driving 75-85 mph are tolerated by the Troopers. Like I said, if they want to raise the speed limit, raise it.

I figured out that for my commute to and from work, if I drive 10 mph faster on the Parkway, I get to my destination a whopping 2 minutes faster than if I go the speed limit. Is 2-4 minutes worth driving 85 mph?

I think it's a bit much to consider 75-85 "reckless". Under most conditions, 75-85 is a perfectly reasonable rate of travel on an interstate highway. And being "stuck" in the left lane "for a minute or two" is far too long. If there's no one in front of you preventing you from going faster, a minute or two is a very long time to be holding up the left lane. On the Turnpike you're given a standing 8 count - if you haven't passed anyone in 8 seconds, you're assumed to be impeding the flow of traffic.

And 20 over the speed limit won't make much of a difference on a 20 mile drive, but not everyone on the road is driving 20 miles. On a 200 mile drive, 20 over the speed limit saves you almost 40 minutes.

Pretty much this. I'll add a point about the use of turn signals, because they seem to be misunderstood (and forgotten in Manhattan altogether). Their purpose is for indicating your intention to turn or change a lane, rather than mark the start of the maneuver. If you see a police or other emergency vehicle behind you while in the left lane, put on your right turn blinker right away. This way, the officer can tell that you're trying to leave the passing lane, and (non-oblivious) motorists in the middle lane can prepare/allow for you to merge in safely.

..And the arguments about raising the speed limit and getting there faster are both non-starters. As an engineer who worked on the NJTPK highway for years, the near arrow-straight alignment and wide lanes make 75-85 mph a safe travel speed in clear, free-flowing conditions. However, insurance lobbies and weenies afraid that raises will lead to even faster speeds will not allow this to happen. The difference is now that the NJ maximum speed limit is 65, but police will customarily give leeway to 75-80; conversely in Texas, the maximum tolled speed limit is 85, but you will surely be stopped for exceeding that by any more than 5 mph.

I don't typically exceed the speed limit for wanting to get to a destination faster (even for 3+ hour drives where it has an effect, one should leave extra time for traffic variability anyway). It's moreso when driving a high-performance car that is comfortably geared and very stable for 70+, but gets twitchy below 60/65. Not that I'd really expect soccer moms and PA/NYC-plated drivers moping along in my way to understand..

 

[LouDawgRU03]

Another option that worked for me at the suggestion of the court. I preface it by saying I'm not sure if it would work for anyone outside the state of NJ (although I assume it would) or those who do not have NJM Insurance (because they are awesome).

I was issued a 3pt ticket last summer and went to court to get it dropped. The prosecutor was only willing to drop the charge to Careless Driving, which carries 2 points. His suggestion was to then take a defensive driving course, which forgives 2 points with most insurance companies. The NJ MVC site has a list of approved courses you can take either in person or online. My guess is that PA has a similar thing.

I ended up paying the fine at court (ticket and fees totaled less than $100) and took the course online over a few weeks time (price for that was around $40 I believe). I just renewed my insurance a few months ago and also provided the certificate for completing the defensive driving course, and my insurance didn't go up.

That route was a little more time consuming and also a little nerve racking since I didn't know if it would work, but it ended up being much cheaper than actually getting the ticket dropped to 0 points as noted by people above.

 

[RU1977]

If I'm in the left lane, I keep an eye out for anything that looks like it MIGHT be a police car coming up anywhere near behind me. If it looks like it might be one, I get out of that lane ASAP. They don't like people obstructing them as they move along on the left.

I was once pulled over on the GSP by a state trooper when I was in the left lane doing the speed limit. It was at night, I was in the left lane, and saw a car coming up behind me fast. They started flashing their headlights. Normally, I would pull to the center lane to let them pass, but my exit was coming up shortly and it was a left lane exit! The trooper followed me off the exit and pulled me over. I told him I saw the car flashing it's headlights, but didn't know it was a police car (if he put his falshers on I would have). He ended up giving me a warning, which I didn't think I deserved. He waslso very brusque and unhappy.