Please help Re: Speeding ticket in Passaic county

Hi there,

This morning I received a 91 in a 55 speeding ticket on Rt19N to 80 (in Paterson, NJ) in a rental car on my way to a client. Does anyone know what the most cost-effective measure would be towards fighting this? I think this is worth about 5 points on insurance.. i've actually never received a speeding ticket before, so I don't know the best means to approach this.

I called Frank DeSousa's office, but they only deal with New York. It doesn't seem there are many attorneys available for the Paterson area (for those of you familiar with it, go figure, though it seems that there would be ample opportunities to make money). Please help me with any suggestions or referrals. Many thanks in advance..

 

There are attorney's in Bergen County that may also handle Passaic County as well. MAKE SURE that you get a lawyer than is well known and very familiar with the courts where you'll be pleading. If you get a good attorney, you should have no problem at minimum reducing that ticket to a minor infraction. I know of some attorneys in Hackensack, but you may want to look into Passaic County for the best representation.

 

JASON

CALL MY LAWYER

IAN HIRSCH 201 342 1151 HES IN HACKENSACK...EX PROSECUTOR.

HES GREAT,,,SEND HIM MY LOVE

BRUCE

 

you'll get letters in the mail from lawyers ina few days, i just got a ticket last weeka dn 2 lawyers sent me spam in the mail

 

Thinking that I was still under my parents' insurance policy (this was left over from my days in school; I pretty much work out of nyc now, so I figured there would be no sense in getting myself insurance), I was pretty darn dejected, as I figured they would go apesh!t on me.

Nevertheless, I followed up with my dad, and it turns out he doesn't have me listed as a driver anymore on any of the cars we have at home. when I rent cars for client engagements, the company I work for has an umbrella insurance policy w/ avis, i think.. so in that respect, i don't pay any insurance premium (i was under the false assumption my parents still had me in their policy and were paying). I suppose that while i'll still get slapped with the 5 points, there's no policy in my name for the premiums to go up on.

Does this make sense? I guess it should mean that I pay the fine (which will be steep), and I wait 3 years for the 5 or so points to disappear. i suppose the only consequences would be if i try to buy a car in the next 3 years and apply for insurance.. correct me if i'm wrong. thanks for the references, however- - it's amazing how quickly resourceful this site is.

 

JASON.......READ MY RESPONSE

 

Thanks, Bruce.

I will follow up with Ian a bit later today. granted, since i do not have any cars under my name and no automobile insurance as a result, there is no premium to go up. i will probably get the points unless i fight it; it just comes down to what's more cost-effective..paying an attorney, or just payign the ticket. i dont think i'll be buying car insurance in the very near future, as i do not drive often.. (though i wish i could). so we'll see. when i call him, i'll tell him that you sent me.

Best,

Jason

 

Bruce, can I give you a call some time?.. PM me or something.

Also, does anyone know if there is a high risk of your license being temporarily suspended (or anything similar to that) once you're clocked at over 90MPH in NJ? This is what the attorney had mentioned, but I've never heard of the sort.

 

You can go a few different routes on this...Bruce has some good advice regarding an attorney...However, if you choose not to go with one, you can plead not guilty and appear in court...This is important b/c you will be able to meet with the prosecutor and request a downgrade (which is almost always granted)...Most likely you will receive a downgrade to a lesser violation of 39:4-98 which is only 2 points...These 2 points would not transfer to NY if you have a NY D.L. (FYI)...Or, you can request a no-pointer, such as 39:4-97.2 (be advised that there is a NJ surcharge of $200.00 effective 7-1-04, I believe)...The latter is unlikely w/out an attorney, but still possible...In sum, take the time to go to court regardless, as the 5 pts. will remain on your abstract for some time. Also keep in mind that if you do aquire vehicle insurance within the next few years, your rates will reflect this infraction...Any further questions, PM me your cell and I'll give you a shout... -Rob

 

Thanks, Rob for your extremely informative talk earlier. the F-chat community and network again proves its value with all of the resources on this site. i'll let you know if i have anymore questions, and good luck w/ that search for the perfect F355..

 

It's funny that you mention this. When I got my ticket over the summer, maybe 2 weeks later I had about 15 letters from lawyers.

 

If it makes you feel any better I was clocked at 94 in a 55 on route 3 east in Rutherford. Went to court with my lawyer. GOt it reduced to a 2 point ticket and $500 fine.

 

Yes, under the NJ statutes, a judge can issue a temporary suspension of your license, in addition to the fine, depending on the severity of the offense. If this is your first moving violation, it is unlikely, but could happen. More important, you don't want that on your record. Insurance companies look back at least 39 months. If you have a 91 in a 55 on your record, forget about getting insurance. Contest it, get a good lawyer, and get it knocked down to a minimum violation. It will cost you a few bucks now but save you big bucks later on.

Steve