Has this even happened for you?
 

I had an experience that I'm curious if anyone else has had and wonder what you did about it?

I was pulled over by a traffic cop in Fruitland Park on 441, just after pulling off of 466a. The speed limit was 35mph and I was going 38, according to the cop.
It was also near a school zone, but there were no children, cars, buses or other signs of life near the school at the time I went through there (I remember it was after 3pm). There was a sign that said slow to 20mph when flashing, which it was NOT doing when I went by.
The ticket to pay it off would have been just over $400, plus "points.".

Because I was going to be out-of-the-country at the time of the hearing, I hired a rep from "Ticket Clinic" to protest for me, which they did for $99.

Imagine my surprise when shortly after the court date, I got the letter saying the attorney was able to get a "withheld adjudication" but now I owe almost $300 for "court costs!" Yep, the same courts that get our tax dollars every year!

This is in contrast to my partner's ticket this summer while we were in MD for a few months. He was driving when a speed cam caught him doing 15 mph over the limit. His ticket price.... $40, all via the mail.
There was just no fairness to this & I was stunned by it all!

Something is very weird about this inequity. It seems to me that Lake County, FL is running a real "racket!" Be forewarned when you are near that area.....

Sounds like a total racket. 38 in a 35? Wow, call the media - what a non-issue.

I think giving you a ticket was outrageous and the fine was beyond absurd. That situation is not right.

I know in many places (not sure about FL), the police don't issue speeding tickets unless it's over 10 miles over the limit.

$300 plus $99 attorney fees for going 3 mph over the speed limit?

I think the court and your attorney are the only ones that came out ahead on this!

It happened while you were a school zone? Regardless of children being present I believe you have to slow down to 20 mph.

From OP: There was a sign that said slow to 20mph when flashing, which it was NOT doing when I went by.

What, exactly, did the citation say? What was the ticketed offense?

I would probably have a kind conversation with the chain of command with the ticketing department like his chief. You’re paying his salary so he should be open to conversation about this while coming to some understanding. Being the process is over you will not get your money back but at least you can let them know about how obserd this seems in light of the negative conversation about some of these agencies now days.

According to this website, the fine for going 15 mph to 19 mph over the limit is $300.

It sounds like the judge thought you were in a school zone with the light flashing!

Did you talk to your attorney?

Speeding in a Florida School Zone - Gans Law

I was warned about Fruitland Park "The Friendly City" traffic enforcement in 2008 when we first moved into The Villages. A friend described a similar incident. Due to that I am always very diligent going thru 466A. It seems that I heard that they had a cleansing 10-15 years ago, but I still am cautious.

However, I would say that throughout Florida there is nowhere I that I would challenge the speed limit in a school zone. Even though the flashing light was not active, the speed limit is 35 and not 38. The fact that you did not notice the Officer or even if you did notice and still exceeded the limit you were inviting a visit. Perhaps in a more rural area or highway you might get some compassion.

The situation you describe is not uncommon in several parts of the country. It's just business.

The goal for the driver is to avoid points on your license which can result in years of increased insurance cost. Traffic courts understand that and set fines accordingly.

It's also possible to mitigate points via Driver Improvement School.

Driver Improvement Schools - Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

"I fight authority, authority always wins".
 

So how much was the original ticket & why didn't you just suck it up and pay it? John Cougar Mellencamp sang "I fight authority, authority always wins". Anyone who reaches a certain age should know the truth in that!

Nice try there has to be more to the story. After turning onto 466a you must go up a hill through a traffic light then approach school on left ??? Sometimes it comes down with attitude towards the traffic officer.

Very strange

Very strange. Hard to believe ticket for 38 in 35 zone

Yes, because we all know that law enforcement officers embrace the phrase "I pay your salary" with open arms :1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

Well said.

Weird, just weird.

OP hasn't answered my question: What did the citation actually list as the offense? 38 in a 35? I doubt that was the offense.
38 in a school zone? More likely but we don't know unless the OP actually tells us.
If indeed it's a school zone violation then it would come down to the driver's word regarding the flashing, or the LEO's word regarding the flashing. Good luck with that one.

As far as OP's partner's experience with the speed cam, I've been nailed that way, and my understanding is that you don't get any points because in the absence of an actual face-to-face meeting with the LEO, who checks driver's license, there is no proof of who was actually driving. So the actual citation is that your car, identified by license tag, was speeding, and for that you are responsible for paying a fine. In my case it was within the borders of DC, I was on my way to NY from TV, and it was definitely my car. I am generally not a speeder, but I'm pretty sure it was on some ramps in between highways where the limit dropped, and I missed it. I do know that cars were generally passing me by 10 or 20 mph, some giving me the finger for going so slowly.
I wasn't happy about it, but I also figured that at least I didn't get pulled over, and waste 45 minutes sitting there while going through the whole procedure of a traffic stop.

I’m thinking there’s more to this story……

Were you being difficult?

Was 38 your actual speed or did the officer reduce it?

I got a toll bill from NTTA (Dallas toll roads) that I was 100% sure was not me, it was for a few years back. The vehicle was a brand I didn't own on a road I didn't travel. After my dispute they sent a picture of the vehicle and a clear shot of my shiny little face behind the wheel, clear as a bell.

That brought back the relocation that I did test drive a car in a strange part of town, the dealer must have made me the 'owner' of that car while I was test driving therefore I was responsible for any tolls I went through on that test drive. Bottom line I was responsible as charged.

Cameras work.

I don't believe anyone would have written a ticket for 3 over. And no judge would enforce that.

Florida Statute 318.8 3(b) and (c)

b) For moving violations involving unlawful speed, the fines are as follows:
For speed exceeding the limit by: Fine:
1-5 mph..........Warning
6-9 mph..........$25
10-14 mph..........$100
15-19 mph..........$150
20-29 mph..........$175
30 mph and above..........$250

(You cannot write a ticket in Florida for 3 mph over...)

(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), a person cited for exceeding the speed limit by up to 5 mph in a legally posted school zone will be fined $50. A person exceeding the speed limit in a school zone or designated school crossing shall pay a fine double the amount listed in paragraph (b).

Maybe there is more to this story..

If she was 15 mph over the 20 mph School Speed Zone her fine ($150) would be double the fines in (b)---so her $150 ticket would be doubled to $300....

Maybe there is more to this story..

Florida Statute 318.8 3(b) and (c)
b) For moving violations involving unlawful speed, the fines are as follows:
For speed exceeding the limit by: Fine:
1-5 mph..........Warning
6-9 mph..........$25
10-14 mph..........$100
15-19 mph..........$150
20-29 mph..........$175
30 mph and above..........$250

(You cannot write a ticket in Florida for 3 mph over...)

(c) Notwithstanding paragraph (b), a person cited for exceeding the speed limit by up to 5 mph in a legally posted school zone will be fined $50. A person exceeding the speed limit in a school zone or designated school crossing shall pay a fine double the amount listed in paragraph (b).


If she was 15 mph over the 20 mph School Speed Zone her fine ($150) would be double the fines in (b)---so her $150 ticket would be doubled to $300....

Side Note- A vehicle stopping distance (dry flat road/reaction time .75s) at 20 MPH is about 41 feet....at 38 MPH the stopping distance is 110 feet).

Stopping Distance Calculator

OP has to provide more information. Not sure why this hasn’t been done.

No school zone speed limit shall be more than 20 miles per hour in an urbanized area, as defined in S. 334.03. Such speed limit may be in force only during those times 30 minutes before, during, and 30 minutes after the periods of time when people are arriving at a regularly-scheduled breakfast program or a regularly-scheduled school session and leaving a regularly scheduled-school session."

Not sure but it seems to me that all of you posting about the cost of this or that speed are missing the point of his tale. It is not clear what the court did with the speeding charge as we are told only that adjudication was withheld. This can happen with a no contest or a guilty plea but while IANAL I don't think with an innocent finding.

Rather he was hit with a 300 dollar charge for involving the courts rather than just paying. It is a strange thing here that if you want to fight a ticket in court you have to pay a court costs for the system's time I guess, unless you are found innocent which almost never happens.

When I moved here in 2010 we attended a welcome to the villages orientation at which the local judge spoke briefly. He said, in a display of great judicial impartiality, "Don't contest a ticket because I am never going to believe you over a cop" and we would then be paying both the fine and court costs.

As the OP said the ticket alone was going to cost just over 400, it obviously was for speeding in a school zone, not being 3 MPH over 35 and would have included points. Instead he spent just under 400, costs plus attorney, and maybe no points. A win for him.

You had a lawyer and still lost, so that means there is more to this story then you are telling us.

IF true that would be grounds for impeachment and all previous traffic convictions would be vacated.

I remember going to the welcome meeting and officer told us to be careful driving, but they are not out to get anyone. He caused about using carts on roads they should be on

Well folks, my wife got a speeding ticket for 44 in a 25. This was on a country road in Wildwood. At one end of the road there was a speed sign. She got the ticket miles down. Anyway this was marked as such, as I believe, because there were 2 or three houses set way back??? HER TICKET WAS FOR $260.00. This is a sham! They do it for money while the intersection of Meggison and
Main is one of the most dangerous anywhere!

I'm glad to hear they are cracking down on speeders.

They should put stopping at stop signs on their crack-down list also.
Right turn on red after stop. So many times I've almost been hit.

Now, admit it. You argued with the cop - who would have otherwise just given you a friendly warning.

Nope - there is a sign that says “when children are present”. It appears you have a Local Police Officer that is a bit over aggressive IMHO.

No argument, they should be enforcing the law where it will have the most impact for drivers safety! This was an obvious speed trap...rip off

And NO sign re: children!

Not always. Twice I have been summoned by mail for violations I did not commit. Both times I was able to demonstrate it wasn't me. One time the violation was in Syracuse, NY while I was in TV, and the VIN and model were not my car!

Another time the photo of the license plate was of such poor quality the computer (or person responsible for identifying it) mistook a 3 or a 5, for an 8. And the make of car was not the right make, AND I was able to demonstrate that I wasn't within 500 miles of the sight of the infraction.

However, I had no defense for the time in DC. It was definitely me.

Sounds like an attitude problem, to me, and I've written1000's of tickets. JMHO.:icon_bored:

Remember a while ago, a poster was complaining they got a ticket for turning LEFT on a red light ? Their argument was that nobody was coming the opposite way..... Just sayin.

Wouldn't you be somewhat indignant about being written a ticket for going 3 miles over the speed limit (and for $400!)?

Any rational person would be - it's a margin of error amount of "speed". A warning is justified, that's all.

of course we would. that is not in question.
The question is what exactly did the citation cite? I'd bet you a bunch of nickels it wasn't for going 38 in a 35.

My guess: the ticket was for more than just excessive speed. Something else happened that the OP isn't mentioning. Maybe he ran a stop sign. Or turned onto the road without stopping. Moved into a lane without using their turn signal. Sped up at the intersection while the light was turning red, instead of slowing down while it was still yellow. Flicked a lit cigarette out the window. Had window tint too dark on his windows. Had a broken brake light on the back of his car. SOMETHING.

I've been given tickets for speeding a few times throughout my life. I always pled not guilty. Always showed up in court. Always got nolled. Two times it was because the judge didn't want to deal with it, and nolled before I even got called into the courtroom while waiting in the hall. The third time I got into the courtroom, the cop wasn't there to tell his side of the situation, there was no radar reading (and if there was I would've argued that it was incorrectly calibrated), so she sent me home with no record of ever receiving a ticket (that's what a nolle means).

this is the 2nd day in a row I've learned something from you :eek: what the heck is going on?

I was responding to comment #34....not supposing different info or criteria than what was described by the OP. It's a very bad habit too many people have in this era.

Posing clarifying questions to the OP is always relevant. Just deciding that others are likely inaccurate or deceptive is not.