Soda Popinski
11-23-2008, 03:19 PM
Traffic was absolutely light last Friday night. I headded home back to CT from PA, and I am in the middle lane cruising at the speed limit, which was 65.
I can see one car ahead of me, and eventually caught up to him. I kept about 5 car lenghts behind him for about a minute. Next thing you know his car starts slowing down, as if he took his foot off the gas or hand-braked without the tail lights going on.
This is a 3 lane road, so I'm in the center lane. I know I shouldn't pass on the right so I swerve into the left lane and step on the gas to get around him. Turbo kicked in and my car jumped up pretty fast. I blow the horn and just as I look right to get back into the middle lane I see the reason the guy infront of me had slowed down... a state cruiser, now pulling out.
My heart sank immediately. After the pass I had slowed back down to 65 anyway, I just wanted a few car lengths inbetween the guy behind me and myself.
Cruiser gets on my tail so close I thought he was going to ram me, puts his lights on and his spotlight too, now I'm nearly blinded and I put my right signal on, and move one lane to the right, wait... then move into the shoulder, put my hazards on and take my information out of the glove box, my license and my insurance card and put it on the dash, and wait with my hands on the wheel. I also turned on the interior light.
The statie was nice, he didn't say much, asked me why I was in NJ and where I was headded. I have a CT license and work in PA, so I told him I was going home for the weekend and was anxious to get home. He took my License and Registration and came back 15 minutes later with a ticket. I took it, apologized and he told me to read the back for instructions how to settle the ticket online.
It had me on radar for 86 in a 65, +21. Fortunately I haven't had much on my record in about 5 years.
Instead of a numerical value of what to pay, it said I had a court appearance for 12/12/2008.
Since I work quite a ways from NJ, this will be a challenge to get to court by 8 AM in a different district nearly 2.5 hours away from my current residence.
My question is; What are my options for pleading guilty and paying the fine without having to go to court, and if I must appear, can it be moved closer to PA where I live and work most of my time?
Ticket location was about Exit 7 headding northbound on I-95.
I've never had to go to court for a ticket before, except to have a rear-end accident expunged.
What should I expect? Can I work an agreement with the prosecutor before my court date to save time and travel? What kind of documentation or 'story' do I need to present shoud I have to testify on my behalf? (Date, reason, 'my side of the story?')
Any heads-up would be great.
Thanks a bunch guys for this forum, I never thought I'd need it, but I'm gad it's here.
I can see one car ahead of me, and eventually caught up to him. I kept about 5 car lenghts behind him for about a minute. Next thing you know his car starts slowing down, as if he took his foot off the gas or hand-braked without the tail lights going on.
This is a 3 lane road, so I'm in the center lane. I know I shouldn't pass on the right so I swerve into the left lane and step on the gas to get around him. Turbo kicked in and my car jumped up pretty fast. I blow the horn and just as I look right to get back into the middle lane I see the reason the guy infront of me had slowed down... a state cruiser, now pulling out.
My heart sank immediately. After the pass I had slowed back down to 65 anyway, I just wanted a few car lengths inbetween the guy behind me and myself.
Cruiser gets on my tail so close I thought he was going to ram me, puts his lights on and his spotlight too, now I'm nearly blinded and I put my right signal on, and move one lane to the right, wait... then move into the shoulder, put my hazards on and take my information out of the glove box, my license and my insurance card and put it on the dash, and wait with my hands on the wheel. I also turned on the interior light.
The statie was nice, he didn't say much, asked me why I was in NJ and where I was headded. I have a CT license and work in PA, so I told him I was going home for the weekend and was anxious to get home. He took my License and Registration and came back 15 minutes later with a ticket. I took it, apologized and he told me to read the back for instructions how to settle the ticket online.
It had me on radar for 86 in a 65, +21. Fortunately I haven't had much on my record in about 5 years.
Instead of a numerical value of what to pay, it said I had a court appearance for 12/12/2008.
Since I work quite a ways from NJ, this will be a challenge to get to court by 8 AM in a different district nearly 2.5 hours away from my current residence.
My question is; What are my options for pleading guilty and paying the fine without having to go to court, and if I must appear, can it be moved closer to PA where I live and work most of my time?
Ticket location was about Exit 7 headding northbound on I-95.
I've never had to go to court for a ticket before, except to have a rear-end accident expunged.
What should I expect? Can I work an agreement with the prosecutor before my court date to save time and travel? What kind of documentation or 'story' do I need to present shoud I have to testify on my behalf? (Date, reason, 'my side of the story?')
Any heads-up would be great.
Thanks a bunch guys for this forum, I never thought I'd need it, but I'm gad it's here.