A speeding ticket is a ticket given to a driver who went over the speed limit. Since overspeeding in an unauthorized area can lead to unforeseen circumstances, the ticket is to deter the driver from repeating the same offense again.
Speeding tickets are issued by the law enforcement agencies such as the police. When you receive the ticket, you can decide to accept it in good faith and pay the necessary fee or fight to get the ticket dismissed. Therefore, can you get your first speeding ticket dismissed?
Yes, you can get your first speeding ticket dismissed if the speeding did not lead to a crash that injured or caused someone’s death. If the judge finds it worthy to let go of the ticket because it’s your first ticket, then, he can dismiss the ticket.
Can You Get Your First Speeding Ticket Dismissed?
Getting your first ticket dismissed is possible but not always feasible. Before a judge decides to dismiss a speeding ticket because it’s your first ticket, he will consider some factors. These factors are:
1. The Nature of the Speeding
You can get a judge to dismiss your speeding ticket if the speeding did not cause any harm to anyone or led to someone’s death.
However, it will be difficult and impossible to get your first speeding ticket dismissed if while speeding, you caused a crash. It was even worse when the crash led to the death of another road user.
Going over the speed limit in an unauthorized area is seen as reckless driving, but if you’re pulled over by a police officer and issued your first speeding ticket for going 15 miles over the speed limit, the judge may decide to dismiss the ticket on your behalf since it did not cause a crash.
2. The Personality of the Judge
There are some judges that have a good sense of humor. They still have some human empathy in them. The personality of the judge plays a huge role here.
In fact, for a judge to dismiss a speeding ticket because it’s your first speeding ticket, the personality of the judge is the first thing to consider. He has to be a very good, considerate, and compassionate judge to do so.
3. How You Carried Yourself in the Court
Another important factor to consider here is your manner of approach. You may be lucky enough to meet a good judge who is willing to dismiss your first ticket since it did cause any harm, but if you appear rude and overwhelming, the judge may not like your attitude and you will end up paying the fine.
The way you carry yourself in the court matters a lot. The way you answer the questions asked in the court. The way you dressed. In fact, your general attitude in court matters a lot. You need to appear charming. You need the judge to like your personality, to begin with.
There are so many testimonies of people whose tickets were dismissed just because they appeared humble, calm, and properly dressed in court.
4. The Kind of Lawyer you Hired
The kind of lawyer you hire to represent you is another thing to consider. If you wish to hire a lawyer to get the ticket dismissed, you need to hire one who is good at his job. One that can be able to get the ticket dismissed.
5. Wrong Information on the Ticket
You can have your first speeding ticket dismissed if the information written on it is wrong. For example, if the officer who issued the ticket to you made a mistake on your name, license plate numbers, car color, model, and brand, they are enough to get the ticket dismissed.
Therefore, if you’re hoping to get your first speeding ticket dismissed, you need to:
- Pray to meet a judge with compassionate hearty
- Ensure your speeding did not cause a crash or lead to the death of another road user
- Carry yourself well on the court
- Appear gentle, friendly, and charming by making your hair and dressing properly
- Hire a professional lawyer
What Happens When You Get Your First Speeding Ticket?
There’s always a first time for everything. When you get your first speeding ticket, a police officer will pull you over and ask you to give him your driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance. He/she will take these documents to his/her vehicle before returning them to you.
While returning the documents, he will come along with your speeding ticket that has your information such as:
- Your contact and personal information
- Your vehicle information
- The location of your offense
- The police officer’s name
- The posted speed limit
- The speed you were going when the officer pulled you over
- A preliminary court date for the offense.
He will ask you to sign the ticket which you should. Signing the ticket does not mean you’re agreeing to the ticket, it’s just to consent that the ticket was actually given to you. It has to be signed to be valid.
Also, it’s important to note that the police officer will tell you why he pulled you over. Before issuing the ticket, he will tell you that you’re pulled over because you were speeding, the speed limit you were supposed to go, and the speed limit you were going.
What you do afterward with the ticket is on you. You can decide to accept it in good faith and pay the stipulated fines or fight to get the ticket dismissed.
Conclusion
You can get your first speeding ticket dismissed if you meet a good judge who is considerate. He might overlook other issues and dismiss the ticket as a reward for getting your first speeding ticket in your 25 years of driving.
However, he has to consider the nature of the incident before dismissing the ticket. Therefore, if your speeding caused a crash that took a life, the ticket will not be dismissed despite being your first.
