How to Get Out of ANY Ticket in Court 99% of the Time
How To Get Out Of Any Ticket In Court! Lawyer @LawByMike gives you 3 tips to beat a traffic ticket in court! Subscribe for more legal tips!
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Hey, you might think that this info makes me your lawyer, but it doesn’t and I’m not. Sorry, but I AM NOT YOUR LAWYER unless we have an engagement agreement. I am just providing public information here, like a library does, and am not providing you with legal advice about your situation. So, it would be totally unreasonable for you to conclude we have an attorney-client relationship just because you're viewing this information.
What would you like the next "Mike's Law" to be about? How to file a small claims case? When The Cops Can Search Your Car? Leave your suggestions below 👇
is it illegal to cuss at a cop?
is it legal to cuss at a cop
Is it ok to cuss at a cop
Your videos are such a blessing to common people. Thank you
Loud exhaust ticket tips
In other words, become the biggest nuisance you can possibly be to the court system and cops so that you end up being not worth all the trouble of a simple speeding ticket.
Simple, it's worth beating or else your insurance goes up.
If the cops didn't want me to be a nuisance, then they shouldn't have issued me a citation.
@@ajm5007A recently calibrated radar gun showed that you, during active hours, went 350mph in a school zone! How the fuck is that even possible????
@@eeeeee8762 The radar gun was not calibrated properly
@@eeeeee8762”…your honor I plead the fifth”
A tip for postponing court dates: Look up the cop’s information, very likely you will find his birthday, and if you’re lucky you may even find social media where you can find anniversaries/family birthdays. Schedule your court date for those days if possible, it’s almost certain the cop will miss it.
Unless they do and you just end up ruining their day lol
@@SALTrobot meh, they ruined your day by giving you the ticket.
@@SALTrobotshouldn't have pulled me over then
Oooh evil I like it
@@LWLProductionsNot when you are trying to get out of a ticket and avoid insurance going sky-high...
I once did my due diligence and went to my court date prepared to argue my case. When I got there, the judge told me instead I could just enter a diversion program where the ticket would be wiped if I had no traffic violations for the next six months. I took it and it was a good deal but I was kinda sad not to present the case I'd prepared. It's like preparing the perfect school presentation and then the teacher just gives everyone an A+.
Sounds fishy to me. We've seen before many times that police departments hold vendettas against random people for some of the most mundane things. I wouldn't put it past them to hunt you down and pull you over for some BS charge just to be able to re-add that previous ticket in a way you couldn't contest. If you knew you had a guaranteed win, I would have just took that instead of a "IF" for a set amount of time bs.
@@naefaren3515 Fair point but it worked out in my case. This was over 15 years ago and I completed the terms of the diversion program with no issues.
They do that because it is a conviction, and if you get stopped again for something you didn't do then they can charge you for both... and because you took the deal, you can't argue it any longer. it is a win-win-win-win for them.
@alexharker7223 big mistake, never accept a deal because it SEEMS EASY. If you're NOT GUILTY fight like hell.
lol.
One trick I learned is the “I don’t have insurance” trick. Stumbled on it by accident. Got pulled over for running a red light. Couldn’t find my insurance. The cop then wrote me up for no insurance dropping the red light violation. Went to court. Showed them proof of insurance. BOOM! Next time I got pulled over for speeding. Pretended I couldn’t find my insurance. Sure enough the road pirate dropped the speeding violation and wrote me up for no insurance. Rinse repeat.
Genius. I had the same thing happen to me one time. Cop said I was speeding in a construction zone. I didn’t have insurance in the glove box and he just wrote me up for no insurance and gave me a “warning” for speeding. I emailed the court proof of insurance and they dropped it immediately
Could the officer still write you up for lying about not having insurance afterwards?
@@aj7978 doubtful. The cop is most likely not going to show up in court and it’s be hard for them to prove you lied.
@@aj7978 How would they prove that you had insurance papers in your car, and you pretended to not find them?
My state has a citation for “no proof of insurance on person”. Even if you are insured, you can still be cited.
Imagine doing all this and then getting another ticket the day after your previous ticket was dismissed.
I genuinely burst out laughing thinking about this, it would probably be on a monday too just to top it off haha
then the fun can start all over
I remember watching a video years ago about a guy getting off of a murder rap by a technicality. He walked out of the court room, tripped, and fell on a pen. He was declared dead at the court room.
Imagine doing all this just for the judge to find you guilty.
i mean your local police department isnt going to go easy on you if you did all of that especially if they recognize you, i can imagine them trying to get you for going just barely over the speed limit after that
Ignorance of the law isn’t a defense…. Unless you’re a cop. It’s settle law. Heien v. North Carolina
No way
It's why I'll never respect policing as an institution. You can always leave it up to government to not practice what they preach.
They should have never consented to the search of their vehicle. That was the biggest mistake imo.
Love victim blaming
@tunahanyilmazdev not victim blaming,just saying what they shouldnt have done so others dont make the same mistake
Tried that in a small town in Iowa many years ago. They didn't give me the piles of discovery documents until I walked into the courthouse. I tried to find the radar calibration date and use that defense combined with anything else I could find. The officer saying he used his eyes to gauge my speed before using the radar gun, and I questioned if he could determine the difference between 45 and 55 or 55 and 65 etc. The judge ruled in the officer's favor because "eyes were what were used before all this technology came out."
Imagine a world where police actually spent time patrolling and protecting neighborhoods against real criminals instead of camping in speed traps targeting normal citizens.
I got one similar, the cop said he had to speed to catch me thus I was speeding. Ofcourse the basics …like my speed is not the speed you’re driving at ….didn’t work in court.
@@NTJedi you do realize that most of the time those traps are set up because people in your area complained about speeding through that zone right? I don't think you realize how much cops DONT want to do paperwork. I guarantee you theyd rather be out there protecting your neighborhood against real criminals.
@@ego7759 I had a motorcycle cop drive between cars and go thru a red light which was red 3 seconds to give me a speeding ticket.
@@ThatGuy-nv7cx The problem is not speeding traps... the problem is police NEVER patrol neighborhoods anymore because they spend all their time camping at speeding traps. This is why porch pirates confidently drive around neighborhoods during the daytime.
It's worth noting, if you get a ticket in a small city/town/county, you can ask to see if the officer is certified in the use of a radar or laser detector. Depends on state laws. Also, once again depending on state laws, you can ask an officer if they calibrated the radar/laser. If they say yes, you may be able to get out of the ticket. In some states officers can only check the calibration, not calibrate it.
In Ca it’s not required to show you or tell you it’s calibrated. You have to go to court to get that info
The technology angle doesn't really work in small towns, especially where they will let the officer's eyes count as reliable evidence.
Many years ago I got a ticket from a state trooper right in front of his office. He wrote it for the county courthouse which was 100 miles away (it was a large county). The courthouse was a couple hundred miles from my house, but my job depends on a clean driving record so I prepared myself. It turns out that the milepost he wrote my ticket for was actually in the 55 zone instead of the 45 zone as he alleged. I went to court with pictures to prove my case and…. He didn’t show up so I wont by default. Part of me wishes I could have presented my very well prepared case, but a win is a win!
I've gotten a ticket 4 times and the cop didn't show up. I got a ticket right before covid and the courts kept changing dates. I once showed up and got a ticket on the way to court and there was a note on the door saying court was cancelled due to the virus, I ended up negotiating paying the lowest amount for 1 of them and the other was dismissed and I only did that because they'd suspended my license for not showing up for court dates they kept changing. In this area cops rarely ever show up to court, but I needed to have another surgery and didn't feel like coming to court again, they agreed to not ding my driving record and charged me $25, the ticket was over 3 years old.
And how much time did it cost you for the officer to not even show up?
Hell yeah man, the cosmic energy is funny like that sometimea. Take the "W" and the so-fresh, so-clean record (either way?) 🎉
Sadly, I had a corrupt judge. I used the calibration trick and the cop brought a cert that was dated in January for calibration and my ticket was in June. In Colorado, when I looked it up, it was supposed to be calibrated every shift before use if it was used the previous shift. He even brought a "photo" of the gun at the alleged speed. I looked at it an saw that it was a white car speeding while I was driving a white truck... The judge still sided with the cop... corruption trumps logic and truth sadly. Still was fun showing everyone present in the court room how stupid and corrupt the cop and judge was
@@YouDontKnowMe-qd2mc at trial I came to court with appeals documents, I knew that it'd be overturned, there was no evidence, the judge tried to get me to accept a plea, that right...the judge, not the prosecutor, end the end he knew that he'd be overruled and found me not guilty, but stuck it to me on the speeding ticket.
I got my first ever traffic ticket in November 2019 after 20 years of driving. Went to the court and asked for a court appearance date which set in March 2020. Then covid hit, everything shut down, my court appearance date got postponed/ delayed 4 times. Finally appeared in court in August of 2022, told the judge that my constitutional right was violated for a speedy trial. My ticket got dismissed almost after 3 years. 😂
Sick win, GG bro
“A speedy trial”. Lol. Now that is ironic.
"told the judge that my constitutional right was violated for a speedy trial. My ticket got dismissed almost after 3 years." For all the listeners at home, this is an absolutely valid way to win. The video is not JUST saying be a nuisance to the cops, but also look for ANY and EVERY technicality that could possibly be used to get your case dismissed. People who are guilty of crimes get away with it all the time due to technicalities such as improperly filed paperwork, poor record keeping on the prosecution's side, minor civil rights violations, and other things that have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with what you're being tried for. Lawyers make mistakes all the time regardless of who they work for (the government OR the client), same as cops. Also, IF YOU ARE GOING TO CITE ANY CASE LAW YOU MUUUUST HAVE THE CORRECT CITATIONS TO PROVE THAT IT SAYS WHAT YOU ARE CLAIMING IT SAYS! Don't just say "the supreme court saaaayyyyys blah blah blah" , you have to say "393 U.S. 503 states that 'blah blah blah' and that applies EXACTLY to my case because [reason]." And if you're citing case law you BETTER be sure you're using it correctly. No going out on a limb, it needs to clearly apply to you with minimal to zero room for disagreement. Cite specific laws first THEN worry about case law.
@@exodeus7959 It really is pretty ridiculous. A speedy trial is one of our very few specifically guaranteed constitutional rights and it is not taken seriously at all.
@@drfarrin Unless the state supreme court had ceased speedy trials due to covid. I think this was dismissed because the charge was before the speedy trails pause took effect.
I got a speeding ticket one time. I was told to hire a lawyer. Ultimately, my lawyer got it reduced to in proper equipment. Had to pay the lawyer $200 and the court something like $100. It was never put on my record. Nice to know that this is how my lawyer got it reduced. Fine = legal for a price!
Many people don’t realize they don’t need a lawyer. Just go and ask for traffic school. That’s what the lawyer does. Saves you 2-300 bucks
RULE #1: STay out of Illinois. Rule #2: Stay out of Chitcago. However, if you're caught in chitcago, get a lawyer. I was falsely arrested by a couple of idiot chitcago cops one night for passing them. They pulled out right in front of me and proceeded at about 5mph scanning the yards to the right with spotlight. I slowed behind them, put my turn signal on, there was no oncoming traffic, pulled out and around with signal again. BAM! Stopped. Arrested. I represented myself on pretrial motions. The traffic court judge quickly demonstrated his hatred for me and ruled against me on everything, despite mountains of evidence and all precedent in my favor. I got scared. I thought this clown is going to literally put me in jail for 364 days for passing an idiot cop! Hired traffic court lawyer, the lowest of the low. Went to bench trial. Officer Mohammed got up and started immediately perjuring himself. I was terrified. I figured the judge would believe everything he said. I was 29-30 years old. He testified I was 54 years old. I drove directly into the path of dozens of oncoming cars, at a high rate of speed, etc. It was TERRIFYING. My lawyer said something about my driver's license and the judge said "dismissed." Despite my law degree and decades of experience, I still have NO IDEA what happened. Since it was chitcago, I suspect that about 1/3 to 1/2 of the amount I paid my traffic court lawyer ended up in Judge COrrupt's pocket. But no kidding, no matter how smart you are, a lawyer makes the difference.
That's what traffic ticket attorneys do 95+% of the time - talk to the prosecutor (who they're on a first name basis with and sometimes even have lunch with from time to time) and negotiate a deal where you end up paying the same amount of money as the ticket, but your insurance doesn't find out. It's all a big racket.
If we all fought every ticket and demanded a trial for every crime we could literally bring the system to a grinding halt
sure, but punishing innocent people is wrong.
Maybe cops should stop abusing power and skating around penalties due to qualified immunity.
@@alicevioleta3184 just because you got out of a traffic violation doesn't mean you're innocent.
You think courts are there for our safety ???? Lmao you’re clueless if you think so. Just like hospitals, courts are in to make money whether you lie to believe or not.
@@raz802 maybe people should be scumbags and break the law. Maybe you shouldn't be so stupid and lump all cops together. Maybe you shouldn't take something that happens every once in a while and act like it is common. Maybe you shouldn't be so gullible. Maybe you should get smarter.
Ignorance of the law is what a lot of cops seem to base their jobs around to be fair.
Cop: “Chief, I’d like some training on the law to make sure I’m doing my job right.” Police Chief: “What?! We’re relying on you to not know the law, Officer, that way you issue tickets people won’t fight, and arrest people who can’t get a good lawyer. The more people we arrest, the more it seems like we’re doing a good job and deserve raises.”
@@LuckyCharms777 Chief: Don't worry about the law. If you screw up, you're 100% protected by qualified immunity.
Imagine if police actually were patrolling and protecting neighborhoods against real criminals instead of using speed traps targeting normal citizens.
@@NTJedi A bit difficult to do I'd venture, as cops are the "real criminals".
@@NTJedi Imagine if you understood that cops arrest many real criminals after catching them speeding. Just why do you think the cops ask people a million questions and want to search their car? It’s easier to catch/imprison Joe Burglar with drugs in his car than it is to catch him in the act of burglary. Just who do you think cops are taking to jail when you see them on the side of the road with a guy in cuffs. Many of these people also have warrants for real crimes, but the police haven’t been able to find them or don’t have the resources to look for them. So just like most things in life, there are pros and cons to govt road pirates too.
Best tip (if you _weren't_ speeding): have a dash cam with speed monitoring and recording. If the cop claims to have paced you, the dash cam will show if they were actually going your speed. If they claim they "just could tell" that you were speeding (a valid reason for a ticket according to courts, sadly), it'll be your cam's "word" against their "guesstimate."
Not very good evidence since it can easily be dismissed as being inaccurate. Unlike a radar gun, they can’t be calibrated and won’t hold up, unless it shows you going too fast and then it will be used against you if you try to prove anything with the video. Best to turn off the speed portion.
Judge will rule your dash cam as inadmissible. Ask me how I know.
I agree. I have a dash cam in every car in my household. Dash cams are extremely beneficial in accidents to show who was in the right and in the wrong. My speed with the gps on my smartphone (Waze app) is in agreement within 1 mph of my car’s speedometer. So GPS is fairly accurate.
@@iamtheoffenderofall Then why do the police use those dash cams in those police chase videos on KZhead to show how fast they (the said police car) were going in the hot pursuit if the gps is sooooo bad??? In reality gps based speed is within 2-3 mph of one’s ‘real’ speed. If the police said I was going 70 on a 55 zone, but my dash cam says I was going 59, and btw if it showed another car of similar color to mine passed me like I was standing still right before the rear dash cam recorded the blue lights, then the dash cam could be used to prove he pulled over the wrong (insert the color of your car: gray) car. Indeed there was a gray car speeding but it was not mine and here is video proof.
@@akidwaimd false. In the courts eyes there are two criminals, one was just going faster than the other and you just showed yourself guilty beyond reasonable doubt. The cop could have said you were going 1,000 mph but as soon as you break out the gps saying 56 you’re considered guilty.
I followed tip #2 just last year. The prosecutor sent over discovery minus calibration records. I wrote back and requested those specifically. I heard nothing back and when I showed up for court, the prosecutor stated they were dropping the case 🎉 I wasn’t even that mad they made me drive an hour only to have the case dropped!
They discovered that there was something wrong. That's why they didn't give them to you when you first asked.
Also, check your local laws, the police have 24 to 48 hours to submit the ticket to the court. Chances are you can get a ticket dismissed if it was submitted past that deadline .
How often is this?
@@WeLiveWeDie depends on the district and the cop. Some of them are lazy, or are ignorant of their procedures.
Doesn't work in all states. Here in TX they technically can turn in their copy any time up to the court appearance date printed on the ticket, which is typically 3-4 weeks ahead of the day of citation. I found that out when one dumbass cop pulled me over for a missing front license plate and NEVER turned in his copy. My consolation prize was having the whole thing dismissed, but I had to wait a month to find out I didn't have to pay it.
Right, that's why I said to check your local laws. Still. Cops have to be certified on the radars/lasers they use. Those devices also need to be tested routinely and certified. If those certifications are not up to date, chance you get the ticket tossed. I learned a whole lot about radars and their calibration methods. @@idontneedthis66
@@idontneedthis66would I need to request a court hearing for this to work out though or can I asked the status of the ticket before making a request for a hearing in court?
Strange to see Mike not in a suit, it seems wrong for him not to be in one, they fit him so correctly.
Prior to covid I got out of 3 traffic tickets by using this one simple trick in California. If the ticket is written with in 100 miles of your work or home you can have it transferred to that court . Making a cop travel 80 miles to be some where at 9am is sure fire way to get it dropped
It's cheaper and more expedient to simply talk to the prosecutor and ask to plead guilty to a non-moving violation (like defective equipment). The fine is usually the same, but you don't have to report the violation to your insurance company. Also - a major detail that Mike left out is if you take your case to trial and lose - you have to pay court costs on top of the ticket, so that $250 speeding ticket could end up costing you $500 or more, not counting the money you lose by having to take time off work to show up in court.
I don't know where you live but in Nebraska you have to pay court costs even if you're found innocent or if the prosecutor drops all charges before court. I had a cop tell me he was giving me a warning for speeding, then handed me papers which turned out to be tickets for no insurance or registration even though I gave him valid insurance and the car was registered. I went to the attorneys office, showed her the paperwork and she agreed that the cop had no reason to give me tickets, dismissed them, and then told me I still had to pay a $40 court fee for the pleasure of being falsely accused.
@@DRAT311Then that is theft, charge the officer with kidnapping, felony perjury, conspiracy to commit a felony ( multiple counts for last 2 because of signing the falsified government form )... then file a civil lawsuit for violating your civil rights and attempting to take your time without compensation, and asking you to pay for a crime you didn't commit.
@Acecool except you can't charge anybody with anything. The prosecutor is the only one that can charge someone and they aren't going to charge the blue line gang members. You can try the civil suit but it is very expensive and time consuming and chances are the judge won't allow it to go to court anyway. Our judicial system is very broken and unfair.
@@ned6938 You can press charges.. ie charge someone with crimes. Whether or not the corrupt and tyrannical terrorist regime complies, even when the law says felonies are non-negotiable and require an arrest... that's up to them.
How would you talk to the prosecutor do you just go to court
Postponing the court date was advice that my dad gave me decades ago. That advice works for criminal and misdemeanor cases as well.
I got a ticket for disregard of a stop sign. Went to court with photos of the stop sign not being within my states legal limits. No painted stop bar. Stop sign 5 Foot too high. Showed dash cam footage of me stopping right before the stop sign waiting for the officer to park in a handicap spot for no reason. My ticket was thrown out but the judge gave the officer a fine for parking in the handicap spot. After court the officer followed me almost all the way home in a different county
Should have brought a harassment suit against that officer.
A formal complaint was filed
@@TheMoody876I just filed one against an officer. how did yours turn out?
He was fired
@@TheMoody876 🥴😵
Fun fact, tuning forks are used to check for proper calibration, not to calibrate the radar device. Device calibration can only be done by certified individuals and many agencies contract with a private company to calibrate the devices on a set interval. Checking the device for proper calibration using tuning forks is typically done at the beginning and end of every shift, and after every speeding ticket. It takes less than 30 seconds to complete the process, and is pretty easy to incorporate in normal shift preparation duties. I normally activated by body camera to capture the check for calibration whenever I’d issue a speeding ticket. I’ve had multiple people attempt to use these arguments in court and they fell flat because of everything mentioned above.
@@timb8652 no need to be rude man
@@timb8652 now that's just disrespectful to all the good cops out there. Sure i agree that there are some disgusting cops but you should never generalize an entire group of people just because some of the people inside the group is evil.
@@timb8652Some cops are bad and I agree with that, but the mentality that since 2% of a group is bad all of them suck is so stupid. That’s why I hated that ACAB thing and whatnot, it seems very predjudiced. I’m all for black people too, since I am one and all, but the George Floyd protests also got pretty iffy when they just started commiting crimes and attacking officers, ones that were prob arresting them for the crimes instead of the protesting
@@timb8652You mad you got ticketed for going 12 miles over?
@@timb8652 Seethe
I've been doing this for years and it works. Most attorneys will take your money and get you exactly what the court would have imposed without the attorney.
"Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it" Cops: That won't stop me!
In the jurisdictions around me, at least back when I used to get speeding tickets, when the officer is introducing himself and introducing his evidence he casually mentions what kind of radar gun he was using and one it was last calibrated. Also, my older sister in law, and some of my other friends a few years older than me had actually fought tickets in court, the cop didn't show up and they got dismissed. But, when I started getting tickets, that officer would just give their nose to another officer another officer would show up in their place. I wonder if that was unconstitutional?
You can tell the judge that the officer who accused you of the crime isn't in the room if that ever happens. Case dismissed.
I'm fairly sure it's (federally) constitutionally fine for a non-witness to prosecute a traffic violation (check your state constitution, and there might be a regular law or court thing). The other officer will only have notes and other secondhand evidence to go off of though, so it'll probably be easier to question the evidence provided.
@@reddragonflyxx657it’s violating your right to face your accuser a stand in isn’t your accuser
@@Cody-5501 Is it a civil or criminal ticket/proceeding? Is the officer providing witness testimony or are they using non-testimonial evidence? Did you invoke your Confrontation Clause right to cross-examine witnesses? Good point though, you probably can insist on examining the officer.
I've never heard the cops even use the radar. They'll pull you over, tell you they had you on radar, but the actual report has some other bs on it, pacing, guesstimate, etc
Here in Kentucky the court fees are the same amount as the ticket. The system is set up so you pay roughly the same amount if you fight the ticket than if you just pay it and take driving school to avoid points.
Yes but if you fight it and get it dismissed the next time you get pulled over it won’t show up on your record. Even if you go to traffic school you were still found guilty in a court of law and will ultimately pay more on insurance in the long run.
You forget #4. Bring in two big file boxes with the case number on it. BIG CASE NUMBER. Ask for 1 to 2 hours for your case. Then the officer will have to come back after lunch for the case. I have done this twice. And the office drops the case right there. I am glad you bought up trial by declaration.
what files did you have that many?
Just old news papers. It needed to be heavy.
Whaaat!?!?
What is going on here????
Court fees: "Am I a joke to you?"
I got caught in a speed trap one time. months later at court, I brought a diagram and large map. I came about 2 hours early to watch all of the cases to learn how the process went. After I won the case and it was dismissed, the judge told me I should go into law as a career. I was 19 at the time.
did you go into law?
@@draxgaming8901 he got a sixer and drank with his buddies.
Did everyone in the courtroom clap?
And then Albert Einstein and Barack Obama stood up in the court in the clubbed to give you a standing ovation😂😂😂
I am not sure if you are implying I was dreaming, but this really happened. @@Wrathsack
I have two more tips for you which may not apply to all cases: 1) In your request for discovery, ask for a traffic study of the road in question. It is possible that the speed limit was set too low and a traffic study probably doesn't exist or if it does, it may indicate that higher speed limit should be set. Depending on state laws, if the speed limit is improperly set, then the speed limit may not be enforceable. 2) The controlling speed limit sign may not be properly visible. If motorists can't read the speed limit sign, then the speed limit is not enforceable. Collect evidence on the visibility of the signage if it is applicable to your case.
Took me two years and three days off work to get out of a ticket I got in the city. I parked in a spot that only had one sign saying parking wasn't allowed Thur-Fri 7am-7pm. Seeing as it was 9pm on a Saturday I thought I was in the clear. Came back an hour later and there was an $80 ticket on my car. I took pictures of all the signs that I could find around my car and even a video showing how absolutely none of the signs said anything about me not being able to park there. Fast forward two years and I was in online court; the "officer" (if you can even call them that) showed up and sent in all these pictures of a sign that said I wasn't allowed to park there unless I had a permit. Turns out there was construction signage that had been put up that changed the regular parking hours for the street. The officer had such a smug look on their face while the judge read the sign out loud. I then pointed out the lack of any signage close to my car; in fact I had the judges assistant zoom in on the picture where they could clearly see my car parked a block down the street. I then asked how am I expected to know the existence of a sign that is on the sidewalk, obstructed by parked cars, at the opposite end of the street and the direction I was walking? The judge paused for a few seconds and then just said "well alright then" and immediately found me not guilty. You should've seen the cops face when the judge took my side. Felt so freaking good.
🤣 two years and 3 missed days of work. You really showed them! HAHA
FTP!
This is some truly vital information. Thank you very much kind sir
I've gotten 4 traffic tickets in my entire life *and all 4 times, the cop failed to appear in court,* and so the ticket was dismissed. I have a 100% success rate in court, *unlike the cops who cited me.*
That last line 😂😂
So what happens exactly when the cop doesn’t show up? Is it automatically thrown out?
I have 6 in 6 years 😭
Paying a good lawyer $500 to defend you IS cheaper than paying a $250 ticket. 1) points on your license 2) increased insurance costs for up to 3 years 3) possible repercussions on any future employment or credit background checks 4) etc THINK ABOUT IT
Good overview! Remember to be respectful to all involved. As was said, do your own research. A few more points to know. 1. You can change venue in certain instances 2. Bringing it to court can often reduce your fine even if you’re still found guilty. You will have to pay up front before the court date and then get a refund. 3. Radar needs distance to be accurate. For instance, a side shot of a vehicle will register as zero. 4. Depending on your state or city ordinances, different roads have different laws regarding radar. In many states they are only admissible for evidence when operating on a “Highway” 5. Most officers know #4 and will default to their “Visual Speed Assessment Training”. Unfortunately there is no defense that I know of for this testimony. 6. Officers get overtime pay for court cases. 7. Again, be respectful through the whole process, including while being pulled over, and do your best to follow procedures. Getting upset or missing steps during any part of the process will most likely lose the case.
Is everyone just going to ignore how high pitched the whistle was 😂😂😂❤
Ikr 😂
Older peeps cant hear the high pitch
Is this the first time you've heard a whistle? They're supposed to be high pitched
Even if you win the case, you still have to pay court fees. If it's a first offense (or 5 years or more since last ticket) you can often pay a deferment which is less than the court fees.
That makes no sense. We don't have to pay anything if we win in the UK.
No where I practice (Florida), you won't. "No defendant in a criminal prosecution who is acquitted or discharged shall be liable for any costs or fees of the court or any ministerial office, or for any charge of subsistence while detained in custody." Fla. Stat. 939.06 I'm willing to bet your state is the same and you are simply mistaken. The idea that you have to pay court costs if you win is a myth that cops and prosecutors spread in order to discourage people from going to trial. They WANT you to think you're screwed either way, that way you're more likely to negotiate with them for, say, a lower fine. If they can convince you that going to court is going to cost you hours and hours of your time PLUS $60 in court costs, then that $120 fine (down from $200) they are offering seems pretty reasonable. It's not. You won't actually be in the courtroom for as long as they say, and you won't have to pay any court costs if you win.
@@scamcorrect, same in the US if you win
@@sc1338 Depends on the jurisdiction.
@@sc1338 not true. You still pay the court fees in most jurisdictions. In Indiana, a deferment for a speeding ticket is around $60-$80 whereas the court fee is $60 per court apearence. Meaning that to even fight the ticket you incure $180 in court fees (plea hearing, case hearing, and judgment) which you will pay regardless of weather or not the ticket is dismissed in court. Trust me, if it's your first ticket (or the first in 5+ years) it's not worth it to fight, just take the 2 points and pay the deferment.
I had heard these when I was young and racked up a few tickets. I always postponed the date but then showed up in the rescheduled date. About half got dismissed and the other half got reduced sentences or probation before judgement. And in the second case, I was lucky enough to not have been pulled over during the probation time. My points were always just under the threshold for special school, and I’m sure kept my insurance from going berserk.
In the early days of the 55 MPH speed limit, my mother was at the back of a line of people following a Highway Patrol vehicle. The whole line went through a radar trap and the cop they were following and the one running the speed trap pulled everyone over and wrote tickets. My mother saw lawyers and none would help. One even said that if she shot the cop he could get her off, but not a speeding ticket. So she goes to the meeting with the prosecutor's office and said she planned to plead not guilty. The prosecutor told her that it would be a he said, she said situation and the judges usually side with the cop. My mother said, in that case she wants a judge that hasn't already made up his mind. Case dismissed.
It may be worth it since traffic tickets raise insurance rates for 3 or so years and, in some states, puts points on your license.
What if the cop uses visual estimation as a means to measure speed and issue the ticket? They could theoretically lie about the whole incident and it's your word vs theirs.
I think if the cop wasn't using a radar gun it doesn't count since the evudence wasn't sure
@rescur385 nope. All police officers in the United States are certified to judge a vehicles speed based on their vision alone. They use radar guns for convenience, not because it is more accurate or a requirement. Source: various cops who have blogs that I follow.
@@RogerLackmanstupidest shit I’ve heard, hopefully it only applies to ~30 over the limit because otherwise that sounds dumb
Get a dashcam with speed monitoring
Hey there! I genuinely share your concerns about relying on visual estimation as a method for determining speed. It's subjective and can be open to interpretation. However, when you apply math to the situation, it can provide a clearer picture. For instance, if an officer claims to have observed a driver going 87 MPH and observed the driver for a few seconds and estimates the driver's distance traveled during that time, you can use the formula for speed, which is the distance over time. Let's say the officer observed for 3 seconds and estimated the driver traveled 250 feet. That translates to 83.3 feet per second. When you convert that to miles per hour, it's only 56.82 mph. This kind of questioning can be crucial, especially if you don't have a dashcam. The article I found at [www.lawfirms.com/resources/criminal-defense/traffic-tickets/cross-examine-officer-speeding-ticket.htm ) delves deeper into this technique. While I'm not an attorney, for those representing themselves, understanding and applying this math could be a valuable tool in court. Always consult with a legal professional if you're in such a situation.
I contested a traffic ticket. The total was a little more than $700. This was the first traffic ticket I had ever received mind you. Now, I did not do steps 1 or 2 but I did do step 3. The ticket even stated I wasn't speeding and the commissioner did a double take when he first saw the ticket. (I was not in the courtroom at the time I appeared via telephone and I heard the commissioner's reaction from my mother who was in the courtroom.) I got the cop to admit that he couldn't recall the situation that lead to the ticket and it was dismissed.
When I was in court, a cop admitted that he lost his notes and couldn't recall the stop from 3 years earlier so the judge dismissed it. It was the only other case that the defendant prevailed other than mine of course.
In San Antonio, many years ago, I had a lawyer, Ronald Ramos. $35 per ticket to get it dismissed. One day we were talking and I asked him how he did it. He opened his drawer, pulled out about 40 or 50 tickets and held them up. He explained that he’d tell the clerk that either they accept $500 and dismiss all the tickets or he appeal them. He said they’d rather have the cash than do the paperwork needed for the appeal process …
Lol I believe you. I got a ticket in a small city outside of Houston county and the lawyer told me they do things different here than in big cities. Basically you pay the city to get things dismissed. I plead guilty to something other than my ticket and pay the fine and if I don’t get any tickets in a month my original ticket gets dismissed. Which is great if you have a driving job and need your license clean.
@@TheTruelakersfan Deferred adjudication…
@@badkarma6181 that’s not what he called it. Basically I pled guilty to not showing to court a misdemeanor and I paid the fees on that and not running a red light which I wasn’t guilty of anyway. But I paid and pled guilty because it made it easier to win and no record on my license. Because In Texas there’s is no reducing sentences for commercial drivers they’re very strict! Lawyer said plead guilty to failure to appear in court,pay the fine for that and somehow I’m free lol. Dirty tactics of you ask me. But hey it helped me out.
@@TheTruelakersfan I’m a Texan as well (Smith county) !! So it was just about the m😉ney, only about the m😉ney, and always about the m😉ney ?
Not a lawyer, but I've heard this tip a couple times: Different kinds of roads (streets, avenues, boulevards, etc.) have different speed limits by default, if the road you got the ticket on has a lower limit than the default, you may be in luck. Go to that city's town hall and ask for the speed study on that road, if they can't provide one (which they have to say in writing) you can argue that the limit was unenforceable.
the city crew here have a really bad habit of putting speed limit signs in prohibited areas and at prohibited heights or behind trees, all of them are unlawful, I actually measured a speed sign at 2.5 feet, in tis state it has to be 5ft or higher measured from the bottom of the sign to the road line. If the sign is not at a required height it's not legal and the legal default is the nearest sign at a proper height. I argued this in court once and it was changed the same day because the feds will stop city funding for illegal traffic signs that result in a fine to the citizen.
Not a lawyer for a reason. 🤣 Awful advice.
My friend commited a hit and run on a bike, hitting a police vehicle. Got any advice for him?
Don’t commit hit and runs on police vehicles, maybe.
Plead the 5th, don't talk without a lawyer, pray. The best outcome would've been to not run because police vehicles have cameras
Don’t narc on them on the internet lmfao
@@TheOddLiaDon't get caught doing hit and runs on police vehicles*
fight till your last breath ,that's all I can say
If you beat the ticket it's not just saving the price of the ticket, you'll save the cost of the increase of your insurance costs which could be thousands for years in certain states.
I’ve actually done this. Once got a open container ticket. It was on federal land and the officer who gave me the ticket was brought in from out of state because it was the Sturgis Rally. I requested a continuance and the officer didn’t want to drive back to my state to show up in court. Boom! Charges dropped.
As a retired LEO and Doppler Traffic Radar instructor, some good tips were mentioned, however…officers never ever never ‘calibrate’ their radar instrument. Officers only Setup, Test and Operate. Setup is pressing the power button. Test is using the 2 tuning forks to VERIFY the instrument is operating correctly AND pressing the ‘Test’ button on the unit to verify an internal test, no RFI and that all the lights are working. Finally, Operate, the Officer operates the unit to ‘VERIFY’ his visual (and sometimes hearing) observation of the suspected violation, the unit is activated and verify his reasonable suspicion of the violation. The ‘calibration’ you speak of is done once a year by a certified technician using equipment which produces tone/sound to translate to specific frequencies the radar unit displays as speed readings. Those tones/sounds/frequencies vary and are specific to the test. Over 25 years and hundreds of speeding citations, never has one been defeated. Of those hundreds I’d also given the same or more reminders to slow down.
Keep pushing up that court date. The day before demand another court date for as long as you can. Chances are the policemen might get reaffected to switched to differant position by then and won't care about the ticket. They get switched around between departments every year or so
This dude out here saving people from the system with free legal advice
This is wonderful. This will make better officers and citizens. You are likely the best influence for citizens and law I have seen. Please keep it up.
A few years back I went to court for a speeding ticket and asked when the radar gun was last calibrated , the judge and the officer both laughed and the judge said it was none of my business. So I don't know if I would go with that defense.
So...............NO constitution!? Got it! Next?
Another tip if you're a morning person: schedule your hearing for as early in the morning as possible. Make the cop ask themself if they really want to get up at 4:30 am for a speeding ticket.
I don’t know where you live but most cops start their shifts at 7-8am. And courts generally don’t open until 8-9am. More than likely a cop is already up at 4:30 regardless of the court appearance. Don’t see that one working in many cases
Courts don't open until 8am. You have to work around the courts schedule. They don't work around yours or before the sun comes up
WE LOVE YA MIKE. KEEP EM COMING! LETS GO HARDER THIS YEAR
One of your best videos Mike!
I just went to court for each of my speeding tickets and they always drop the points and just make you pay the fine. One time I had to do traffic school (online) to get the points dropped. Always worth it. One got dismissed but it’s always worth it to go to traffic court vs just paying. Zero points in my 16 years driving now and one was even for 100+ (that was the one that required traffic school).
Ok, let's clarify terms. "Radar guns" aren't calibrated before and after tickets or even before and after the officer's shift. They are checked for calibration. Calibration itself is conducted by an FCC certified individual, usually every two to three years. Also, the term radar gun is a colloquialism. A radar (RAdio Detaection And Ranging) can be dash mounted or hand-held. Further, he failed to mention other variants of speed detection such as Lidar and Vascar. These devices operate on different principles. Good job on getting everyone off on the right foot, but please do more research if you plan to represent yourself in court. I've seen prosecutors devour unprepared individuals on the stand.. Good luck if you do, it is your right.
This is actually funny AND informative. You got a sub
Very entertaining and informative! I love it
I wish I would have known this about 5 years ago. Prosecutor asked if he calibrated the gun before his shift. He didn't say anything about after the shift which is the state requirement. Judge asked him that after the prosecutor was done. And I only took it to court as I wasn't speeding like the cop stated. Cop said I was doing 74 when I had my cruise set at 60. The radar gun was even hooked up to the dash cam. It said I was doing between 15 and 73. The officer said he was on the side of the road when clocking me, when he first saw me, he was driving along, and never stopped which is required by the radar tech for that device.
I hope u won that case
Its kind of sad that to find decent legal advice in a cheap so that the system doesnt eat us up and chew us out we have to consult KZhead or go to law school. I admire Mike for supplying it for free but it shouldn't have to be relied upon as the only option as I'm sure many do.
Legal shield $25-$30 a month.
@@jacksycz Legitimate question... is it actually good though, because that's a remarkably low price. The last thing I'd want in a crisis is a doordash for lawyers
This isn't "decent legal advice," it's dirty tactics.
Yeah people that have done all their research on KZhead usually know what they’re talking about 😂
@@davidparent4808 What's dirty about hoping the cop doesn't show up or proving the radar wasn't calibrated? I wouldn't do the radar without a good attorney, but traffic tickets otherwise are fairly easy offenses to get dismissed in relative terms.
Great video to summarize the ticket process.😊
In New York, most speeding tickets are issued with a supporting deposition from the officer, so the cop is never in court because hes already got a sworn statement about what happened. If you were lucky enough to not receive a supporting deposition with your ticket in New York, make sure that you send your ticket back not guilty and request the deposition. if the court forgets to tell the officer about the request or he forgets to complete the supporting deposition then your ticket will be dismissed. This just happened to me last year.
Absolutely every time I have seen someone show up in court with a lawyer they win (only for traffic tickets). It would be worth the money, just say’n 😁
I challenged a seatbelt ticket, and got to experience #3 firsthand. It was a fun experience, I ended up being successful in my challenge too
I love this guy, he’s funny and VERY helpful!
I’m a truck driver; I’ve noticed Indiana SP & Tennessee HP handing truckers more written warnings rather than actual citations. We have a process known as DataQ (I think this is the proper spelling), but that essentially turns the same trooper into judge and jury at that point.
I thought i recall a truck driver stating they would prefer a ticket in some cases because you can fight it/get it dismissed. Do written warnings affect your CDL record? Im thinking of getting my CDL.
@@connor3288 Yes, written warnings can and likely WILL affect your record & CSA score. Tickets/citations can be fought by yourself or by an attorney on your behalf. Written warnings are nearly impossible to fight
@@_bobjohnson1157 Ahh that makes sense. So would you rather get a ticket yourself? Or try to explain all factors to officer?
Forgot one important tip. Always be cordial and friendly with the cop. If you're a jerk they are more likely to write down a lot of notes. If you're nice ,of course without admitting to anything, the cop will probably not write down a whole lot and is more likely to forget who you are when you take it to court.
Ummmm..newsflash, they dont need to write crap down! Youre dumasss is on bodycam/dashcam, and they will review this before court!
Thank you Mike for your tips. I will be getting my drivers permit in a year. This will really be helping me if I am ever speeding on accident Thank you so much.
Ignorance of the law is a valid excuse for the cops 🤨🧐😒🙄😤
This may work in your state, but in Wisconsin, if a cop doesn't show up, the judge will almost certainly grant the prosecutor's request to reschedule. Also, in Wisconsin, State Law dictates that NO DISOVERY is permitted in municipal court matters. Finally, as to attacking the cop, most of these cops are well-trained in the art of testifying in court. Between their training and disruptions/objections by the prosecution, you will have a long hill to climb. Unless the ticket will ruin your life, negotiate with the prosecutor. Their goal is to take your money with the minimum amount of effort. Get the charge reduced to no-points, minimum cost. And take it.
I tried #2 once but the magistrate said he wanted experts to question. I'm an Electrical Engineer so I know how these units work and that calibrations are required. Also, the cop claimed he had some really awesome training in radar guns and that the unit did a self test everytime it was turned on. (Not the same thing as calibration.) I even had an article from NIST explaining that calibrations are required but the judge said "the thing about papers is I can't ask them questions." He was a real jerk of a magistrate.
I tried to fight a ticket once about 10 years ago and was required to come a second date. I would’ve lost more money not working than paying the ticket so ended up paying 😢
this guy has %1000 more personality than any lawyer in the commercials
Excellent video, informative. I am a new subscriber.
#4 Hire a lawyer who is lazy or in with the prosecutor and only offers you probation at the full cost of the ticket plus lawyer fees....court gets your money....lawyer gets your money.....win win...for them !
You and your client prepared very well for the case, Leaving the cop/system with no rebuttal and in shock; sign of a very good lawyer 👏👏👏
Thanks for these tips Attorney Mike.I had a speeding ticket from a not so nice and a liar State Trooper .I never had a ticket. So I’m hoping it will be dismissed.
Thank you Mike for your practical & useful tips.
It might be cheaper to pay the ticket as there are fees in most of these following.
No it's not because it screw you In the long run, it's on your record with give you points towards your driver license and increases your car insurance.
Theoretically you could sue to recover those costs lol (please note the fact that I said “theoretically”)
Imagine paying for anything. Where I live I can get lawyers to do it all for free whether they win or lose.
@@NaudVanDalen anyone can get a public defender lol
@@hihihihi3806 Then why are they saying it's expensive? Like who's hiring a private lawyer for a traffic ticket?
Just remember that in NJ, the cop will be getting paid overtime to be attending court, so he's definitely going to be showing up.
Same with CHP in CA
As they should.
Unless they are working a shift at that time ALL cops are on OT for court! Matter of fact, most cops contracts give a set rate, i.e 4 hours of OT for going to court EVEN IF they are only there for 10 minutes….so yea, theyre showin up!
Hahahahah. Some of these can work…. Especially if the cop is on vacation. OT or working, a good department will be ready for all of this. I’d bring the odds down to 30% success rate.😂
@@pdub2754 Even if the officer is on vacation, they can still come in for overtime, at least for the CHP. Especially if they are on a regular day off.
Write on the ticket: Refused for Cause. Without Dishonor. UCC 1-308 When autographing, write NA right before your autograph. Stands for Non Assumpsit. You have 3 calendar days to mail the ticket back to the cop shop (and preferably to the local persecutor). Does not apply if you cause damage or harm/kill someone.
I was able to get all speeding tickets and wrecks on my records removed with the help of *Mr* *White* *Expunged*
Keep up the great work 💪🏽🇺🇲👍🏽🚔🎥🧐🤘🏽😎✌🏽 ALWAYS FILM OUR PUBLIC SERVANTS 💯💯💯
Yup. trial by mail + discovery request for speed gun and speedometer calibration got me off the hook 4 times out of 4 tickets I've ever got in CA. All over speed limit and one of them was on a motorcycle. Albeit considering current CA police staff shortage, I doubt chances of getting a ticket is far lower than back in 2010~2015.
So what did you do exactly? Did you just request these things before the judge? And plead not guilty?
My local prosecuting attorney (small city) refuses to even respond to the accused outside of court, dismissed for discovery violation.
Dude this is super. No one tells you this stuff. I rarely get tickets and if I want to dispute something I don't know where to start. I think I had a good case one time. Could have had the ticket dismissed but didn't know what I was doing.
I've been to traffic court loads of times. Cops normally don't actually come in and testify.. they write a letter to the court. The judge reads it and I've occasionally seen them dismiss it I think you may need to ask for the cop to be in court - I don't think they have to come though
Could you bring up the calibration of the radar gun at the actual traffic stop to possibly get out of a ticket in the first place? Thanks for all the answers I figured that would be the case
Never talk to cops. If you bring that up at the side of the road they might just calibrate it right away, and in any case it'll clue them into the fact that you know your stuff so they'll put more effort into preparing for trial.
A cop will likely just look for more circumstantial evidence or false charges. It isn't illegal if they lie to you or on official records, only on the stand... If they think you aren't just going to pay your ticket, they will take better notes to fight you in court. Best to be polite as possible, and don't give them anything more than what they ask for. (Refuse any search. Ask for clarification and proof of any suspicions they might have.)
no!
What part of shut the fuck up do you not get? Say nothing to the cop. Nothing more than the bare minimum
Calibration is checked by technicians. What officers do is check the radar for accuracy. All you do is press a self check button on the radar. It's supposed to produce a certain result to show that the unit is working. Then you use the tuning forks on all o the antennas. If it isn't accurate, you take it outbid service. We had a block on our daily logs where we did that at the beginning and end of every shift. Some guys would log in with Dispatch too. It was a standard part if the day. In Georgia, we were also required to inform drivers of their right to have us check the radar prior to issuing a citation. Georgia is the only place that I have seen with such extensive anti-speed trap laws.
Does this also apply to the automatic speeding cameras located in the city? Like do they have to recalibrate those as well?
Also depending on the state if you take it to an actual trial, you have the right to discuss your case with the prosecutor to develop a plea deal which could involve no points on your license (my favorite) or a lessor fine
Took it to trial at 2 states and neither had a prosecutor. The cop basically serves as one.
The best thing you can do is request a meeting with the Ada on the case. Negotiate to have it pled down to a non moving violation. The state gets its Money and you don’t get any points
What is the Ada? How in advance to your court hearing you have to request this meeting?
A lot of departments have a policy not to write a ticket unless you are going 10MPH over. My guess is this to ensure equipment can't be called into question. If you ever get a petty 5 mph or less ticket they probably won't want to press the issue.
Honestly it's because the radar units aren't that precise, I think there's an error tolerance of something like +/- 5-7mph normally. Most states don't have point systems or actual charges for anything under 5MPH because of variances in speedometers in cars and variances in radar guns. Just the slight movement of the officer's arm while using them on a target that's a little bit away is enough to throw the numbers off. The laser ones are better but still not ultra precise. You just gotta watch now because some police depts have the radar/laser speed trackers built into the cars and it's run by computer. PA state trooper cars can just about tell you the speed of anything around it, and it has automatic plate scanners. I found out about the plate scanner the hard way once because I forgot to renew my registration, but the trooper was cool and just issued a fix-it ticket. I brought in my registration to the magistrate on the court date and he had the ticket thrown out.
Cops: heres the video of him speeding on the road.
Just an added thought, most hearings are livestreamed, at least around here. If your time allows, try to catch a bunch and see the temperament of the judge or magistrate. Can see what defenses work, dont work, etc.
I won a case of a ticket against me for running a stop light. I used a stack of maps and pics from google earth to prove the stop sign didn’t exist. I didn’t say it didn’t exist until I asked the officer a series of questions involving the locations such as where the sign was, where he was and were he pulled me over. I held up the map and told the judge not only did the stop sign not exist the street he wrote down didn’t either. The judge after asking the officer how long he was on the force he said 6 months. The judge actually facepalmed, didn’t want to look at me and said case dismissed. The officer confronted me outside the building scared. He thought I was a lawyer. I told him my job was in and I was use to gathering info and asking probing questions. He admitted he did lie in court. His trainer told him to write me the ticket. But no that his probation period was over he promised to never write another ticket out of fear of being embarrassed like that again. I was just glad it was over. My state the quota system for tickets is illegal and a lot of areas violate that law. I was in a different county than my home so I know the officers didn’t go by quota.
You removed the stop sign and took a picture didn't ya? I would have told the officer when he pulled me over there wasn't a sign there if there wasn't a sign. That's moronic.
quotas are illegal in every state, but I guarantee you it still exists.
Hi, Mike. I'm planning on pursuing a career in law soon, and I just wanted to let you know that I am a huge fan of yours and I really enjoy your videos, as I have learned a lot about the law from them. Your videos are very well-made, and you seem to be highly skilled and passionate about your job. You also have a very likable personality. Once again, thank you for your videos, and thank you for your service as an attorney. God bless you.
I followed step 1..lol. I postponed the due date, which gave me the opportunity to draft my Trial by Written Declaration. I called the equipment utilized into question and requested that the state provide evidence indicating the equipment had been properly calibrated. Also requested an original E&TS performed within (5) years which would justify the current speed limit set. CA's vehicle code does allow for for an individual to operate their vehicle above the speed limit, so long as it is "reasonable" and the conditions allow. There's a lot that can be written into a written declaration that will discourage an officer to reply. It's also an added bonus that they do not get paid to reply to one.
This is so awesome thanks ❤