I Did A Bad Thing

So my strategy will be to be honest and straightforward with the judge. This incident was totally my fault, not the fault of the policeman who pulled me over or the signage or some other technicality. I simply made a mistake that I’m now facing the consequences for. It was not characteristic of me or my driving, but I did the crime and now I have to do the time. Hopefully, the judge will see that this mistake isn’t so egregious that I need to be taken off the road. Court date will be sometime in March, so until then I will just try to learn from this experience.

One thing that may be beneficial is how many years since your last ticket. Also find out how many miles you've driven in a commercial vehicle without issues. The biggest thing is proving that despite this ticket you are a very safe driver. We all make mistakes, some bigger than others, but not all mistakes are worth losing an otherwise safe, law abiding driver off the road over. You were ticketed at what the previous speed limit was. To me, that shows your intent wasn't to break the law and with that lower speed appearing to only be for 2 blocks I believe you that you simply didn't see it.

Please keep us updated on how this all plays out Bruce.

I received a lot of helpful advice about my issue. Special thanks to Rob T.

My attorney just told me that the city prosecutor is willing to amend the charge to 14 over. This would prevent me from getting fired, so it’s better than nothing. Still, a 14 over looks pretty bad. I had hoped for a better deal. My belief is that I missed the 15 mph sign because there was a diesel pickup truck in front of me blowing large amounts of black smoke from his tail pipes as we proceeded on the street. I know this black smoke is from incomplete combustion of diesel fuel and I don’t know how these guys produce this smoke, but I’ve seen guys do this just because they think it’s funny. Whether this pickup driver was doing it on purpose, I don’t know.

My question is this : Should I accept the deal for a 1 mph reduction of the citation? Or, should I go to my court date before the judge and explain my side of the story in hopes of getting a better outcome? If it makes any difference, the judge is not an attorney, he’s what is called a “lay” judge and my attorney tells me he’s a decent man.

Accept it and don't do it again. DUH!

Accept it and don't do it again. DUH!

Thanks, PackRat. Can I use DUH for my CB handle?

Take the deal. If you go into that courtroom and face this decent judge talking about black smoke obscured the sign, he's not going to see you as someone who is taking responsibility. He is likely to see you as just another driver trying to pass the blame onto someone else. Even if you go in there telling the judge how you understand that you were in the wrong and have no excuses, what reason is there to lower the speed of the citation? Don't tempt fate and accept it not being 15 mph over as a win because it is a win for you.

Accept it and don't do it again. DUH!

Thanks, PackRat. Can I use DUH for my CB handle?

Sure! If you can't pay attention to road signs, then by all means feel free.

Accept it and don't do it again. DUH!

Thanks, PackRat. Can I use DUH for my CB handle?

Sure! If you can't pay attention to road signs, then by all means feel free.

Ok, great. Now I have to decide between Old Yeller and Duh. Decisions, decisions.

Accept it and don't do it again. DUH!

Thanks, PackRat. Can I use DUH for my CB handle?

Sure! If you can't pay attention to road signs, then by all means feel free.

Ok, great. Now I have to decide between Old Yeller and Duh. Decisions, decisions.

Use this combination:

"DELLOW"

No problem Bruce. I would also take the deal. It's still not ideal but atleast it will allow you to keep your job. It also gets knocked down so it isn't considered a serious (according to FMCSA) offense risking the loss of your CDL privileges that have stiffer penalties for multiple infractions.