Pinellas County Speeding Ticket for Driving Thirty Miles or More Above the Speed Limit
More than a million tickets are given each year to Florida residents for the offense of speeding. For most people (more than 80 percent), after receiving a speeding ticket, they will write out a check, drop it in the mail and promptly forget about the entire incident. Being given a speeding ticket for driving more than thirty miles per hour over the posted speed limit, however, is somewhat different. In Pinellas County in 2013, there were 714 tickets written to those driving more than thirty miles per hour over the posted speed limit. That number increased significantly in 2014, to 993, then dropped back down in 2015 to 788. Receiving a speeding ticket in Pinellas County for driving thirty miles or more over the posted speed limit requires a mandatory court appearance. An attorney can attend the hearing on your behalf, particularly if you live out of state.
Fines Associated with a Ticket for Thirty Miles or More Over the Posted Speed Limit
Although the fines will vary slightly from county to county, for a ticket written for driving thirty miles or more over the posted speed limit, the judge will set your fine, from somewhere in the high two hundred range to as high as $500. This fine will be based on the circumstances surrounding your ticket, what the officer has to say about the ticket, and your prior driving history. If you are ticketed for driving fifty miles or more over the posted speed limit, you could face a minimum fine of $1,000. Even if your attorney is able to convince the judge to withhold adjudication in your case, you will still pay the fines associated with your speeding ticket.
Points on Your License
Just as worrisome as the fine you will pay are the points which will be added to your driving record. Any time points are added to your driving record, your insurance company will almost certainly raise your insurance rates significantly, or even cancel your insurance altogether, which would prevent you from driving. The offense of driving thirty or more miles over the posted speed limit will add four points to your driving record, or six points if an accident resulted. If you have any other traffic offenses, you could find your driver’s license being suspended for a period of time.
In the state of Florida, twelve points within twelve months will result in a one-month suspension, eighteen points within eighteen months will result in a three-month suspension, and twenty-four points within three years will result in a one-year suspension. At speeds of thirty miles or more over the speed limit, however, the judge has the option of suspending your license, even if you have not accrued the requisite number of points. Some other issues associated with driving thirty miles or more above the posted speed limit include the following:
• Your speeding ticket was issued under Florida statutes 316.87, 316.89 and/or 316.83.
• Your original ticket, which is filed with the Clerk of the Court must have your signature and the signature of the ticketing officer.
• Your speed may have been measured by pace clock, radar or laser.
• If you were speeding in a construction zone or school zone, your fines will be doubled.
• If you have a motorcycle endorsement, you will lose that endorsement.
• If your attorney is able to convince the judge to withhold adjudication, you will still pay the fines, but will not receive the points.
Potential Defenses Used for Your Pinellas County Speeding Ticket
Of course the specific defense your attorney will use is dependent on the facts of your case, below are some of the more common defenses used in similar situations:
• Your attorney may claim actual innocence—you really were not speeding;
• Your attorney may assert your speed was not excessive, given the road and traffic conditions;
• If you truly had an emergency, your attorney can present this fact;
• The officer operating the radar, laser or pace clock was not properly trained or certified, or used the device improperly;
• The device used to measure your speed was not properly calibrated or maintained;
• The radar device picked up another vehicle, rather than yours;
• Metal traffic signs, utility signs or nearby power stations interfered with the speed readout;
• Your right to a speedy trial was violated;
• Crucial evidence necessary to your defense was denied to you and your attorney;
• There is simply not sufficient evidence to find you guilt, or
• The officer who ticketed you committed some sort of procedural error related to the speed detection device or the traffic stop itself.
How an Attorney Can Help
The attorneys at The Law Place specialize in traffic ticket dismissals. If we are unable to obtain a dismissal in your case, we will attempt to negotiate a continuance or arrange for some type of probation in order to avoid the points being added to your driving record, or your license being suspended. Our attorneys have extensive knowledge regarding Florida traffic laws, as well as familiarity with the judges and court personnel in the individual county courts. We will work hard, on your behalf, to minimize the consequences of your speeding ticket. Call The Law Place today.
Pinellas County Courthouse
315 Court Street
Clearwater, Florida 33756
(727) 464-3341