How to Reduce your Speeding Fine

At some time in most people's lives, they'll be stopped by the police for speeding. When you get a speeding ticket, is there anything you can do if you cannot afford to pay the fine? Yes, there is! Will the issuing police officer help you? Maybe, he or she will! The following steps will tell you what to do and how to act in order to get that fine that you cannot afford reduced.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A positive attitude
• A good rapport with the issuing officer.
• Court attire: a good-looking jacket & tie for men, and a nice dress or blouse and skirt, or a nicely pressed pantsuit for women.
• The ability to be truthful.

1. When you are stopped by the police, try to develop a good rapport with the officer(s). Tell the officer the truth when he/she asks questions. If the officer tells you that you were speeding, admit to it. Do not try to slide one by the officer by concocting an unbelievable story.
2. Explain your situation to the officer; he/she may have sympathy and let you go with a warning. However, if the officer does give you a ticket, it's important prior to his/her writing of the ticket, that he/she knows why you were speeding. Remember, he/she already knows your speed and the speed limit, so the officer needs to know why you were exceeding the limit, as well as why you were traveling at what he/she feels is an excessive rate of speed (if that happens to be the case).
3. Again, honesty and developing a rapport with the officer is important here. Many people do not realize it, but after hearing your story, the officer may be willing to help you out. He/she may write a lower speed on your ticket than the actual speed you were traveling at, thus, lowering your fine substantially. The officers do not decide the amount of your fine, they follow guidelines that were written by our lawmakers.
4. If at the conclusion of your interactions with the officer, you receive a ticket that you simply cannot afford to pay, tell the officer. Tell him/her that you're going to have to contest the ticket, (not because you believe you are not responsible), but because you cannot afford to pay a fine as high as the one you received. Most often the officer will understand and not be that concerned if the court lowers the fine for you.
5. When you get home, check the box on the ticket that allows you a hearing at court, and send it in as soon as possible.
6. When you go to court, you most likely will appear before the clerk magistrate, before seeing the judge.
   Tell the clerk magistrate or judge what happened. Be honest and tell him/her that you believe the fine is excessive and that you cannot afford to pay it. Explain that you are not denying responsibility, but you do not have the financial means to pay a fine that high. Most likely, your fine will be substantially reduced, and the issuing officer will not object to it. Good luck!

Tips & Warnings

• Be courteous and respectful to the officer that stops you.
• When and if the time comes for court, dress appropriately.
• Be honest with the police officer
• Be honest with the clerk magistrate and/or judge.