Got ticket, need advice

Glotin · 11-14-2011, 13:20

I was traveling on I-26 on my way to a tournament the youth lacrosse team I coach was playing in. I was in the left hand lane behind another vehicle moving with the flow of traffic. It was about 10 PM.

I noticed an SUV get on the interstate just behind me with its high-beams on (red flag #1). The SUV immediately merges into the left hand lane and starts tailgating me very close. Again, I'm moving with traffic and there's a car in front of me so I couldn't get out of this guy's way if I wanted to.

As the guy continues to tailgate I'm thinking he's either drunk or a very aggressive driver. Either way, I don't want to be anywhere near him.

SUV stays right on my bumper as we continue to pass traffic. After we clear traffic the car that was in front of me gets over into right hand lane.

At this point, not knowing what this guys deal is, I just want to get away from him. I accelerate down the highway (my car has >300hp so it will move) and away from drunk/aggressive guy.

After I've put some distance between us I resume moving with traffic in the right hand lane.

About this time I see flashing lights up ahead and move over into left hand lane. As I'm passing two police cars (unmarked I think) I notice SUV come right up behind me again. This time I pass traffic and get into right hand lane. SUV does same and shortly thereafter turns on his lights and pulls me over.

So the SUV tailgating me so badly were two DEA agents in an unmarked SUV.

I pull over, turn on inside lights and keep my hands on the steering wheel. They come up and knock loudly on passenger side window.

DEA #1: "License and Registration... I pulled you over for going about 120 back there"
Me: "Yes sir" I hand him my ID pack with DL and military ID, which he immediately takes back to their SUV.
DEA #2: "Do you have anything in the car you're not supposed to?"
Me: "I have a gun in the center console, sir" (Perfectly legal, but wanted to let them know)
#2: "Under the seat?"
Me: "No sir, in the center console"
#2: "Keep your hands on the dash... What kind of gun?"
Me: "Glock 17, sir"
#2: "Where did you get it?"
Me: "Lawmen's in Columbia"
#2: "Why were you speeding?"
Me: "Honestly, sir, I thought you were tailgating me and were either drunk or an aggressive driver, and wanted to get away from you"
#2: "We were on our way to help out our buddies back there"

That was the end of it until DEA#1 comes back with ticket for "To Fast For Condition" (it was not raining)... $240 and 4 points. He also tells me that I need to get a SC DL because I live in SC now (not true since I'm active duty military).

They didn't have radar so they have no idea how fast I was going. I really don't know how fast I was going either... It wasn't about the speed it was about putting distance between me and them and I didn't look at the speedometer. When I was at speed I didn't pass any other vehicles and had slowed down and started moving with traffic again by the time they got behind me again.

They were tailgating me pretty badly and I wanted to remove myself from the situation. I could have handled the situation differently but I made what I thought was the best/safest decision based on limited information. I'm not very interested in having a drunk/aggressive driver next to/in front of me on the interstate... it's a lot better to have a problem behind you than ahead of you. If they were in such a hurry to "help out their buddies" they should have turned their lights on instead of driving recklessly.

I haven't gotten a ticket since I was 19 on a PCS move for the military (5 years ago). That ticket was for 80 in a 75 and I just paid it, didn't go to court.

My questions:

1. What does "CTC" mean; under "Name of Trial Officer"?
2. Should I get a lawyer for this or just go to court and tell the Judge what happened? My GF was in the car with me and will be going to court with me.
3. This will be my first time contesting anything in court so any other advice commensurate with that would be appreciated.

***Rabbi*** · 11-14-2011, 13:27

Uh....You are saying you got a "ticket" from a Fed...enforcing the State misdemeanor traffic code?

harlenm · 11-14-2011, 13:29

Yeah, I don't see a DEA agent writing a traffic ticket, it's kinda out of their jurisdiction.

Glotin · 11-14-2011, 13:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rabbi

Uh....You are saying you got a "ticket" from a Fed...enforcing the State misdemeanor traffic code?

I could be wrong but I thought they were DEA.

Didn't see much of them and they didn't identify themselves.

I did see "AGENT" across one's back, and assumed they would be DEA based on 3 unmarked cars responding to one pulled over vehicle on the interstate.

GF thought they were DEA/something other than state troopers/local police aswell.

Could they have been working together one DEA one State Trooper?

Or possibly I just mistook a state trooper drug enforcement task force for DEA.

Bottom line is I could definitely be wrong, but that was the impression that we got.

bci21984 · 11-14-2011, 13:42

Does the citation not have the name of the issuing agency on it? Post a picture of it.

***G33*** · 11-14-2011, 13:46

Lawyer up.
Too many problems with story to discuss.
How was your speed clocked, etc...?

ChiefWPD · 11-14-2011, 13:47

Glotin:

The DEA (unless cross sworn which sometimes happens - we sware-in federal National Park Police in my town) shouldn't be writing "tickets." What's the piece of paper say and where are you supposed to respond to??

hpracing007 · 11-14-2011, 13:48

Man, they must be really hurting for some revenue.

eclark53520 · 11-14-2011, 13:49

You were speeding. You admitted it.

They gave you a ticket for too fast for conditions(it doesn't have to be raining to get that ticket).

Pay the ticket. Move on.

Next time, just get in the right lane and out of the way.

chris in va · 11-14-2011, 13:50

What does the header on the ticket say? Where do you have to pay it?

My friend had a similar incident over the river in Indiana a couple years ago. We went to 'court' to contest it, which really was just a line of people waiting for their turn at the table with the assistant-assistant DA. We explained what happened, they dropped the points and fines with the agreement she would get no more tickets for the next year.

eclark53520 · 11-14-2011, 13:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by G33

Lawyer up.
Too many problems with story to discuss.
How was your speed clocked, etc...?

He wasn't cited for speeding.

Too fast for conditions is a judgment call.

He already admitted to speeding on a public forum.

boomhower · 11-14-2011, 13:55

He doesnthave radar so he cited to fast for conditions since he couldn't cite a specific speed. Most judges are going to agree 120 is to fast for any condition outside of Montana like roads.

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dhoomonyou · 11-14-2011, 13:55

Get a lawyer.

Hindsight being 20/20, pull over right, call troopers to report other driver.

***G33*** · 11-14-2011, 13:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by eclark53520

He wasn't cited for speeding.

Too fast for conditions is a judgment call.

He already admitted to speeding on a public forum.

Even more bogus.

fnfalman · 11-14-2011, 13:57

FIGHT DA POWAHHH!!!

Go to court and have your day.

***G33*** · 11-14-2011, 13:59

More crooked cops!

LL6 · 11-14-2011, 14:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by eclark53520

You were speeding. You admitted it.

They gave you a ticket for too fast for conditions(it doesn't have to be raining to get that ticket).

Pay the ticket. Move on.

Next time, just get in the right lane and out of the way.

Bad advice. A conviction for 15 over in the state of NC results in suspension of the DL. Don't know what it is where the OP's at but just paying the ticket won't end well.

Definitely lawyer up.

LongGoneDays · 11-14-2011, 14:04

I think tailgating & bright lights and you were still polite? Are you retarded or lying?

eclark53520 · 11-14-2011, 14:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by LL6

Bad advice. A conviction for 15 over in the state of NC results in suspension of the DL. Don't know what it is where the OP's at but just paying the ticket won't end well.

Definitely lawyer up.

Again, for the how many'th time, he was not cited for speeding.

ithaca_deerslayer · 11-14-2011, 14:10

One of the "Vacation" movies has a funny scene where Chevy Chase is having trouble with some other driver on the road, so he flies by them going as fast as his family station wagon can go, while saying to his wife:

"I'm going to put them safely behind me."

I think your premise of putting them safely behind you was flawed. Aggressive car on your butt, move over to the right and let them by. They are just going to fly down the road and get on someone else's butt.

If they stay on your butt when they can pass, and you've slowed down, then that would be a different situation.

Just sayin

Mister_Beefy · 11-14-2011, 14:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by eclark53520

You were speeding. You admitted it.

They gave you a ticket for too fast for conditions(it doesn't have to be raining to get that ticket).

Pay the ticket. Move on.

Next time, just get in the right lane and out of the way.

busted for SWNC!

(speeding while not a cop)

John Rambo · 11-14-2011, 14:11

Here is what I read.

Blah blah blah, crap that doesn't matter.

I got a ticket.

Blah blah blah, crap that doesn't matter.

Blah blah blah, random questions.

Can you identify the part of that post that was useful?

Get a lawyer. Fight the ticket. ALWAYS get a lawyer. ALWAYS fight the ticket. Have a good day!

DanaT · 11-14-2011, 14:17

Advice: Don't drive that fast on the highway and then you don't have to ask for advice what to do when you get a ticket.

If he was taligating that close, did you not see the lights in the grill?

Also, if you were going anywhere near 120mph, this wasn't something that happened over a few seconds. Lets say you started at 80mph and had constant acceleration (which you dont but easier calculation) upto 120mph. That probably took at least 20 seconds. Assuming an average speed of 100mph (see the constant accelration thingy there) you covered about 2900 feet in that time or well over a half mile at high speeds. Hard to claim an "ooopps I dodn't know" when it took a half mile or more to do what you did.

-Dana

MrsKitty · 11-14-2011, 14:19

Moved to CopTalk where you will get serious advice.

IndyGunFreak · 11-14-2011, 14:30

120mph?!?!

That would have gotten you arrested here.