Back in mid September, my wife was going to a town that is about 20 miles from where we live and she didn't realize she was in a 40 speed zone. She got pulled over by a state trooper (highway patrolman) who said she was doing 57. She didn't think that was a big deal because she thought the speed zone had gone up to 55. Yet, it would go to 55 about a mile after where she got stopped. At any rate, she explained to him that she hadn't had a speeding ticket in 7 years or so and that this would really mess up our insurance (we had all kinds of bad luck in 2007 and 2008 and got placed in the damn Fire and Casualty Insurance with State Farm ). When she told him this, he told her to just show up on the court date and that he would make sure he wouldn't come, hinting that it would be dismissed. Her court date is in 10 days and I have a couple of questions: 1) Will the ticket get dismissed if the trooper doesn't show? 2) Will she still have to pay court costs and if she does how much? 3) If the ticket is dismissed, it won't be reported to our insurance, right? 4) Even if he does show up, she still has a chance to get it dismissed but what would she need to do or say? I appreciate any information, insight, or past experience that anyone can give me on this.
I have discussed that with her and we may have to do that; however, I was under the impression that if the trooper doesn't show, the ticket would get dismissed and nothing is reported to the insurance company. The problem with defensive driving would be for her to find someone to keep our son (turned 10 months old today), so there is an inconvenience factor - yet I understand that we may just have to deal with it if there is no other option.
personally, i'd rather do defensive driving than hope a cop sticks to his word and says he won't show up. if he was going to do that, why didn't he just give her a warning and be done with it. i know here in texas you can do it online now (at least i think!). good luck man.
You can't count on the word of strangers. But it may be too late to do defensive driving. If the cop shows, your wife may be able to get deferred adjudication from the judge/assistant da. You will still have to pay the ticket, but it won't go on your record.
1. I believe you can request defensive driving before the court date. If you could, you could do it online. Cost is the same and you can go at your own pace. It won't hit your insurance and you might also get a discount on your auto. 2. If the trooper doesn't show, it's dismissed and can't hit your insurance.
