Fighting Ticket from Out of State

My question involves a speeding ticket from the State of: Washington.

I was cited for speeding in a remote part of the state. The officer's vocal delivery was that of an Army drill sergeant; approached the passenger window instead of driver's side and rapped on the window loudly with the bottom of a flashlight. I was turned towards the driver's window when this happened and it startling.

The officer began scanning the inside floorboard with the flashlight as I went through my papers to get my rental car agreement. This is out in the middle of nowhere and there was nothing about my appearance, demeanor or contents of the car to have prompted such over zealous behavior.

The area I was in was a mixture of county, state and federal roads. Speed limits were not consistently posted; I was unsure of my own speed or the speed limit so I was told what it was. I have no way of knowing if that was correct or not. Ticket was issued and for the next 30 miles of road, there wasn't a single speed limit sign.

I live halfway across the country and cannot contest without being there in person. My own driving record is spotless but the ticket has my eye color wrong and the stop location is so ambiguous that it could be anywhere along a 80 mile route. The officer's aggressive style also makes me wonder about accuracy on his/her part.

My attorney called this morning with a personal conflict. Time is limited and I'm just not sure what to do now. Suggestions?

Call the Clerk of the Court and see if they will allow you to request a deferral by mail. Some jurisdictions allow it, some don't. But, it's certainly worth asking.

A deferral will cost you about $100 - $150, but it will keep the infraction off your record, so your insurance will not be affected.

Barry

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Quoting blewis

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Call the Clerk of the Court and see if they will allow you to request a deferral by mail. Some jurisdictions allow it, some don't. But, it's certainly worth asking.

A deferral will cost you about $100 - $150, but it will keep the infraction off your record, so your insurance will not be affected.

Barry

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Thank you Barry, I was hoping you would respond to my query.

I did contact the number listed on the ticket and given the option of paying the fine, pleading guilty with explanation (which will go on my record no matter what) or appearing in court. The only option by mail was guilty with explanation. I do not know if the person I spoke to was someone of a secretarial nature or the actual Clerk.

I sent a letter of explanation with documentation and contested; contesting by mail denied and court date was sent. At this point I secured an attorney.

Since my attorney is no longer available, I will call to clarify who the Clerk is and make whatever arrangements I have to. To your knowledge, is an online Defensive Driving course available for out of state drivers? My record is spotless here at home and this was my first time in Washington State.

Thank you so much!

Hmmmm, it's too bad that they won't allow you to request a deferral by mail. Which court is it?

While there are a few jurisdictions that have "traffic schools" (Kent Municipal Court, for example), most do not. And, NONE that I know of are online -- you must physically take the class.

Since they've scheduled your hearing anyway, go ahead and submit a discovery request -- you might just get lucky and find out the ticket was filed late. If so, just about any lawyer should be able to appear at your hearing and move for dismissal. You will find a form you can adapt here. Just click "Free User" and then click the "Download" button that appears.

Good luck,
Barry