
Quoting
4x4lo8o
My question involves traffic court in the State of: Missouri
About a month ago I got out of the Navy and was traveling from the East Coast where I'd been stationed to my hometown in Arizona. While I was traveling through Missouri I got pulled over for going 98mph in a 70mph zone. There's not really much for me to say in my defense. The road was clear and there weren't many other vehicles to compare my speed to, and I sort of got highway hypnosis and wasn't paying attention to my speed. It was stupid and I was quite angry at myself for it.
I explained my situation to the officer and he told me I would be able to call the court and they would work with me, he made it sound like I'd be able to plea guilty over the phone and wouldn't have to show up to the court date. However, I called the court and was told I have to show up for the court date, they can't even reschedule it for me.
What's the best way for me to handle this? Obviously it's a huge inconvenience for me to travel to Missouri, is there anyway out of showing up at court? And if I do have to show up, how will that go down? Should I try to fight the ticket? Am I looking at jail or anything more severe than a fine?
I don't know if it makes any difference, but I've never had any kind of criminal record or any traffic violations, including speeding tickets, before.