Ain't this a bitch!

[Guest030915]

I haven't had a ticket in almost 10 years. Last month while rolling through Pasadena for work, I got a speeding ticket in almost the same damn spot as I did 10 years ago. That spot on Shaver where the speed limit drops from 45 mph to 35 mph. If you blink too many times you will miss that sign.

So, the cop tells me to either take defensive driving or get it deferred. If I get it deferred, as long as I don't get another ticket in Pasadena for 90 days the ticket goes away. I just took defensive driving 6 months ago for my job so I can't take it again. I go to get the ticket deferred today and get charged a whopping $210 to do so. Got dammit!!!! I got screwed to make a ticket go away and didn't even get a bj. Son of a bitch!!!

Oh well, there goes my provider money for my birthday week. LOL

[Dorian Gray]

Next time try walking while being a Negro in Pearland

[Brooke Wilde]

No ticket in 10 years! Hell I'm impressed (and a little board .... lol) as of tomorrow it will be a full 6 months since I've gotten my last ticket.

[Brooke Wilde]

Oh scratch that, I forgot, I got a ticket in North Carolina on 7/21/14 ... so it's been 2 months and 1 day.

[boardman]

Deferred adjudication still costs you the fine + court cost for the JP or judge to stick the ticket in his desk drawer. he doesn't see you again in 90 days the ticket goes in the trash and the cash goes in his pocket.

That's how it works.

[Guest030915]

Damn! So that's how it works? Yep, 190 ticket fee plus 20 court fee. Then for good measure they added another 8.40 fee because I paid with a card. I felt like I got up sold by a BP chick who gave me a CHJ

[Wakeup]

What are driver's license points and how do they work?

In 2003, Texas passed the Driver Responsibility Act. Moving violations are assigned two points, except there are three points for violations that resulted in anaccident.

Non-moving violations,seatbelt violations,or going less than 10% over the posted speed limit (for example, 65 in a 60) do not get any points.

Points remain on your license for 3 years, after which they automatically drop off.

Whenever you reach 6 points or more, you are assessed a minimum surcharge of $100 against your license. If you don't take steps to pay this surcharge,your driver's license is suspended. Since it takes 3 years for points to drop off, it is possible that you could end up paying on the same set of points for more than a year.

For example, assume that you received a citation resulting in an accident in Year 1,and then a second similar citation in Year 2. Since violations that result in an accident are 3 points each, you have 6 points in Year 2. You will have to pay the $100 surcharge to avoid your license being suspended. In Year3, you still have 6 points and you will have to pay another $100. By Year 4, the 3 points from Year 1 will have dropped off and you will no longer have to pay a surcharge.

Each additional point over 6 is an additional $25 annual surcharge. So if you have 7 points on your license, you will have to pay $125 for that year. The surcharges are assessed annually.

There are also certain violations that have their own annual surcharge. These are driving while intoxicated ($1,000 annually for three years), not having insurance ($250 annually x 3), and driving while license invalid or without the proper endorsement (for example, not having a motorcycle license) ($100 annually x 3).

What can I do to keep points off my license?

You can take a defensive driving class for most moving violations which will dismiss the ticket. You can also ask for a deferred adjudication, which is where the court will set aside judgment on your ticket for a period of time. During that time, you cannot get any further traffic violations. At the end of the period, provided you have paid all of the fees and not had any other violations (and also met any other requirements the court might have set), the case is dismissed.

What is defensive driving?

Defensive driving (also called a driver safety course) is a program that allows you to keep a moving violation from becoming points against your license. You are eligible for defensive driving if you have not taken defensive driving in the year prior to your offense date and if you were speeding, you did not go 25 or more miles over the speed limit.

There are two dates to keep in mind. The first is your offense date (for example, June 1, 2009). The second is when you took defensive driving for your other ticket. The common belief is that you can take defensive driving for tickets at least one year apart. This is not correct. If you received a ticket in May 1, 2008 and took defensive driving in July 1, 2008 to dismiss that ticket, you cannot take defensive driving for the 2009 ticket.

Taking defensive driving classes to lower your insurance rates do not prevent you from taking defensive driving again to dismiss a ticket.

The maximum amount of time you get to take a defensive driving class and submit the paperwork to the court is 90 days from the offense. Some courts may give you less time, but they cannot give you more time. You also need to turn in a certified copy of your driving record, which you can get from the DPS website.

[woodeye]

Or next time either sit out the ticket (jail time) Make sure you have someone drop you off and schedule vacation because they are going to want to take you right then. they might tell you 2 days but in reality it might be les than a day, when they find out what you are in for. Someone that I know is a cop told me that if I was put in jail for my ticket (blinker) that they would probably just make me wash a cop car and then send me home. I elected for community service (10hrs). This was a joke. it was like kool detention. Just sit in a big a/c civic center and listened to music on my phone and surfed the web. Only spent about 7 hrs total between 2 days. They even had a t/v in there. Bottom line was, I told the judge YOU AINT GETTING MY MONEY!!!!!

[Russ38]

Originally Posted by woodeye

......they might tell you 2 days but in reality it might be les than a day, when they find out what you are in for.

You ever been processed through Harris County? Good luck with that "less than a day" shit......

[69UILTAZ]

I used the lawyer that mails u when you get a ticket 35$ Total and my time to get it dissmissed.

[Fancyinheels]

Originally Posted by Wakeup

... Taking defensive driving classes to lower your insurance rates do not prevent you from taking defensive driving again to dismiss a ticket...

What he said.

OP, did you actually ASK anyone if you could have taken defensive driving again?

My brother recently took defensive driving for a job he applied for. A month later he got a ticket. We were told by the Montgomery County police officer who wrote his citation AND verified it with the court AND our insurance company, State Farm, that my bro COULD repeat his DD class since the prior course was not taken for a driving offense. He took DD from a different company, presented his certificate, and the ticket was waived. (However, as you found out, the court "processing" fee for waiver or deferment is still a doozy.)

I wouldn't imagine that Harris or any other Texas county would differ if the violations fall under state motor vehicle laws.

[Fancyinheels]

Originally Posted by Dorian Gray

Next time try walking while being a Negro in Pearland

Think Michael Jackson ever got deferred for jaywalking after dark? He would have stood out at night.

[Brooke Wilde]

Originally Posted by woodeye

Or next time either sit out the ticket (jail time)

I did this one time. I had about $1,900 in fines, spread over 5 or 6 tickets. I turned myself into the Mykawa jail at 10:30pm, went before the TV judge around 2am and was released and waiting for my ride by 6am.

Years later and I still can't tell that story without smiling.

[Russ38]

Originally Posted by Brooke Wilde

I did this one time.

Of course......

Mykawa? How many did you have to suck off?.....

[woodeye]

Originally Posted by Brooke Wilde

I did this one time. I had about $1,900 in fines, spread over 5 or 6 tickets. I turned myself into the Mykawa jail at 10:30pm, went before the TV judge around 2am and was released and waiting for my ride by 6am.

Years later and I still can't tell that story without smiling.

They knew they weren't going to collect their $1900 and it would just cost them more to keep you and feed you for however long they would keep you.


Even if you take defensive driving or take deferred...they still are getting your money. That's their main purpose. They don't want you in jail, taking up space for a traffic violations.
If you have taken DD and it is less than a year. If you hire one of those lawyers that mail you saying they can get you off. They can get you DD.
I got a traffic ticket and it had only been 3 months since I took DD. I hired the lawyer ($50), Told her about the DD and she got me DD. If this is a scam I don't know what is. I know if I had asked for it I would have been turned down.
Got a ticket for no seatbelt and missed the court date. Got a letter stating that I missed it and owed $180. I called within 10 min of receiving the letter to pay by credit card and was told I owed a total of about $300 for failure to appear. Hired the lawyer and they got the failure to appear dropped and the seatbelt fine dropped to $100. No way in hell I could have done this. Bunch of crooks. Like I said Sit it out or take community service. If you have the time.