Author Topic: NJ Ticket  (Read 6619 times)

Offline ye

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NJ Ticket
« on: October 15, 2012, 04:00:50 PM »
Does it pay to hire a lawyer for an unsafe lane use violation in NJ (2 points)? Lawyers seem to charge between $225 and $500, they all say they can get it reduced to a zero point violation, but someone mentioned that with GEICO my rates will go up regardless.

Is it worth it? By how much should I expect my insurance rates to increase?

Offline dd321

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2012, 04:15:03 PM »
take online course to get rid of 2 points

Offline lfas25

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #2 on: October 15, 2012, 04:43:46 PM »
Does it pay to hire a lawyer for an unsafe lane use violation in NJ (2 points)? Lawyers seem to charge between $225 and $500, they all say they can get it reduced to a zero point violation, but someone mentioned that with GEICO my rates will go up regardless.

Is it worth it? By how much should I expect my insurance rates to increase?

What state are you licensed in?
Rate depends on each company and your previous history, there is no real way to know how much until you get your bill.
I only paid 15% by switching to dansdeals

Offline ye

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #3 on: October 15, 2012, 05:08:23 PM »

Offline hocker

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #4 on: October 15, 2012, 05:24:30 PM »
I would fight a 2 point ticket on my own. That "someone" the OP mentioned is probably referring to a plea to a unsafe driving which will affect Insurance as well. Try to pleading it down to a non-moving violation and your ins rates won't go up.

Offline ye

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #5 on: October 15, 2012, 05:48:50 PM »
I would fight a 2 point ticket on my own. That "someone" the OP mentioned is probably referring to a plea to a unsafe driving which will affect Insurance as well. Try to pleading it down to a non-moving violation and your ins rates won't go up.
Do you have any experience with this in NJ, specifically in Middletown?
From what I heard the best you can do on your own is unsafe driving with a $439 fine, and only a lawyer can get it to "improper operation" or something like that, and with GEICO it affects your rates regardless.

Offline MarkS

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #6 on: October 15, 2012, 08:40:15 PM »
take online course to get rid of 2 points
That only gets rid of the points on your DMV record. The insurance will still consider it 2 points 'earned'.

Offline SamDaMan

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2012, 01:19:52 AM »
When does ins go up only if you get points or for every ticket?
But I'm still proud to be from clev!

Offline Ergel

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Re: Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #8 on: October 16, 2012, 09:04:45 AM »
That only gets rid of the points on your DMV record. The insurance will still consider it 2 points 'earned'.
You sure?
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline Name Changed

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2012, 09:07:46 AM »
You could plea unsafe driving yourself without hiring a lawyer.

IMHO in NJ its a waste to hire a lawyer - as they just get you the unsafe driving violation instead.


Offline hocker

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2012, 08:35:43 PM »
You could plea unsafe driving yourself without hiring a lawyer.

IMHO in NJ its a waste to hire a lawyer - as they just get you the unsafe driving violation instead.


You're right if that's all the lawyer can get but moany lawyers do much better than that.

Offline MarkS

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2012, 08:43:32 PM »
Guys, it's not so simple. I had a 4 point ticket which I could obviously on my own got knocked down to 2 points - but I needed to get it down to zero.

I went to court figuring I could do the unsafe driving thing myself, but the prosecutor refused saying she only offers that option to attorneys. When I went in front of the judge with the 2 point plea bargain that was set up, I again asked if I could plead guilty to 0 point unsafe driving and he refused. I asked him why an attorney would get preferential treatment - the same laws should apply to everyone, but he refused and was annoyed at me for asking.

In my research afterward I've come up with that they aren't required to allow you to plead guilty to unsafe driving. With a lawyer they are nervous that he will go to court and possibly win whereas with just a regular person they assume they would win in court and therefore don't feel pressured to offer it to regular people.
A different time I hired a layer to get the unsafe driving for me and I asked him how he's so sure that she will do it for him so he told me he used to be a prosecutor and this current prosecutor was a lawyer and he used to always give it to her......

Offline elikay

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #12 on: October 16, 2012, 09:54:53 PM »
You could plea unsafe driving yourself without hiring a lawyer.
IMHO in NJ its a waste to hire a lawyer - as they just get you the unsafe driving violation instead.
-1
You're right if that's all the lawyer can get but moany lawyers do much better than that.
+1
Guys, it's not so simple. I had a 4 point ticket which I could obviously on my own got knocked down to 2 points - but I needed to get it down to zero.

I went to court figuring I could do the unsafe driving thing myself, but the prosecutor refused saying she only offers that option to attorneys. When I went in front of the judge with the 2 point plea bargain that was set up, I again asked if I could plead guilty to 0 point unsafe driving and he refused. I asked him why an attorney would get preferential treatment - the same laws should apply to everyone, but he refused and was annoyed at me for asking.

In my research afterward I've come up with that they aren't required to allow you to plead guilty to unsafe driving. With a lawyer they are nervous that he will go to court and possibly win whereas with just a regular person they assume they would win in court and therefore don't feel pressured to offer it to regular people.
A different time I hired a layer to get the unsafe driving for me and I asked him how he's so sure that she will do it for him so he told me he used to be a prosecutor and this current prosecutor was a lawyer and he used to always give it to her......

Besides the cozy relationship which lawyers tend to have, there is also the fact that it will cost the court more to have to fight it (pay the cop overtime etc...).
Unsafe operation will not help for insurance purposes (I'e heard so from people inNJ whi have dealt with it), and you can always switch insurance company as GEICO is notorious for jacking up rates at every possible excuse.

Offline Dan

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #13 on: October 19, 2012, 10:37:32 AM »
Geico has never jacked up my rates for pleading to operating an unsafe vehicle.
Ya' know those unsafe 2011 Altimas :D
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline elikay

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #14 on: October 19, 2012, 01:56:46 PM »
Geico has never jacked up my rates for pleading to operating an unsafe vehicle.
Ya' know those unsafe 2011 Altimas :D
Unsafe operation will not help for insurance purposes
http://www.richardsonlawoffices.com/faqs/q-if-i-get-a-ticket-in-new-jersey-that-carries-points-should-i-plea-to-unsafe-operation-a-no-poi.cfm
and in this case they definitely took it into account
http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/opinions/a0638-11.pdf
BTW I do get the tongue in cheek.

Offline plainbachur

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #15 on: October 19, 2012, 03:38:41 PM »
I got 3 tickets in howell nj(the worst place to get one court and cops very nasty)
86MPH in a 50MPH zone
reckless driving
and i didnt have my licesnse
every lawyer told me my licsense will get suspeneded
i hired a lawyer in lakewood got 2 tickets drop
and the 86mph down to a 2 point ticket which is less then 10mph over
pm for his info if intersted

Offline MarkS

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #16 on: October 19, 2012, 03:52:17 PM »
WOW! I just got a ticket in the mail today from a speed camera for going 72 in a work zone where the speed limit dropped from 65 to 55 because of work zone....

The ticket is for $40 and no points. CRAAZY!!!!!

If you're going to Baltimore look out for it near here http://goo.gl/maps/2wObA

Offline lfas25

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #17 on: October 19, 2012, 04:31:26 PM »
I got 3 tickets in howell nj(the worst place to get one court and cops very nasty)
86MPH in a 50MPH zone
reckless driving
and i didnt have my licesnse
every lawyer told me my licsense will get suspeneded
i hired a lawyer in lakewood got 2 tickets drop
and the 86mph down to a 2 point ticket which is less then 10mph over
pm for his info if intersted
Cops will issue you several tickets, so when you go to court they drop 1 or 2 and your "happy" with only getting 2 points instead of many more... If they give you only one usually you could get it dropped to almost nothing (assuming you don't have a massive record)
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Offline Smokey Joe Robinson

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #18 on: October 21, 2012, 10:38:48 AM »
Cops will issue you several tickets, so when you go to court they drop 1 or 2 and your "happy" with only getting 2 points instead of many more... If they give you only one usually you could get it dropped to almost nothing (assuming you don't have a massive record)

Yep this is a cash business. I had a relative going 91 in a 55 in florida and got it thrown out pretty much. The lawyer costed $800 and the court got some nice cash but it all went out the window. Gotta love it.
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Offline hocker

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Re: NJ Ticket
« Reply #19 on: October 21, 2012, 01:54:11 PM »
BTW lawyers in FL for simple tickets are dirt cheap! ($70 a pop)