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Is going to court for a 2 point, $85 ticket worth it? Will our insurance rates go up? Will just paying it penalize her more?

Traffic Tickets 6 views 3 answers
My wife got a ticket for going 50mph in a 35mph zone and went through a yellow-flashing light without slowing down. The cop told her he would cut her a break and only gave her a ticket for careless driving. This brought the ticket down to a two point violation. He said the original ticket would have been 7 points. I'm assuming that would have been a combination of two tickets. My wife also got a ticket back in May which was two points I believe. She pleaded to unsafe driving and got 0 points on her record. We're trying to limit costs as much as possible and it seems like just paying the $85 ticket, avoiding court, and taking a defensive driving course would make the most sense. Is there something I'm not aware of that will end up penalizing us more than if we were to have gone to court?

Attorney Answers

3
Mark M CheserDUI / DWI AttorneyUnion, NJNJ licensed ·
No, you have a good handle on the situation. She could get a 0 pointer on her own but likely the unsafe again with the high fine. An attorney may be able to get a different 0 pointer but the fine would have court costs attached and the attorney's fee. However you should note that the safe driving cost is not free either. The end result may be close to the same. Also some insurance companies assess events and not just points. So make sure the safe driving course will be accepted by the company and keep your rates the same. Also the insurance points stay on the record for 3 years not subject to the 3 point reduction/year from MVC.
0 upvotes
Elliot Wiesner ·
She can get a second unsafe, assuming she had ONLY one prior unsafe, for zero points but the fine/surcharge /court costs on the second will range from $400-500 in total. Also if the ticket was issued in a construction zone or safe corridor the guilty plea could result in a doubling of the underlying fine. Finally, as to the insurance rate increase, if any, and when it would occur, check with your insurance carrier. My honest opinion is to pay it if you get "good" answers from your insurance carrier, otherwise go to court and try to plead it to a zero point ticket other than unsafe.
0 upvotes
Barbara Ungar ·
You can go to court and speak to the Municipal Prosecutor and request a zero point ticket using unsafe driving but would pay fines o f $400 and court costs and penalties. If you are not concerned about having 2 points on your driving record, then you could pay the ticket and avoid court. Barbara E. Ungar, Esq.
0 upvotes

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