Went to North Georgia for vacation and on my way up I recieved a traffic ticket from one of your friendly state troopers on I-75. I was slowing down (2-4 mph) on the emergency lane to get a cold drink out of my cooler in my truck bed and tropper came up behind me, turned on his lights and asked me for my liscense and proof of insurance. I gave it to him and he asked me what I was doing, After I told him, he said that it was not an emergency and told me he was issuing me a citation. The citation was for driving in the emergency lane??? After arguing with him for a good 10 minutes, he told me that I sign the ticket or he would take me to jail??? The ticket was issued in Henry county and did not even have a price or point information on it. It listed a court date and a phone number. I called the number and found out the ticket costs $140.00??

After cooling down, I started to enjoy my vacation. I was heading home yesterday back on I-75 and had my cruise control set on 65 mph. I see a trooper on the left center median with the door open and don't bother to slow down because the speed limit is 65mph. Keep in mind that there are other cars beside me going the same speed and even faster. The trooper turns on his lights and catches up with me. I pull over and when the trooper comes to my window, I asked him why he was pulling me over because I have me cruise control set to exactly 65 (the speed limit) he says that I going 90 in a 65 and asks for my liscense and proof of insurance. I am pissed and after much discussion he comes back with a citation. He says that my larger tires are throwing off my speed and that was the reason I am getting a ticket. I tell him that Larger tires make your speedo read faster than what your are actually going and there is no way I was going 90 mph. He disagrees and says that I need to take it up with the courts. This ticket was issued in A Monroe county and like my earlier ticket a court date was issued and a phone number.

So some needed advice. Does anyone have any traffic ticket attorneys that they have successfully used. If so please l list them. Any advice would be great.

 

i dont have any attorneys at my disposal, but would list em if i could. one thing that i can tell ya about ga, is if you ask him to show you the speed, or for him to calibrate his radar gun in front of you, then he doesnt, or he is unable to proove that the gun is accurate, then he has to tear it up. and if i am not mistaken, then there is also a small box on the ticket, middle to bottom, that says that he has to calibrate the gun, if you dont say anything, and he doesnt see it, and he drives off, once he gets exactly 3 miles down the road, he has to tear it up. you can even go up to an off duty officer and ask them to calibrate the gun in front of you if you feel froggy, it is ga state law to do so, but unfortunately(sp) none of these will help you now, but like i said, i dont know really what to say, and if there was anyway for me to help you i would. sorry to hear about the bad experiences, ga is usually a pretty good place to visit, or stay!

 

Heres a bump incase someone knows an attorney.

 

I have to disagree with you on larger tires making your speedo read faster. I had a truck and had 33" tires on it, a 1980 f-100. I was good friends with a local and got him to radar and drive beside me and when my speedometer read 55 I was doing 68 by the gun and within a couple MPH of the same by his speedo in his cruiser. The bigger the tire, the slower your dash shows. If I am wrong everybody let me know. The truck I have now has 17-40 hawgs and when I am doing 45 by the dash I am all over 60-65, at least that is what my wife says every time she is behind me in her explorer.

 

as well, i don't have an attourney to reccomend you to, sorry bout that. And i'm also sorry to hear about your misfortune. Not to badmouth all Henry county cops, but they are some of the crappiest ones. From what i know they are all just filling their quotas....and to the radar calibration thing, thats true, they have to show it to you if you request it.

 

Thanks for some of the comments. I am still currently seeking an attorney in the Central Georgie area. I have looked at the tickets and do not see box or any listings about calibration of the gun. Thanks again

 

I received a ticket in henry county before for not having the county sticker on my plate (unbeknownst to me). I went to court, plead guilty, and the judge looked at the cop (who was there that morning) and said - "you gave him a ticket for this?" He then promptly dismissed the ticket with no fine..... which was $180!!! My advice - if you are able to show up for the court date and explain yourself calmly and in as few words as possible, you stand a chance of getting it thrown out. Otherwise, a lawyer would be in order.

 

I would agree with sdhopes, I asked several "GSP" Officers and Deputies I know about your situation. Your best bet is to go to court. Present your case, keep your cool and everything should be alright.

 

Larger tires will make to go faster than your speedo shows. Think about it this way; speedo is calibrated for original tire size --- let's say 30 inches tall; with 1 rev. of the tire you will travel about 94 inches (circumference of the tire); if you put on 36 inch tall tires; 1 revolution of the tire moves you 122 inches.

Also as far as officers being required to calibrate radar guns; I think it only applies to city and county officers (and they actually have to ask if you want it to be calibrated during the trafic stop) but the law says it doesn't apply to georgia state troopers.

 

I wouldn't pay an attorney if I didn't have a defense. That's just more money out of my pocket. True, you could probably get a nice judge to toss out the emergency lane one, IF you were nice about it, but that trooper is more likely to show up for your court date because you argued with him. He'll play the tape & then what will the judge do? dunno.

Good luck.