Q: I was going 86 in a 65. I received a ticket for $140. Court is not mandatory but if I go, can it get dropped?

A: If you ask for trial and officer is not there to testify it usually gets dropped.

The court date you have is probably not the trial date.

A: Hello Asker,

Most likely, it won't be dropped under that circumstance. Only two counties have a requirement for the officer to be present on the first court date (Cook, DuPage) and only one county requires state troopers to be present on the first court date (Cook). For all other counties, it is expected that you file a not guilty plea to require an officer to be present. If you have a state trooper in DuPage, you must file a not guilty plea to get them to be present on the court date. Should they not appear when required (rare for most cops and rarer still for state troopers), the case will often be dismissed if you show up.

In general, in all but those two counties, your first court appearance will have no obligation for an officer to be present. As for the fee, the $140 only applies to those settling cases out of court. When you go to court, you should anticipate mandatory court costs if you are found guilty and these almost always exceed the $140 ticket amount you see. Lastly, you should note that the $140 is the amount for a conviction. If you want court supervision, you must always pay more.

Hope that helps and let us know if you have any additional questions.

Sincerely,

Jason A. Wilkins

Traffic Attorney

(630) 445-2293

A: Yes, if you decide to go to court or retain an attorney to appear in court on your behalf, it will likely get reduced down. The District Attorney may require a driving course, but regardless, your best bet is to appear in court instead of paying the fine and admitting guilt to that speed.