Q: I was pulled over for doing 84 in a 70 on the highway by a state trooper who was going the opposite direction and
He stated that he passed me going the opposite direction about 2 miles back. So do I have to pay the ticket since he turned around and had to speed to catch up to me 2 miles later?
A: A person given a traffic citation by a Minnesota police officer must respond to it; or be convicted and fined by default. One way to respond is to pay the ticket, which amounts to a guilty plea as well. The other way to respond is to contact the court to make arrangements to be heard in court. Most people seek to avoid a speeding violation on their drivers license record. If you ignore, or pay the ticket; it will go the drivers license record. But if you contest it in court, it might not. A lawyer can improve your case. (For more on fighting speeding tickets, see my site.)
A: You have to address the issue. You cannot ignore it or the matter would go on your record. The ultimate question is whether you want to challenge the ticket or not. You can take a run at the prosecutor yourself or you can hire counsel to see whether you can negotiate a dismissal or a way to keep it off of your record.
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