Traffic Court WTD? Updated post #35
I've got to go to traffic court this week for a ticket I got and I'm looking for some suggestions on which way to argue this case. Here in MD you usually have 3 pleas, guilty, innocent or guilty with an explanation. The ticket is for going 67 in a 55 and here's what happened; On interstate 270 the speed limit is 55, there are 4 main lane and 2 local lanes (all going north with the same setup going south). I was coming home from work in lane #2 (second from left) and a cop is merging out from the local lanes into the 4 main lanes. Everybody slows to let him proceed to lane #1 (far left lane) and he sets the pace (between 70-75). Everyone (10-15 cars) is now following him for about 6 miles. My exit is coming up so I move to lane #3 keeping an eye on the cop making sure to stay behind him. Now the exit I get off has a police station so i'm thinking this cop will be getting off too and sure enough he moves from lane #1 into lane #2. (at this part of the highway there are no more local lanes, just 4 main lanes). Anyway, I now proceed to lane 4 (far right lane) and the cop moves into lane 3 (he's still in front of me by about 5 car lengths) Traffic is starting to close up (notorious choke point at this section of the highway) and when the cop went into lane 3 the car in front of him started to slow down (I'm guessing because he saw the cop behind him) and traffic is running about 60 mph. Well with this all happening the cop now cuts right in front of me and I have to hit my brakes to avoid being hit by him. I hit my horn and the cop now looks in his rear view mirror and sees me, he then proceeds to pull onto the right shoulder and I pass him. He pulls back out onto the road behind me and turns on his lights. I look at my speedometer and I'm going 55. I pull over and tells me he is pulling me over for speeding and I say I was behind him for 6 miles and he was setting the pace for traffic. He then says he was clocking me which he can do being the front car. So now I have a ticket for going 67 in a 55. Now to the court room. I can plead Guilty with an explanation and tell the story of how the cop set the pace for traffic for 6 miles and was just keeping up with the flow of traffic. I can try Pleading Not guilty for the same reason and I am allowed to ask the cop questions so even if i do get him to admit he was speeding, I'm basically saying the same thing, that I too was speeding, so am "not guilty"? Like I said in the beginning, looking for input on which way to plead and how to argue it. BTW, Haven't had a ticket for over 5 years so my record is good.