I was stopped for speeding in Bonners Ferry Idaho. My question is I asked to see my speed on the officers radar and he said "the only way you will come back to my car is in handcuffs so no I do not need to show you the actual speed" I then asked him again and he said that he does not have to show it to me.
Upon writing the ticket he did not have me sign it, in the sig. spot he wrote "served".

Can I refuse to pay the ticket having not signed it (acknowledging it) and does he have to show me the speed if requested?

Thanks in advance.

tickle

when stopped in Ontario the officer always tells you what speed you were going and puts this on the ticket, we dont have to sign our tickets but the officer does with his badge number.

Just the fact that he served you and his name is on it is enough. Your plate no. would be on it too, so I dont see how you can refuse to pay it. No one likes paying tickets of any kind but this is what we have to do.

MOWERMAN2468

Go And Fight The Ticket. I Had A Similar Think Happen To Me In Ar And He Told Me I Was Doing 21mph Over The Speed Limit And Did Not Show Me Either. So 3 Weeks And 2 Days Later, I Made A 276 Mi (one Way) Trip To Traffic Court, Went Before The Judge And He Dismissed The Ticket. Maybe I Was Lucky, I Don't Know. But I Would Fight It Anyway.

macksmom

I just got a speeding ticket about a week ago....my FIRST one ever!! (and I'm 25) I'm in Ohio and when the officer had me sign the ticket he said I wasn't admitting guilt I was just signing the ticket to acknowledge that he did in fact serve me the ticket...on the ticket was a court date...the officer said if I choose not to pay the ticket I could go to court on the specified date and contest it. Your ticket should have the same I assume....if not it should have a number you can call.
If you don't think you were speeding I would definitely fight it....I find it weird he wouldn't show you the radar....and was so harsh about it.

GoldieMae

It really depends on the state law. In Idaho, the officer can "serve" you the ticket if he thinks you are going to refuse to sign it. In most states, you do not have the right to see the radar gun. However, if you ask, and the police officer says that you cannot see it, you are within your rights to use this as impeachment when you fight the ticket.

You absolutely have to show up in court if you don't want to pay the ticket. If you don't show up, your driver's license will probably be suspended.

I think everyone should fight speeding tickets. I have been to traffic court (only once as a defendant) on a few occasions and have only seen the traffic cop appear once. That is true in big cities, but may not be true in Idaho.

Here's what usually happens: You go in, the judge asks you how you plead, you say not guilty, the judge asks you if you are ready to argue your case and if you have a lawyer, you say yes, and then the judge asks if the cop is in the courtroom. If the cop is not in the courtroom, the judge resets the hearing and asks the city attorney to serve a subpoena on the cop. Then, a few weeks later, you go back to court, and either the cop shows or doesn't show. If he doesn't show, you ask the judge to dismiss the case, but if he shows, the hearing will begin.

Don't go in expecting that the cop won't show. If he doesn't then fighting the ticket is easy. If he does, then you have to be ready to create reasonable doubt and argue that you were not speeding. If you were speeding, then you pay the ticket. If the judge thinks you were speeding, then you pay the ticket.

Fr_Chuck

No the officer does not have to show you the radar equipment. In fact if he allowed you access to the front seating of the car he would be breaking a dozen policies rules of most departments.

Most tickets are a citation to appear, in these cases you are to sign the ticket, But in many places the officer can merely serve you if he wants.

runya410

I was stopped for speeding 2 months pryer to this one by as luck would have it the same officer, he remembered me the second time and immediately wrote the ticket up. So without signing it can I not ignor it and when they mail the summings out I would call and ask for them to prove I actually got the ticket by sending me a signed ticket (which they don't have)?
I live in Canada but was stopped in Idaho.

Fr_Chuck

No, if in that area you were required to sign, he would have made you sign, if you did not sign ( where required) you are actually taken into the station house and required to post a bond to go home.

In areas where you are not required to sign, they merely give it to you

GoldieMae

Don't do that. Canada has reciprocity with the states. They will recognize this ticket and you could lose your license.

ScottGem

As previously noted a moving violation ticket is a statement of violation and summons to a hearing. Signing the ticket is not an admission of guilt just an acknowledgement of being served. Since a moving violation is going to be served in a traffic stop, the officer simply noting served would proabably be sufficent for the court to accept service.

Now a ticket is NOT a conviction. So if you choose to fight it you can appear at the hearing at the time and place specified. You can present your evidence to refute the officer's claim. If it comes down to a he said/she said, you will lose. And the officer does not have to allow you access to the police car. They may be required to produce a log from the radar gun at the hearing.