Court on Wednesday for Speeding - Statement?

[Panthro]

Hi all, hoping I can get some advice. I was pulled over by the police in May for doing 54mph in a 30mph dual carriageway in Reading. I am 100% guilty and have no excuses. It was late at night and I was in a rush to get home because it was my wifes birthday and just wasn't thinking. I did slow down when I realised how fast I was going and was then pulled over by the police.

I fully accept my guilt and I want to explain to the courts that I do not drive like that and it was a one off incident, for which I am remorseful for. It's my first offence and I've never been to court in my life, so I was wondering if I need to prepare some kind of statement to read out to the courts to confess my guilt and express my remorse; or is it something that I should just ad-lib? Any advice would be appreciated, apart from people berating me for speeding in a 30mph.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Panthro said:

Any advice would be appreciated, apart from people berating me for speeding in a 30mph.

Nobody gets berated when they accept that it was their own fault and don't bleat and whine. It's when they start with the whole "scamara/money making con/ridiculous limit/they should be out catching real criminals" nonsense that they get berated.

[anonymous-user]

Unless you are confident and experienced in public speaking, you should make some good notes or a prepared text of what you plan to say. Dress smartly and plainly, be on time, introduce yourself to the prosecutor. Maybe sit in at the back of a case ahead of yours if there is one, to familiarise yourself with the drill.

When called on, stand up straight, stand still (anchor yourself on the bench, table, or lectern with your hands, if need be), and look at the Magistrate/s. Speak slowly and clearly. Avoid undue colloquialism, but there is no need to speak in a cod version of Elizabethan prose. Avoid pompous formulations or pseudo legal jargon. Be polite, be yourself, rather than trying to be someone whom you are not. Be prepared to be interrupted by questions or comments from the Bench while you make your spiel. Interact with the Court rather than pressing on regardless. If the Court shows that it is not sympathetic to a point you make, do not press it too hard and know when to give it up. If the Court signals that it is with you on a point, move on to the next point (do not, as they say, push at an open door).

Stand up whenever the Magistrate or Magistrates speak to you. Call them Sir or Madam, as the case may be. Do not call them Your Worship.

The art of mitigation is to make the court feel intellectual discomfort about ordering a more severe sentence than that which you hope it will order. I would not ask for leniency or mercy, as courts like to consider that they act justly, and being lenient isn't just. Fitting the sentence to the crime is just. What you want is a sanction that is proportionate to the offence. Be prepared also to give details of your income and assets and outgoings.

agtlaw is the go to guy on the forum for this stuff, and if you are worried, hiring him or someone he recommends in your area to speak on your behalf could be a good investment.

No berating from me. I have points on my licence. We all speed. You are sensibly fessing up and being a grown up about it, not like the whyohwhyohwhyers who get caught speeding and then complain about speed enforcement, or try to get off on duff arguments (listening to them you would think that speed enforcement is more evil than the love child of Voldemort and the Wicked Witch of the West).

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 2nd November 13:21

[Panthro]

Thanks for your advice Breadvan. I'll start making some notes. I will make a full account of the evening and explain what I was doing and why I was driving so fast, but gauge how things go and make a call on whether or not I should give them the full statement.
My wife and I have started going for an evening walk down the same stretch of road and have noticed how fast people drive down there and how dangerous it is to speed down that road, so it has made me aware of how stupid it was to drive that fast in a 30mph zone.

[datum77]

Panthro. Breadvan has said exactly all the correct things. Only one thing I would emphasise, when you are asked to speak - address the bench and NOT the barrister asking the questions, in the same way that people in Parliament answer questions THROUGH the speaker during debates etc.

[JustinP1]

There's two ways to write notes:

First way is just to type out what you want to say and read it. However, it is obvious to all concerned that you are just reading it.

One might think that the better way is to learn what you are going to say by rote. Sounds clever, but problem with that is if you get stopped by the court, then you'll be stuck and forget where to start.

What public speakers do is to is to condense what they want to say to bullet points, or even better, key words so it fits on a small card which you can have in the palm of your hand or on something in front of you.

So, it might be (for example):

• Good conditions.

• Momentary lapse of concentration.

• Clean licence.

• Already steps taken

That way you can speak to the bench, and look them in the eye and talk like you mean it which garners a lot more empathy then just watching you read something. However, of course should you feel like you are lost, you have the confidence that your memory bullet points are only a glance away.

[ORD]

It has to sound genuine or it is worthless, so stick as closely to what you actually think and feel as you can while still, in essence, saying "Learnt my lesson".

Excellent advice from BV, as ever.

[Panthro]

Thanks all, I'm so glad I posted here for advice. I had about a week of sleepless nights when it first happened but have had a lot of time to reflect on and and am going to ensure I'm fully prepared. I am however prepared for the outcome and have since modified my style of driving. It's really amazing how much you notice other people speeding when you stick to the speed limit rigidly.

[Scrubs]

Here's what I wrote last year when I got done for 62 in a 30.

Result was 5 points and a 300 notes fine.

Scrubs said:

''Travelling at excessive speed is inexcusable, so I will accept any punishment that the court wishes to impose on me. However, I would like you to consider the following before passing judgement. I passed my driving test in January 1992, and in over 22 years, have never had any infractions or points for a speeding offence. I would appreciate if this could be kept in mind and I hope you will see travelling at 62 mph in a 30 zone is completely out of character for me.

I had been on my way to work when this incident occurred. Prior to setting off, I was involved in a heated argument with my ex partner about my son, which had led me to be running late. My head was not in the best of places. The location where this happened is on a straight, two lane, single carriage way. I was driving alone, there was no other traffic in front or behind me, and the road ahead was clear and dry.

As a ******* with a freight company, my work involves constant unsociable hours. Living in **** and working from ****, this restricts any option for me to rely on public transport. My daily duties also require me to use a company car to reach various locations. I have a 10 year old son with whom I have shared custody over between 3 to 4 times a week depending on my shifts. As my ex partner does not drive, it would make it very difficult for me to keep up his regular routine without a car.

I'm the kind of person who learns from his mistakes and I've had over 7 months now to dwell on the repercussions of my actions. The judgement will not only affect me, it would also affect other people around me. I am a very considerate driver and I really am truly sorry for my actions that day.''

That was it ^^^ Good luck.

Edited by Scrubs on Monday 2nd November 18:50