How many traffic cases are 'winnable'?

[Somewhatfoolish]

If money is no object and someone has no common sense or sense of cost/benefit, what proportion of traffic cases are winnable by some arcane process and does this change by offence?

I ask cause Nick Freeman always seems to be winning cases that seem slam dunk, but maybe this is just misleading reporting and he settles 95% of them?

It seems like drink driving especially has a lot of procedural requirements that are not always followed.

[lancslad58]

Money no object, do a Ronnie Biggs

[stemll]

Why? What have you done?

[Somewhatfoolish]

stemll said:

Why? What have you done?

Nuffing, I'm just interested. It's hard for me to reconcile Mr Freeman's reported successes with general experience so I'm wondering if this is just extremely misleading reporting or if it's more like almost no one bothering to do things properly at the "sausage factory" end of justice system so the sufficiently determined can get away with things. The latter appears to be the case with parking tickets so either seem plausible.

[lancslad58]

Just tell them that you're somewhat foolish and you don't understand the laws of the land. I'm sure they will not take long to believe you.

[MustangGT]

Every case is unique, therefore there cannot be a hard and fast rule on how to beat the charge.

[ScoobyChris]

Not sure about "winning" but a lot of the time I imagine they can get you a much more favourable outcome than if you were not represented.

Chris

[spikeyhead]

Has it occurred to the OP that Freeman only takes cases that he knows he can win, therefore winning a high percentage of them?

[dontlookdown]

I think that the profiles of 'super lawyers' like Freeman are a kind of confirmation bias, in that

a) they generally choose cases that experience tells them they will likely be able to win

b) they (and their clients) make a hoo ha about victory, while quietly brushing defeat under the carpet.

So not a good proxy in this case.

Edited by dontlookdown on Thursday 28th August 08:22

[Terminator X]

£100 fine and 3 points or whatever Vs £1000's spent with a lawyer. I'd guess 99.99% of people just take the fine.

TX.

[XCP]

All of them.

It purely depends on which side you are on.

[irc]

Even Freeman will tell his clients to plead guilty in some cases. The ones that make the headlines are where thry are borderline and he fights and wins and makes headlines.

As said above, if a few thousand quid means less than 3pts people will go for it. Most people accept thay were caught and take the pts.

He doesn't win all the cases he contests.

"Chris Tarrant has been given six points on his licence and fined £525 after he was caught speeding twice within 21 minutes on the same stretch of road."

https://www.pattersonlaw.co.uk/faqs/clutching-stra...

[conanius]

Somewhatfoolish said:

If money is no object and someone has no common sense or sense of cost/benefit, what proportion of traffic cases are winnable by some arcane process and does this change by offence?

I ask cause Nick Freeman always seems to be winning cases that seem slam dunk, but maybe this is just misleading reporting and he settles 95% of them?

It seems like drink driving especially has a lot of procedural requirements that are not always followed.

Quite some time ago I was charged (With another PHer) for motor racing on the public highway, MS50. I sought out Nick Freeman and asked for advice. He said we'd been too honest and said too much at the scene and it was a waste of time. I think his 'game' is 'say nothing and then I can bend as needed'.

I spoke to a friend who was a magistrate, and his view was it was worth me getting representation as he felt we'd been charged with the wrong offence.

We got representation - motorlawyers.co.uk and went for Barrister representation. When at the initial hearing the CPS whipped out the tape from my friends in car video (which, after being taken at the scene hadn't been shared with our side) they got a recess so we could watch the video. Quite heartening hsi first words stated were 'wow, you were telling the truth, this is exactly how you explained it and the police really did embellish as you said they did'.

There was an adjournment, and then it came back to the magistrates court, CPS refused a pre hearing plea offer down to Careless... and on the day we were found not guilty.

In the end I think our costs were about £2k, which considering the implications if we'd been found guilty, was priceless.