Question About Speeding Tickets

[imperialism2024]

Over the summer I got a speeding ticket in Delaware for going 84 in a 65, but because I pleaded guilty I only got fined for 70 in a 65, and the corresponding 3 points. I paid the ticket and everything. Is this considered a criminal offense/felony? Or does it just count against your driving record? I'm thinking the latter, but I'm not sure.

[imperialism2024]

jeff m said:

Yep, generally driving offences are "driving offences" on the lic only. It is possible with some offences to plead not guilty and get given the chance to plead guilty to a lesser offence. For example, my wife clipped a parked car she got a ticket for reckless which carried three points and $80 fine, she pleaded N. G. and was given the option of pleading to reckless no points $70 and $30 costs. It was an extra $20 but no points on her lic which of course is good for our insurance. This works because the traffic court only wants to earn money, a not guilty plea is very time consuming for them.

thanks.

i probably would have pleaded not guilty, but that would have involved making a minimum of one more trip to the New Castle County Courthouse in Delaware, a 3-hour drive from my home in Pennsylvania... though, i thought i would only be getting 1 point (per Pennsylvania's laws) instead of the 3 that Delaware decided to assign.

i never did quite understand the logic behind assessing more points than necessary... they're getting their money anyway... by using a point system and inevitably causing the revocation of licenses for many drivers, aren't they just reducing their chances of making money off of tickets for careless drivers? i mean, it makes more business sense just to let them keep driving, and keep fining them.