Huckleberries Online

Man Beats Speeding Ticket — Finally

Posted by DFO

Dec. 3, 2009 9:21 a.m. • 3 comments

Getting a $75 speeding ticket thrown out may have taken two years, but it didn’t cost David M. Estes a penny. The Lewiston man and retired police officer fought a 2007 conviction for driving 10 mph over the limit all the way to the Idaho Court of Appeals. The court ruled to reverse that conviction in a written opinion issued earlier this week. “To me it’s a victory for the ordinary person,” Estes said when reached by phone Wednesday. He filed countless public records requests and court documents as he represented himself in the appeal, but Estes said it did not cost him any money to contest the ticket. The three-judge panel decided an Idaho State Police trooper’s estimation of a car traveling down the Lewiston Hill was insufficient on its own to base a conviction/Brad W. Gary, Lewiston Tribune. More here.

Question: Have you ever fought a speeding ticket in court? How did that turn out?

Three comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Phaedrus on December 03 at 9:39 a.m.
taken two years, but it didn’t cost David M. Estes a penny.

Unless you believe time is money. I wonder what Mr Estes could have done with two years of his life instead?
Tony on December 03 at 9:48 a.m.
got one in Pasco several years ago. I did not see the sign which reduced the speed limit. I took the time to drive back around, sure enough, the sign was there, but very hard to see, close to an entrance to the Freeway. I went to court, told the judge the story. He said that he had heard that complaint before, and told me he would drive through the area. 2 weeks later I recieved a letter from the judge, with a bill for court cost only. He saud that he had a hard time seeing the sign, even when looking for it. The sign has since been moved. Thanks Judge…cost me a trip to Pasco, more than the ticket, but was worth it.
fortboise on December 03 at 4:24 p.m.
Not speeding, but I did beat a “following too closely” ticket in Garden City. Usually that’s a catch-all when you hit somebody, but there was no hitting in this instance. Just me following closely, because the person in front of me was going 35 in a 45 zone… I was watching the driver (and the conversation he was having with his passenger) carefully, and keeping an eye (in the mirror) on the patrol car that turned into the right lane behind me.

Officer Little, first name Robert, signed the ticket “B. Little” for a nice touch.

I had the last laugh, representing myself in traffic court, and convincing the judge I met the “reasonableness” test of the statute.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.