Legal Question in Traffic Law in Georgia

Speeding Ticket without Signature

I received a speeding ticket.

On the ticket, the officer ( a county sheriff) did not place his signature. At the bottom of the citation, there is a spot for the officer to sign the ticket and place his badge number. The officer did print his name and badge number in section at the top, but not in the space at the bottom that certifes that I committed the crime. Since he did not sign the ticket, do I have any shot of getting the ticket thrown out?

Also, I am positive that I was not going 20 mph over like the officer said. If I had my cruise control set for 14 mph above. My car is a new Lexus - I feel the speedometer in it s more reliable than the radar gun. Could I contest this if I did not ask the officer to caliberate his radar.


Asked on 12/03/06, 7:38 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Glen Ashman Ashman Law Office also dba Glen Ashman Attorney

Re: Speeding Ticket without Signature

While the ticket should be signed if it is used as the charging document in court, the lack of a signature doesn't likely help you much. If you object, the officer can simply re-charge you with a new citation (he has two years from the date of the offense), or the prosecutor can prepare an accusation and try you with that.

Assuming the officer complied with the law, he calibrates his radar at the start of each shift. The evidence of that can be sought in pretrial discovery.

There are many possible defenses to a ticket, and only a lawyer who is skilled in such cases can advise you on this (since I work part-time as a city judge I cannot advise you on those).

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Answered on 12/03/06, 9:27 pm


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