Legal Question in Traffic Law in New Jersey

I recieved a ticket in New Jersey for careless driving; the officer said I was going 20-24 miles over the speed limit; he said he was doing me a favor by giving me a careless driving ticket versus a speeding ticket; supposodly its only two points versus six points; I am from New York, so I suppose this is why they stopped me; a friend told me I could go to court and plead guilty under 497.2 (which I can not find any information on this) and I can ask the prosecutor to get no points taken off; I have never been to court and this is my first traffic ticket; I have recieved tickets for meters and stuff of that nature but not for traffic; can i got to court and do this without an attorney?; I dont have funds for an attorney

I received the answer below. But now looking at my ticket and confirming with website; the ticket was given to me on a Friday in which I was at work (a law firm); is this enough grounds to have the ticket cancelled?; If so who should I contact and what type of proof would I need?

Answer given:

initially, twenty to twenty four miles over the limit is 4 points in New Jersey. In this sense the officer cut you a break by giving you a careless which is only 2. Since you are a New York driver, i have been told by other New York drivers that 2 points will not transfer to your New York License. points do transfer, but you might want to check with New York M V to know how many and when. It may not even pay for you to take a 97.2 which will cost you roughly $400.00 with fines, court costs and surcharges. The choice to use an attorney is a personal decision. You are not facing a serious offense. An attorney will help you avoid the points but you may be able to do it on your own. If you cannot afford a lawyer, go to Court speak to the prosecutor and see what he or she would be willing to offer. The key is it is not a ticket that will hurt you, good luck


Asked on 4/04/13, 8:28 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Ronald Aronds Law Office of Ronald Aronds, LLC

THis is a four point ticket. The prosecutor can offer you a downgrade to a two point speeding ticket with a fine of up to about $233.00, and he MAY agree to downgrade it to a 0 point ticket for Unsafe Driving in violation of N.J. statute 39:4-97.2. The fine on that is anywhere from $333.00 to $489.00 for a first offense. If you can't afford a lawyer then you always have the right to go to court and represent yourself. The date written wrong on the ticket isn't necessarily fatal, and really would only be so if you are completely denying that you ever got pulled over by the officer for speeding. The judge has the right to correct minor erros like that, and the officer can also reissue the ticket with the correct date on it.

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Answered on 4/05/13, 6:41 am


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