"Legally" has nothing to do with it. We're talking "fairly" here. No, the whole thing was not fair, including the sudden speed limit sign.
Now, why in the world whoud he do that? It was a $200 ticket. To do that, he'd have had to show up to plead not guilty, and then the judge would set a trial date. Showing up to plead not guilty requires 800 miles of driving each way, 2 nights in a motel, and 3 days off work. 800 miles of driving each way in even a fuel efficient car at 30 mpg is 27 or so gallons of gas at $2.50 a gallon for $135 for the trip. 2 nights in a motel, even an economical one, is another $100. Then there's the next trip down for the actual trial. We're up to $235 for each trip, and the state could ask for a continuance due to some sort of inconvenience on their part (like the defendant actually showing up.) So, maybe there's a 3rd trip to be done. Plus, my friend could lose the case anyway, and just to discourage further people from trying to fight the ticket, the judge JP whatever could decide to add a jail sentence. Then the court costs would probably be more for a real trial.
Anyway, that's a minimum of $235 if he somehow could go down there just for the trial, rather than having to show up to plead not guilty.
So, why in the world would a sane person ever consider doing such a thing???
But that's not why these aforementioned "special" towns on 301 are doing it. They're doing it for the money.
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$470 for 2 trips to Florida... naw...
Maybe add a 3rd trip for picture taking???
Like hell - I'm not shelling out $235 and 3 days off work to fight a $200 ticket - more, actually, 'cuz neither of my cars gets 30 mpg.
The only way this is not theft is for the cities in question to put the signs where they can be reacted to without standing the car on its nose, and make the limit so cars acting normally will do the speed you really want 'em to do. If you want people doing 35, then make the limit 30... and you'll likely get most people at 35, and can arrest the rest of 'em without near-universal complaints from the general population. But that wouldn't make as much money, now, would it???
Dave Head
