Do Those Ticket Fighting Services Really Work?
Posted April 18, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The days of quietly forking over your cash with a fatalistic shrug following a speeding ticket may be over thanks to new paralegal groups like X-Copper, designed to give you a fighting chance in court.
More and more drivers are using professional help to fight tickets instead of meekly paying up.
So what should you do when you those anxiety-inspiring red lights flashing in your rearview?
According to David Matheson of X-Copper, the first thing is quietly accept the officer’s decision.
“He’s got the ticket book. He’s got the pen. He can make your life miserable if he really wants to,” he said.
Matheson used to be a cop, hence the name of his business, and he says rule number one is never argue with the officer.
“Fight the charge in court where there’s actually a person, called a judge, who’s interested in your version of the events,” he suggests.
That’s exactly what Thomas Barnes has decided to do after getting a speeding ticket.
“He was just there all of a sudden. I was stopped at a light and he just put his lights on behind me. I think he was at a gas station on the corner waiting,” he recalls.
Like Thomas, about a third of drivers caught speeding now choose to fight the charge in court, spending between $200 and $500 for a paralegal to help them.
Next month the government will start regulating this growing industry.
“They are really good at basically reducing the fine and/or the points, so I’ve been happy with them,” Thomas adds. “It seems to be saving me money on insurance.”
Even though it’s costing him money to save money, Thomas says he doesn’t see tickets as a cash grab.
“I think it’s a safety issue. You know, you get dinged enough and you’ll slow down.”
