How long is court going to take?

Question

I have to go to court tommorow for a minor speeding ticket. It was only 9mph over but it was in my own neighborhood so im going to court to get a plea bargin. How long is this going to be? ...also when should i get there?

Answer 1

There is no definitive answer. If you get a judge who nitpicks, you could be there for ages. If you have a solicitor (or lawyer if your in the US) take care of it for you, it might be over in a matter of minutes. It all depends.

As for the second part of your question, aim to be there at least 15 minutes before your scheduled time, perhaps even half an hour to make allowances for traffic. The worst thing you can do is turn up late, because that will just p**s off the judge because you've buggered up his day.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

Get there a good half hour before the time stated for you to appear. The earlier you get there usually the sooner you will get out of there . Be sure to check in so they have you down as being present , and you will be asked how you want to plea . If you are not going to contest the ticket but are willing to go and take a drivers education refresher course,

you may be able to get out of there immediately , and if you are willing to pay the fine . They can give you time to pay the fine if you cannot pay it then and there , and yet there is also the chance that if you feel you did nothing wrong and want to contest it , if the officer that issued the ticket fail to appear , it usually can be thrown out. If this is your first ticket you could get off easy and only have to take the class one or two times.

Answer 3

What in the world kind of plea bargain do you think you will get in traffic court?  Why didn't you just pay the fine?  Your hearing will only take a few minutes, no more than 5-10 minutes.  What takes the time is waiting for your name to be called, so it all depends on your last name.  Just don't be late and be prepared to wait.