In 2007, VA passed this. http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/18/1818.asp

In 2008, it was struck down for some dumb reason. http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/22/2251.asp

So they came up with this http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/22/2222.asp

And already pull **** like this http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/18/1899.asp

Mandatory Fines. This takes power away from the judicial branch and gives it to the executive branch.

Our society has created a way of life where you have to drive everywhere. It's all sprawl sprawl sprawl. Things just keep getting further away. And the cars get safer, and faster, but the speed limit gets lower. So we get to spend our whole ****ing life driving around.

We have a law that says that if you're speeding, you relinquish all right away. That means if you're going five over, and someone runs a stop sign and t-bones you, it's your fault.

It's not the big **** like incompetent war fighting or ****ing over ecosystems that makes people hate their government, it's the little **** like this, piling up, day after day.

I can't ****ing wait until we run out of oil and can't drive around anymore.

So basically you can get a fine of $3550 for speeding ten over now. Unless you don't live here. Then go ahead and speed all you want.

Incidentally, the average speed on I95 is 80 mph. Apparently this is a 'felony'. Traffic laws are entirely arbitrary and enforced randomly.

Fixed.

Btw, if that's what's really going on, that's pretty messed up.

You're the guy on the lawnmower, aren't you?

Traffice laws may be enforced randomly, but they are not "entirely arbitrary."

For once something political that other states ***** about, but I as a Californian, can be happy I don't have to put up with.

WTF, srs post?

damn, everyone should leave. You could walk up to me on duty, punch me in the face, and get charged with a misdemeanor. Yet, 80 on the highway is a felony?

No. 20 over is reckless driving which is a misdemeanor, even in Virgina.

Driving over 80 can be a felony or a misdemeanor depending on what mood the cop that pulls you over is in.

What I left out : The champion of this **** in virginia congress is a man named David Albo. He also happens to be the senior partner of a law firm that specializes in representing traffic law violators.

And how would that work? He cites you for something else that's a felony??

Actually no. The only speeding ticket I've ever gotten I got from Maryland; now Maryland has it's own problems (Perfectly straight interstate with no cross roads for ten miles, posted speed limit of... 35?) but at least their fines aren't oppressive.

I'm offended by your assumption that someone has to be a victim of draconian laws to be opposed to them.

No, speeding itself is the felony. A car is a deadly weapon, remember.

I keep reading this as a Woman's Anatomy Q/A.

I don't see how it could be a felony unless you were showing intent to harm other people. In which case the felony isn't reckless driving, it's attempted murder or similar. I don't see how a cop an just "write you up a felony." That's not a small charge. Or am I missing something?

A "citation" is not an indictment. It's a summons to court, or you can admit guilt by paying the fine (bail some places call it) and be done with it.

I meant accusation. I know a citation isn't an indictment. What I'm getting at is that I don't see how it being a misdemeanor or a felony is up to the cop. Isn't the cop's job to write down what you did (20 over, 20 over in the wrong lane etc) and present it to the court for a hearing?

Good, I say. If it were up to me I'd raise the amounts on all but the last two.

nevermind

never mind your bad postinfg.

From what I understand that in the state of Arizona 15 miles over the speed limit is considered a felony.

Is Commander 598 posting drunk again?

Virginia needs the money to pay for idiotic lawsuits against the federal government.

It's supposed to go to pave the roads. But all that happened last time they tried this was the courts got clogged full of pissed off middle class people.

Nope. 25 over is a felony, unless the posted speed limit is 75 (like on the I-10), then 15 over is felony.

Them better be some damn smooth roads

A quick search found this. It appears to be the most serious class of speeding offense in Arizona, and is not a felony.

Hmm, that's different from what I learned in traffic school a long time ago. Damn.

Don't speed

Yeah, if you don't want your hands chopped off, don't steal.

Speeding in your car, and stealing are not even close

(just because something is a legitimate crime doesn't mean that any level of punishment is acceptable)

They are not arbitrary but are often based on a local government's desire to generate money in spite of practicality and at the cost of safety. Roads are very often given speed limits that are far below their designed speeds, which makes it very easy to accidentally exceed the speed limit even if you are trying to observe it.

Here you can get 8 years for speeding.

Go away.

I always speed around here. EVERYBODY does. In a 35 zone, I'm well into the 40s and people still pass me. Our 65 MPH freeways are a joke, I drive 70 minimum, sometimes up to 80. I blow by cops on a regular basis going 15% - 20% over the speed limit, they don't even bother. Kinda hard to give me a ticket when somebody is riding my ass so hard I can't see their bumper or I'm on a road that's 10 lanes wide, packed with cars driving insanely close. I'd cause a wreck if I tried to drive 65 all the time on the freeway and a skinny white boy driving 42 in a 35 is of no concern to local PD.

Yup, that's how it is in AZ too. If you go the speed limit, you're a danger to others around you because traffic is consistently speeding.

And that's exactly why I hate traffic laws.

Laws should reflect what the majority deems acceptable behavior.

I hope you don't mean that in general.

As a general rule I think that's a bad model of lawmaking (although it's quite a bit better within the additional constraints of something like our Constitution). When it comes to speed limits, I think it's a fairly accurate model of what actually ends up happening.

Drunk guy gets in trouble for driving a lawn mower down the street, that's not particularly interesting. Though I think jail time is overboard and an alcohol ignition lock is comical.
I think in many circumstances having a mandatory minimum punishment is silly, because there are always circumstances.
Sure, have a recommended minimum sentence, one that would be taboo to go under, but not impossible.



Don't you know that's how laws change? Societies definition of acceptable behaviour changes, and so, slowly, do the laws.