Final update:
Ticket for failing to move over - $120
Court costs - $100
Missing some work to appear in court twice - $50ish
Rise in insurance premiums for a 2 pt. offense - Not sure
The look on the prosecutor's and trooper's faces when the judge said "The state has failed to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt, case dismissed." - PRICELESS.
Beat the case, don't owe them a dime (not even court costs).
I basically built a checklist of things the state had to prove, and the Trooper said when asked about my speed that I looked like I was going about as fast as traffic, I figured that was the only opening I'd have.
I asked him how fast I was going, and he said he wasn't sure but probably between 60-65. The questioning after that was roughly:
How did you determine that?
Just looking.
So you didn't have any help?
No.
You didn't use a radar gun?
No.
No aerial support?
No.
Did you pace my car?
No.
Did another trooper or officer help you out?
No.
So you're telling me that your guess that I was going around 60-65 is based on a quick glance and absolutely nothing else?
Yeah.
I should note that I'm aware most if not all law enforcement is trained in how to judge speed by looking, but I figured this was my only hope. I rested, prosecutor was done, we each explained why we thought we should win. Judge basically told the prosecutor he failed to prove that a visual estimate of speed by the Trooper was good enough based on his training (only because they failed to bring up that he was trained), and therefore they couldn't prove I was traveling at an unsafe speed. The judge admonished me to be much, much safer and that I would never get this "lucky" again. Case closed.
Trooper and Prosecutor looked at me on the way out like they wanted to commit some jailable offenses.
I feel awesome knowing that I was well prepared enough to win, but I also am still irritated knowing that I basically got off on a technicality and the fact that I followed the law exactly turned out to be irrelevant. I was particularly annoyed that the trooper "estimated" my speed at 60-65 when it was 45 and falling. Oh well, I'll take the win however I can get it.
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