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So, I was admitting defeat (more-or-less) and headed to the courthouse this morning, only to find out that they're closed all day on Friday.

As I was filling out the plea form, I noticed that the date is wrong on the ticket. I hope that I'm not screwing up, but I'm just filling out the response as not guilty, I'll go to court and show evidence that I was at the HLSR BBQ cookoff as a sponsor all day on the 21st, which was the date the officer wrote on the ticket. I'll also print out records of my toll passes to show that I was at 290 on the 22nd in the morning headed toward Bryan and in the afternoon headed back. The vehicle I was in did not pass any toll booths on the 21st. If, as C-dub says, I have a JP who says the date doesn't matter, I'll have to argue that it certainly DOES matter. In my line of business (pharmacy, in nursing homes, hospitals, and surgery) our records are absolutely crucial and a screw-up on a date could be the difference between life or death -- or between being paid, or having our money taken back for medicare or insurance fraud.

Now my question would be trial by judge, or trial by jury? Once again, Mr. Shasta says judge, but I feel that a jury may be more likely to believe the motorist.

To fight or not to fight?

I want to start by saying that I seriously mean no disrespect to any LEO. I do not approve of enforcement of traffic laws for generating revenue, rather than for public safety.

I have had a TDL for over 35 years without a speeding ticket. I don't mean I've gotten out of them all, or taken a DD course. I mean I've never been issued a speeding ticket. I attended TAMU for a couple of semesters back in the early ‘80s, and anyone who lived in the College Station area for more than about 15 minutes knows that you simply DO NOT speed through Navasota. I work contract in Bryan a couple of days per month.

All of this is background for my story.

On Friday the 22nd, I was driving Northbound on Hwy 6 to Bryan and enjoying the first bluebonnets of the season. From the time I left 290 onto highway 6, there was a white midsize Toyota or Lexus SUV (I drive a white GMC Acadia) along with a smaller black sedan constantly riding my tail (I was generally in the outside lane, unless passing) then speeding past, then reducing speed again. Driving through Navasota, I was, as usual, particularly careful of my speed and even put on the cruise control, until I had to brake because of the jerk drivers.

At one point, just past Westward Ho, I came over a rise. There was an LEO vehicle parked in the center, and another LEO vehicle headed southbound on 6. I looked down, and even accounting for acceleration due to the downhill, I was going about 76 or 77. I was very shocked to see him turn around, but he didn’t put on his lights for a mile or 2. Just as HE passed over Peach Creek road, he put on his lights and pulled in behind me. At this point, the other two vehicles were quite a bit ahead of me. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to get their tag numbers.

Pulled over and was told I had been stopped for speeding. He was Brazos County. I was polite, handed over my ID (he didn't bat an eye at the CHL or even ask about a weapon and handed the CHL right back) and didn’t argue. When he handed me the ticket with instructions to “slow down and have a nice day” he had cited me for 86/75. THERE IS SIMPLY NO WAY. Absolutely, positively no way. If he had said up to 80, accounting for downhills, I would have felt like that he was being overzealous, but not protested much.

Now, Mr. Shasta says I should just suck it up, and take the Defensive Driving course, and be done with it. I think that secretly he thinks it’s funny. I am offended, though, and confused. First of all, I don’t understand why the LEO who was in the median and headed our way didn’t move. I don’t understand why he waited so long to pull me. I really am wondering if perhaps he was clocking the Lexus and not me, and lost us as he was crossing the median?

Any of you have any input? Honestly, most of all I hate that I can no longer claim my “no speeding ticket… ever” record. I need to make a decision in the next couple of days. My next trip up is on Thurs or Fri and I need to run by the courthouse to either start the DD process or plead not guilty and have a court date set.