Justice Sometimes Works in Strange Ways

I'd never stood in front of a district judge in Pennsylvania before. Thursday marked my first time.

I'm not a lawbreaker by any means. I was answering to a speeding ticket received on Flexer Ave. in Salisbury Township in mid-July. 

I was clocked by a Salisbury Township officer doing 42 mph in a 25 mph zone in the vicinity of St. Thomas More Church, near Debbie Ave.

What could I say? Guilty as charged, I suppose. The fine was $164 and four points on my Pennsylvania driver's license from PennDOT.

I paid the fine within the 10-day period and pleaded not guilty in the hopes that maybe someone would have mercy on me and shave a couple of PennDOT points off my license.

Now, I've only had two previous traffic tickets in 26 years of driving. Both were in New Jersey. One was for making a right turn on red when I wasn't supposed to and the other was failing to obey a yield sign. These offenses happened in the 1990s. Aside from that, I'm a pretty clean driver.

I fretted about what I'd say to the judge. The officer had me on radar, so I couldn't deny my speed, could I?

Heck, the only other times I was ever in front of a judge were during divorce proceedings. A trained attorney did the talking for me then.

A sense of dread and a knot in my stomach were prevalent as I walked into district court.

There, the Salisbury Township officer who wrote the ticket was waiting.

He said he'd ask the judge to plead the ticket down to 5 mph over the speed limit, which is a no point violation.

I couldn't believe my ears.

When I finally addressed the judge, it was with "Your Honor" and "Sir." I figured courtesy couldn't hurt.

I signed the guilty plea for 30 mph in a 25 mph zone, which carries no PennDOT points and was informed by the judge that I'd receive a partial refund of my fine.

I shook the hand of the judge and the police officer and hightailed it out of there before they changed their collective minds.

And, I drove at the proper speed limits on the way home. 

Tom De Martini is the local editor of Salisbury Patch. He lives in west Allentown, two blocks from Flexer Ave. in Salisbury Township. He now drives the speed limit on that road.