Court, or pay the fine and move along?
Reply #4 –
Pay them and walk away. Be glad they didn't impound the truck for wrong plates as well. You have to understand, over the speed limit (even by 6), wrong plates.....that could tend to make a cop question you, and, how many excuses do you think police officers hear every single day about why it wasn't the speeders fault, or "I was GOING to fix that", or a number of other stories. They get to where they don't care to hear excuses anymore. Wrong plates are illegal. No matter how you word it......no matter what Excuses you make, if you REALLY look at it....you were wrong. Sorry for the bluntness, but, it is what it is.
Perhaps you could take proof that the Mountaineer has it's proper tags and the judge would be lenient on you in traffic court. I wouldn't push it against the officer though.
I have to admit (being a police officer for two years in the past), that your place of employment, speeding, wrong tags.........that can add up to "something looks fishy here". "Head shops" are widely known to step outside the legal arena, therefore, you can't be surprised if they watch those places, and those who attend them. Step back and look at it all as a third person and it'll all make sense.