On the sub-topic of traffic court at night, that’s how it’s done in most municipalities across the river from my office in St. Louis County. There are *92* municipalities in St. Louis County; I can’t say all of them have a traffic court, but I think most do. And those that do of which I’m aware hold traffic court at night. There are quite a few firms in St. Louis and St. Louis County that do nothing but speeding tickets. And quite a few areas of town where you’re likely to get a speeding ticket if you’re not very careful. The municipalities earn their money (a friend got a ticket for receiving a kiss on the cheek while driving 35 mph) and so do the lawyers.

Hi, Mr. Schaeffer. As for speeding tickets, I think there should be a lot more of them — and none of this hanky-panky of reductions to “parking on the pavement” if you bring a lawyer to court, but no plea reductions if you’re on your own.

On parking tickets: I guess that a lot of parking authorities count on ticketees paying to avoid the transaction cost – you know, tiny nuisance suits [a concept I'm sure you learned about in trial lawyer school]. It would be great if there were a way to have a first level of challenge to a ticket online, or through a phone-in system. Of course, that would put a dent in municipal income.

The special treatment lawyers get when they receive parking or speeding tickets really irks me.

Finally, let me point out that $25 is truly a lot of money to a very large portion of the American public. Traffic courts should at least be held in the evening, so that working folk can assert their rights without losing pay (or getting fired).

David: What’s your take on speeding tickets? I just did a search and found some relevant self-help sites. As for parking tickets, in my neck of the woods, they are generally three to five dollars, and generally valid (as one who receives about one per week, I know)–I just pay them. For most consumers, wouldn’t the lost opportunity cost of challenging even a $25 ticket (i.e., spending time fighting the ticket that could be better spent on other pursuits) lead to a decision just to pay the ticket? I can see the other side, though: if I had to pay $25 because the meter was broken, that’s worth a fight. (But as a lawyer, I’d be able to show up at traffic court, cut in front of the hundreds of people waiting in the benches, and get the immediate attention of the prosecutor, who’d probably cancel the ticket because I’m a lawyer–now *that’s* unfair.)