Racing Citation, AZ

[haze1015]

I was recently cited for street racing in Arizona under code 28-708. The law seems extremely vague, compared to other states, which I suspect will work against me. I was on a motorcycle in a lane adjacent to my friend's car. We were both going about 20 mph over the speed limit, but were not racing. There was a police cruiser ahead and I slowed down to 5 mph under the speed limit as my friend went by the cruiser. The cruiser was in front of me pulling over my friend then cut in front to make me pull over as well. We were both pulled over for racing. I told the police officer I was going 20 over. Should I accept a plea bargain or fight this in court. I feel this is unjust but am worried since we both admitted to knowing each other which will not help. Any helpful advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[mightymoose]

If you fight this you might get it reduced to a speeding citation. The racing citation would likely have a heavier effect on your insurance. It will depend on the officer's observations as to whether or not racing can be proved. If the two of you quickly accelerated at the same time side by side then that is all that is needed. If you just happened to pass by at that speed then racing is pretty weak.

 

[haze1015]

If you fight this you might get it reduced to a speeding citation. The racing citation would likely have a heavier effect on your insurance. It will depend on the officer's observations as to whether or not racing can be proved. If the two of you quickly accelerated at the same time side by side then that is all that is needed. If you just happened to pass by at that speed then racing is pretty weak.

The officer was parked in the turn lane going left the same direction I was going. I saw the officer as I came around a bend in the road and immediately slowed down to about 40 mph. I am not sure if the officer was able to see me going 65 mph as I came around the bend or if he just wrote that on the report because that is the speed I estimated I was traveling at when he asked me my speed. The car I was with passed the patrol car going pretty fast but when I passed it I was going about 40 mph and I was a ways back away from the car my friend was in. The officer pulled around me to pull over the car then as I tried to go around, as I thought he was just pulling the car over for speeding, he cut in front of me and told me to pull over as well. I'm not exactly sure what could be cited as definite racing as by the time we approached the police car my friend was in front of me a good ways and I was going the speed limit.