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Penalties for Speeding Violations
The courts view penalties as being of two kinds: direct and collateral. Direct penalties if adjudicated guilty of a speed law violation are either a non-criminal, petty misdemeanor "civil infraction," with a fine only; or, a misdemeanor criminal conviction with arrest and jail a possibility.
Adjudicated violations of the speed law are Petty Misdemeanors (fine only), unless it was found by a Judge to have endangered person or property (then a misdemeanor). A third or subsequent speed law violation within twelve months is a Misdemeanor (up to $1,000 fine and 90 days jail). Minnesota Statutes Section 169.89, subd. 1
Drivers License Revocation or Suspension
Collateral, or indirect, penalties for speed violations include the notation of violation on the drivers license (DL) record, increased insurance premiums or loss of insurance, and potential loss of drivers license (DL).
A driver's license can be revoked for six months if adjudicated in violation for driving over 100 m.p.h.
A third petty misdemeanor in a year can be charged as a misdemeanor, and a third misdemeanor in a year (a fifth in two years) can result in license revocation. Minnesota does not use a point system, like some other states.
Keeping Your Drivers License Record Clean
A clean DL record is valuable. It can make the difference between police officer discretion breaking your way, or against you. How can you keep your record clean, assuming you already have received a speeding ticket in Minnesota?
1. Dimler Amendment: A law adopted in 1986, called the Dimler amendment (its author was former Minnesota Representative Chuck Dimler), determines which speeding violations are recorded on the DL record. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety maintains the record. Speeding violations are do not go on the DL record if:
* 10 mph above the speed limit (or less) in a 55 m.p.h. zone; or
* 5 mph above the speed limit (or less) in a 60 m.p.h. zone.
The prohibition on recording a violation on the DL record doesn't apply if the speed limit certified is 65 or 70 mph. The Dimler amendment provisions do not apply if the speeding violation is certified to have occurred in a commercial motor vehicle or if the driver has a commercial DL (class A, B, or C). Minn. Stat. § 171.12, subd. 6. Gallagher has heard of a case where it did not work for an person with a DL from another State. Works for Minnesota licensed drivers.
2. Continuance for Dismissal: The prosecutor can agree to continue the speeding charge for some period of time, for example 12 months, on various conditions. Under this kind of agreement, at the end of the period, if all conditions have been met, the charge is dismissed by court administration as agreed. No guilty plea is offered. No adjudication is made. So, nothing is certified by court administration to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, as a result. Typical conditions include payment of prosecution and court costs (instead of a fine), and no same or similar violations. There are many local variations on the term used for this outcome, though functionally equivalent. Other terms commonly used include: Agreement to Suspend Prosecution, Deferred Prosecution, Continuance Without a Plea.
3. Local or City Ordinance violation citation, instead of state statute. Police officers have discretion to cite drivers with a violation of a local or city Ordinance instead of a Minnesota State Statute. If they do, you should be able to pay the fine, and still benefit from it not going on your State Drivers License Record. This is nice, but usually this is something the police officer can, in his or her discretion, decide to do for you. It's unusual for prosecutors to do this, though it is possible. For more on this in Minneapolis, as an example, see Minneapolis Criminal Lawyer page.
4. Stay of Adjudication. Though less desirable than any of the above, a stay of adjudication will prevent the Court Administrator from certifying the traffic violation to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, which means it won't go on the Minnesota Drivers License Record. A stay of adjudication involves either a guilty plea, or a finding of guilty after a trial, but the judge staying (delaying) adjudication of guilt upon conditions, for some period of time. If the person does not violate a condition, it never become an adjudicated violation or conviction, and so never gets on the DL record. Typical conditions include payment of money to the court, and no same or similar violations. In criminal cases, a judge will be reluctant to give a stay of adjudication without prosecutor approval (or finding an abuse of prosecutorial discretion) but in petty misdemeanor traffic cases this may not apply.
There are a couple other ways, less commonly done.
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