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Kim Kardashian, Paparazzo Get Speeding Tickets After Chase

By Betty Wang, JD on November 13, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Kim Kardashian and a paparazzo were cited for speeding on Tuesday. The photographer, Juliano Goncalves, was also cited for stopping in a nonemergency situation, The Associated Press reports.

Kardashian was pulled over for driving too fast on U.S. 101 in Los Angeles, apparently because she was being chased by paparazzi. Three other cars, likely all driven by paparazzi, then also stopped to snap pictures.

But since Kardashian was allegedly being chased, can she potentially fight her ticket?

Speeding Defenses

It's not clear how fast Kardashian was going on U.S. 101, but regardless, there are some possible ways she may be able to fight the speeding citation. For example, she could:

  • Claim an emergency. One potential defense to speeding tickets is that you were speeding because of an emergency. In this case, Kardashian was allegedly being chased by multiple cars, and may not have had any other option but to speed.
  • Challenge the evidence. It's not known whether or not a radar gun was used to gauge Kardashian's speed. But there are ways to challenge radar gun evidence in court.
  • Dispute the proof. If there was no objective tool to gauge Kardashian's speed, she could possibly argue that there's no proof of her speeding. She could also present eyewitness statements from other drivers to dispute the officer's opinion.

Worth the Fight?

As in other states, speeding in California can add up because of all the additional penalty assessment fees and various surcharges. So while the ticket itself may be about $100, with court fees in LA, it could add up to more than $300.

While that may be a lot of money for us non-celebrities, that amount is likely not much for Kardashian. It may just be easier for the reality starlet to pay off the fine and be done with it -- though there can be other consequences to speeding such as added "points" on your driving record, depending on how fast you were going.

Besides, her fiancé Kanye West is dealing with arguably more pressing legal issues that she may want to devote her time to.

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