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Millions of traffic tickets are issued every year in the US. Depending on the state, an offender can face a penalty ranging from $150 to $2,000.
Speeding violations in Florida are no less strict, as they carry fines of up to $500. If you happened to commit the infraction near a construction zone or a school, you could face a maximum penalty of $ 1,000.
Getting a speeding ticket is one of the simplest ways you can turn a good day into a stressful one. Apart from getting huge unwanted expenses from the fine, you have to deal with the hassle of showing up in court to resolve the issue.
But can you fight for ticket dismissal in court? Keep reading to find out what you need to do if you receive a traffic ticket.
Whenever you receive a traffic ticket, always be sure to read through it carefully and follow all the instructions that it lists. The ticket indicates the violation the traffic officer is citing you for, the date to appear in court, and the amount due.
There are several options available for dealing with a traffic ticket. The fastest and easiest way is to accept the charges and pay the fine either by mail or online. What do you do if you did not commit the violation but received a ticket?
If you do not want to admit the charges, you can try to get the ticket dismissed. It may not be an easy process since the chances of getting a dismissal are very low. However, there are ways the law can help you get your ticket dismissed.
There are several steps you must take to have the court dismiss your traffic ticket. Here is what you should do.
The ticket includes a deadline by which you must report to the court to acknowledge receipt. Then you will learn about the options you have.
One option you can choose is a deferred disposition where you receive probation for a short time and still pay the full fine together with the court fees. However, the court scraps the ticket from your record.
Another option is to take a defensive driving or driving safety course. The course allows you to get one ticket dismissed within one year. However, the court must approve the dismissal of the ticket before you take the course.
Taking the course is an excellent way to show the judge that you are consistently working to rectify your wrongdoing.
Before you head to court, it is essential that you organize everything you need to ask for a dismissal. It can be helpful if you have a clear record of how everything happened before you were issued the ticket.
You should note the time, date, weather, and any other information that you may find relevant about the day you received the citation. You should also include your insurance information as well as radar reading.
Make sure to remember even the details that seem unimportant about that day. The prosecution will try their level best to make you look guilty. However, by having plenty of information, you stand a chance of proving your innocence.
Do not forget to state why you believe you do not deserve the ticket. Even if you did not commit the offense or the violation was due to faulty equipment, be sure to bring evidence to support your claims in court.
If you are not confident about standing trial on your own, you can hire an experienced lawyer to help you through the process.
Certain circumstances may warrant a court dismissing your traffic ticket. Some of these include:
Once you receive a citation, the officer gives you a ticket that includes your details, such as your car registration number and the date you need to appear in court. Once you receive the ticket, you should go through it thoroughly.
You can get the court to dismiss the ticket if you find any errors, such as an incorrect vehicle code citation or license plate number.
A judge may offer you some leeway if you can demonstrate that you made a reasonable error. A good example is failing to stop at a stop sign because the sign was obscured or broken.
The judge may find the mistake unintentional and withdraw the ticket. However, to successfully convince the court, you need to provide sufficient evidence to support your claims. You can take a picture of the site and present it in court.
Depending on the circumstances of your violation, you can argue in court that your actions were legally justified. You could use this defense if an emergency forced you to commit the violation.
Some of these examples include:
The defense is to convince the judge that the violation was intended to prevent serious harm to another person, to someone’s property, or to oneself.
There is no guarantee that you will indefinitely get a ticket dismissal. However, you have better chances if you follow the above process to the letter.
Your chances are even better if you get a lawyer to help you through the whole process. Contact us today if you are looking for an attorney to help with your traffic ticket case.
