subject: Know Your Options If You Have Received A Traffic Ticket [print this page] Many people hate the idea of being pulled over while driving for a moving violation or for speeding. Parking tickets can also be a nuisance. Paying fines is not exactly enjoyable, especially in this slow economy. In a lot of cases, once a driver receives a ticket, they automatically pay it without contesting the ticket in court. This is due to a lack of knowledge of how traffic court works as well as feeling that they may not have the time or the know how to defend their case.
If you do decide to fight your ticket, the first thing to do is to understand the violation you have been charged with. Many times you can look up this information on your states department of motor vehicles website. If you have a civil infraction, you may only need to pay a fine and you may receive some points on your drivers license. If you have been charged with a more serious traffic violation, you may have to deal with criminal charges.
It is always important to understand your states points system and how they can affect your driving record as well as your insurance policy. The only time points are added are when you have been convicted of certain types of traffic violation. Each state has different criteria and assigns a different amount of points for each violation. In many states, points can remain on a person's driving record for up to eighteen months. If you have accumulated too many points within a certain time frame, your license may end up being suspended.
Many individuals choose to contest their ticket if they feel the penalty is way too high or if they are at risk of adding more points to their license. In this case you may want to consider using a traffic ticket attorney to fight your ticket. An experienced attorney who has dealt with traffic ticket cases in the past will help you navigate through the complex traffic court system. In some cases the attorney can handle the entire case and you may not even need to show up at court. It is always important to know your options and understand your states driving laws and points system to ensure that you are equipped with the knowledge you need to protect your driving record.
