Most drivers get a ticket from time to time. Often, the first impulse is to admit guilt and pay the fine. However, hiring a trustworthy defense attorney to contest a traffic charge might save you time and money. Traffic violations could put points on your license; and when you accumulate points, your insurance rates increase. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will suspend your license if you get too many points.
A Clermont traffic lawyer could contest your ticket and is likely to achieve a better result than you would if you tried to do it alone. In many cases, you do not even need to attend court if you send a legal representative.
Sometimes people deal with their frustration by paying the ticket and trying to put the experience behind them. Other people might decide to go to court to fight the ticket. A motorist could defend themselves in traffic court, but the results will probably be better if they work with a Clermont traffic violation attorney.
A legal professional who frequently appears in traffic court has a relationship with the prosecutors and knows how to negotiate with them. They know the law and can pinpoint weaknesses in the police report or prosecutor’s evidence. Depending on the circumstances, a lawyer could arrange a dismissal of your charge or a guilty plea to a lesser offense that does not put points on your license. When that solution is impossible, they know how to present your version of events to the best effect before the judge.
Time is valuable and working with a lawyer is a way to avoid wasting time on matters related to a ticket. In many cases, they could find a solution that does not require a driver to attend traffic school. If they can reach an agreement that does not put points on the driver’s license, they also spare the driver the potential inconvenience and expense of a suspended license.
Many people know that driving under the influence (DUI) is a criminal offense, but a surprising number of traffic violations are crimes. Having an experienced Clermont attorney defending a criminal traffic charge is critical. Besides DUI and offenses related to impaired or intoxicated driving, criminal traffic offenses include:
As with other crimes, persons with prior traffic convictions face steeper penalties. Even for first offenders, some traffic crimes could result in jail time.
Like any other crime, a prosecutor must have clear evidence of each element of an offense to obtain a conviction. An experienced advocate could exploit weaknesses in the prosecutor’s evidence or improper police procedures to get a criminal traffic charge dismissed or reduced.
People who have multiple convictions for traffic offenses risk the habitual offender label. According to Florida Statute § 322.264, a driver with more than 15 convictions for offenses that carry points, or a person who has had three convictions on criminal traffic offenses, is a habitual offender. Someone who received multiple citations for an accident might be close to meeting the requirements for habitual traffic offender without even realizing it. A Clermont attorney always handles traffic tickets with these guidelines in mind.
Habitual offenders lose their driving privileges for at least five years and insurance might be unaffordable when they regain their licenses. If you have past traffic convictions or are facing multiple citations for a single incident, it is critical to have a knowledgeable defender working for you.
If you got a traffic ticket, do not plead guilty until you have spoken with a lawyer. The consequences of a guilty plea are often more severe than you realize. A Clermont traffic lawyer could represent you in court and minimize the repercussions of your ticket. Reach out as soon as possible to get professional help.
The Umansky Law Firm Criminal Defense & Injury Attorneys
