Gilchrist County is located in Northern Florida. It is a rural county with a population of approximately 20,000 people. The county is known for being the birthplace of country singer, Easton Corbin. Bell, Fanning Springs, and Levy are the cities in the county. The county offers farmers markets, trails, hiking places, and nature parks for the residents and tourists alike.
Gilchrest law enforcement agencies include Bell Police Department, Fanning Springs Police Department, Levy Police Department, Gilchrist Sheriff’s Office, and Florida Highway Patrol. The county has several major roadways that the agencies patrol. These agencies can issue two kinds of citations: criminal and civil. A criminal citation will require a hearing in front of a judge or magistrate. The judge will determine your sentence, which may include any combination of penalties, programs, treatments, etc. The judge may decide you are a candidate for drugs/alcohol treatment program, probation, support groups, among other options. You may also be required to be on probation, to attend jail time, to be without a license, to pay fines/fees, etc. At your hearing, you, your Gilchrist Speeding Ticket Lawyer, any witnesses, the citation issuing or arresting officer, and the judge or magistrate presiding over your case will be present. In order to determine if your citation is criminal in nature it may include the following offenses: driving under the influence, reckless driving, driving without a driver’s license, etc.
Any and all other offenses are civil offenses. These offenses most commonly include unlawful speed, failure to stop and/or yield at a traffic signal, failure to provide evidence of insurance, etc. These penalties come with three options: 1) pay the fine or fee and accept the points on your license, 2) pay the fine or fee and attend the driver improvement course, or 3) contest the ticket by attending a hearing. If you choose to take the driver improvement course, you will need to tell the clerk that you intend to take the course within thirty (30) days of the citations being issued. You must then take the course within sixty (60) days of the citation. You will need to file your certificate of completion with the clerk in order to avoid any further fines/fees or other penalties. You can only take the course one time in twelve months. You also can only take it five (5) times in a lifetime. The course is available online, in person in a classroom setting or on a DVD/video. Keep in mind, the course does usually include a test, so it is imperative that while it does run, you pay attention to the material to properly answer the questions. If you choose to contest the citation, you can request the hearing from the Clerk. The Clerk takes all notification and requests at the following address: Todd Newton, Attn: Traffic Department, Clerk of the Court, PO Box 37, Trenton, FL 32693. At the hearing, you, your Gilchrist Traffic Attorney if you choose to hire one, any witnesses, the citation issuing officer, and the judge or magistrate presiding over the case will be in attendance. At this time, you will present your own set of facts, your defenses and any questions or concerns you have about the case to the judge. The judge will determine your level of guilt and/or innocence and determine what the outcome of the case is. Below is schedule of approximate fines/fees in Gilchrist county:
| MOVING VIOLATIONS-(NOT SPEEDING) | COST | DDC SCHOOL COST/COURT REQUIREMENT |
|---|---|---|
| CHAPTER 316,FLA.STAT | $143.00 | NO REDUCTION |
| CHAPTER 322, FLA.STAT (DWLSR) | $140.00 | NO REDUCTION |
| CHILD RESTRAINT VIOLATION-316.613 | $143.00 | NO REDUCTION |
| FAILED TO STOP AT TRAFFIC SIGNAL, WRITTEN BY LEO (RED LIGHT/STOP SIGN) 316.074(1),316.075(1)(c)(1)**Eff. 7/1/2010 | $241.00 ($143.00) | NO REDUCTION |
| FAIL TO STOP FOR SCHOOL BUS-316.172(1)(a) | $248.00 | NO REDUCTION |
| PASSING SCHOOL BUS-316.172(1)(b) | $283.00 | MANDATORY HEARING |
| MOVEOVER ACT-VEHICLE MOVING- 316.126(1),316.126(1)(a),316.126(3) | $143.00 | NO REDUCTION |
| MOVEOVER ACT-VEHICLE PARKED – 316.126(1)(b),316.126(1)(b)1,316.126(1)(b)2 | $113.00 | NO REDUCTION |
| RR CROSSING VIOLATION-316.1575 | $183.00 | NO REDUCTION |
| DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED | $143.00 | NO REDUCTION |
These fees and fines certainly are a good reason to avoid traffic violations, but points assessed on your record are also a good reason to follow traffic laws.
Points accruing at a certain rate could render you a “high risk” driver and/or your license may be suspended. If you accrue twelve (12) points in a year, you may face a one month suspension. If you accrue eighteen (18) points in a year and a half, you may face a three (3) month suspension. Finally, if you accrue twenty-four (24) points in three years, you may face a one year suspension. Any additional violations will result in the tacking on of three month suspension to any existing suspension.
If you find yourself with a traffic citation, it is best to contact your Fanning Springs Speeding Ticket Lawyer as soon as possible so they can educate you about your rights and defenses, determine a schedule to ensure that deadlines are not missed, and help you to develop a plan to have your case heard most effectively and make sure you are both working toward the same goal. The Gadsden County Traffic Lawyer can assist you by giving you background information and answer procedural questions, determine the possible outcomes, and illustrate the best way to protect your rights. Contact your Fanning Springs Traffic Attorney today!
