Gulf County is located in the Florida panhandle directly on the Gulf of Mexico as the name suggests. The county is home to approximately 15,000 residents. The county seat is Port St. Joe. The county is home to a national park, beautiful beaches, and has a decadent southern charm. The county has many roadways running through it.
Port St. Joe Police Department, Gulf County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol monitor the roadways and write citations—both civil and criminal in nature. A criminal citation is a result of violations such as Driving under the Influence (DUI), driving without a valid driver’s license, reckless driving, vehicular manslaughter. All of these violations will require a mandatory hearing for you to attend. At the hearing, you, your Gulf County Traffic attorney should you choose to hire one, any witnesses, the citation issuing or arresting officer, and the judge or magistrate presiding over your case will be present. You will be given the opportunity to share your side of the case and present any defenses you feel are appropriate. Your Gulf County Speeding Ticket lawyer can assist you in formulating a plan, defining defenses for you that are appropriate for your case, and outlining the possible outcomes.
Civil infractions may be settled in three options: 1) pay the fine or fee and accept the points on your license, 2) pay the fine or fee and take the driver improvement course, or 3) contest the ticket and attend a hearing. If you decide to take the driver improvement course, you must notify the Clerk of the Court in writing by the thirtieth (30th) day after your citation was written. You must take the course within ninety (90) days of the citation. You then must make sure the Clerk of the Court has your certificate of completion to ensure that you do not face any further fees or fines or penalties. There are restrictions regarding who can take the citation. You can only take it one time in twelve (12) months. You can take the course a total of five (5) times in your lifetime. If you have taken it five (5) times or more, you may have to accept the points on your license or contest the ticket with a hearing. If you take the hearing route, you may decide to hire a Gulf County Traffic Attorney. At the hearing, you will be able to present your course to the court and they will determine the outcome of the case. There may be defenses available to you that you should consider before appearing in court. The Clerk of the Court and all hearings are at the Gulf County Courthouse, with its address at 1000 Cecil G. Costin, Jr. Boulevard, Port Saint Joe, Florida. A Port Saint Joe Speeding Ticket Lawyer can assist you in outlining your case for you or attending the hearing and presenting it for you as well.
Points on your license can lead to issues as well. If you have points accruing at high rates, you may face a license suspension or incur higher insurance premiums as a result. If you incur 12 points in one year, your license may be suspended for a year. If you accrue 18 points in a 18 months, you may get your license suspended for three months. If you get 24 points in 36 months, your license may be suspended for a full year. Finally, any additional violations will result in three months being added to the suspension already in place.
Points are assessed as follows:
| VIOLATIONS | POINTS |
|---|---|
| Littering, child restraint violations, unlawful speed 15 miles per hour or less over the speed limit | 3 |
| Passing a stopped school bus, reckless driving, unlawful speed 16 miles per hour or more over the speed limit | 4 |
| Leaving the scene of an accident <$50 damage or an accident caused by unlawful speed | 6 |
Points may or may not come off your license within 3-5 years. You could then expect that your insurance premiums may go down. It is also possible that after a certain period, you may be eligible to attain a hardship license. It is important to note that these licenses are only for driving to and from work and do have restrictions imposed on them above and beyond a regular license. They also come with many fines and fees, which are non-refundable. For example, regardless of it you get the hardship license or not, you are required to pay the application fee and it is not refundable for any reason including not qualifying for the license.
Gulf County is a beautiful county and offers many beautiful landscapes and scenery. It is a great vacation spot for singles and families alike. If you find yourself in a situation in which you have received a citation, you are not alone. It is best to hire a Gulf County Traffic Lawyer as soon as possible to get educated about your rights, to make sure deadlines are not missed and to determine the possible outcomes of your case. The Port Saint Joe Speeding Ticket Lawyer can assist you in determining all the possible ways your case can turn out and what the most likely outcome will be. Contact him or her today to get the ball rolling and keep the stress off your mind!
