Okeechobee County is located in South Florida with Polk County, Osceola County, and Indian River County to the north; Glades County, Hendry County, and Palm Beach County to the south, Martin County and St. Lucie County to the east; and Highlands County to the west . The population of the county is nearly 35,000 people. The main city is also called Okeechobee. The county has airboat rides, nature preserves, and a casino that entertain the residents and tourists that visit.
Florida Turnpike, US 98, US 441, among other roads cross the county. These counties are patrolled by Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office, Okeechobee Police Department, and Florida Highway Patrol. The most common traffic violation is unlawful speed. Other civil citations are also written including careless driving, failure to stop at a traffic signal, among other violations. A civil citation may lead to a hearing if you elect that option. This option will have you present your case to a judge, in the presences of any witnesses, the officer that wrote the citation, and an Okeechobee Traffic Attorney should you choose to hire one. An attorney can help you navigate the court system. Another option is to elect to attend Driver Improvement School. Attending Driver Improvement School may keep points off of your license. You can only elect to take Driver Improvement School five (5) times in your lifetime. Also, the further restrictions also state that you can only elect to take the course one time in twelve (12) months.
Any criminal citations, including DUI, driving without a license, and reckless driving, require a hearing. At the hearing, the arresting officer or officer that presented the citation with a notice to appear, any witnesses, a judge and a Okeechobee Traffic Attorney should you hire one will be present. There are two circuit court judges and one county judge that hear all of the traffic hearings. These judges will determine the outcome of your case. An Okeechobee Speeding Ticket lawyer can best assist you in educating you about the process and best/worst case scenarios, determining the best defenses for your case, and attending hearings with you. The hearings and all requests or payments can be made with the Clerk of the Court at: 312 Northwest 3rd St., Okeechobee, Florida 34972.
Points are determined based on the violation. The points accrue as follows:
0 Points: Non-Moving Violations
3 points: Moving violations (including speeding 15 miles per hour or less over speed limit), littering, or child restraint violations
4 points: Speeding over 15 miles per hour over the speed limit, reckless driving, passing a stopped school bus, or moving violation resulting in a collision
6 points: Unlawful speed resulting in a crash or leaving the scene of the collision with more than $50 in damage
Points assessed on your license can lead to higher insurance premiums and license suspension. If the company finds that you are a “high risk” driver, you may be written an SR-22 policy, which comes at a price—up to four (4) times as much as a safe driver. License suspension is a possibility in the following circumstances: twelve (12) points in one year results in a one month suspension, eighteen (18) points in eighteen (18) months can result in three (3) month suspension, and twenty-four (24) points in three (3) years can result in one year suspension. Therefore, when faced with a traffic violation, it is best to contact an Okeechobee County Speeding Ticket Lawyer to determine if there is a plausible way to keep points off your license with or without taking the Driver Improvement Course.
Okeechobee County has a beautiful terrain and many visitors enjoy the landscapes. With those visitors, comes traffic and traffic violations. If you are in the same situation as many residents and tourists and have gotten a traffic violation, the best plan is to contact an Okeechobee Traffic Attorney today to get yourself informed of your rights and the likely outcome for you case!
