Calhoun County is located in the Florida Panhandle. The county is home to approximately 15,000 residents. It has a county seat in Blountstown, Florida. Calhoun County was created in the early 1800s and remains tied to its historical traditions. There are several major roads that cross the county, including: State Road 20, State Road 69, State Road 71, and State Road 73. These roads are heavily travelled. Local police departments and Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department along with Florida Highway Patrol patrol the county to ensure that the roads are safe. Traffic violators will be penalized in the form of fines and fees, points assessed, and possibly license suspension.
Traffic violations can be either civil and criminal in nature. Criminal violations require a hearing. At the hearing, you, your Calhoun County Traffic Attorney, any witnesses, the arresting or citation issuing officer, and the judge or magistrate that presides over the hearing will be in attendance. These hearings give you the opportunity or your Blountstown Traffic lawyer the opportunity to present your case with your defenses. The Calhoun Courthouse is located at 20859 Central Avenue East, Blountstown, Florida 32424. Examples of criminal violations are driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, reckless driving, among other violations. These violations have higher penalties, including: fines and/or fees, probation, drug and/or alcohol treatment programs, community service hours, possible jail time, points assessed, among other penalties.
Civil violations are more frequent, however. Civil citations are taken care of by one of three options: 1) pay the fine or fee and accept the points on your license, 2) pay the fine or fee and take a Driver Improvement Course or 3) contest the ticket and have a hearing where you can defend yourself. At this hearing, you, a Calhoun Speeding Ticket lawyer should you choose to hire one, any witnesses, the citation issuing police officer, and the judge or magistrate who presides over the case. The Driver Improvement Course is available in three different formats: DVD, in person in a classroom setting or online. These courses are approximately four (4) hours in length. Taking the Driver Improvement Course will keep points off of your license. Attending a hearing and being adjudicated as not guilty by a judge will keep points off of your license as well. A Calhoun Speeding Ticket Lawyer can also request points be kept off of your license as well.
Points should be kept off of your license because points on your license can mean that your license can be suspended if you attain too many points too quickly and your insurance premiums can increase as well. Should your insurance company (of their own discretion) determine that you have attained too many points in too short of a period of time, they can deem you to be a “high risk” driver. If you are deemed as a “high risk” driver means that your insurance premiums can increase up to four (4) times as much as a safe driver. Also, your license can be suspended for accruing too many points in a certain length of time. Twelve (12) points in a year can mean your license is suspended for one month. Eighteen (18) points in a year and a half may result in your license being suspended for three (3) months. If you accrue twenty-four (24) points in three (3) years, your license can be suspended for one year.
Points are assessed on the following schedule:
| POINTS | VIOLATION |
|---|---|
| 0 | Non-Moving Violation |
| 3 | Driving 15 miles per hour or less over the speed limit, moving violations of any other nature, littering, child restraint violations |
| 4 | Driving 16 miles per hour or more over the speed limit, moving violation resulting in an accident, passing a stopped school bus |
| 6 | Leaving the scene of an accident (<$50) or Speeding resulting in a collision |
These points do not get erased on your license for years, three (3) to five (5) years. Therefore, they may remain on your license rendering you a “high risk” driver for years to come. It is, of course, the best idea to keep them off of your license in the first place. After a period of having a safe and clean driving record, your license will be absolved of points and your premiums may go down. It is important to note too that the chance of license suspension will be lower is a reward for having a good, clean driving record.
Calhoun County, with its major roadways and local law enforcement, has many traffic citations every year. Should you find yourself faced with a traffic violation, you should contact your local Calhoun County Traffic Attorney. He or she can educate you about your rights, about the process, and about any possible defenses. A Blountstown Speeding Ticket Lawyer can speak on your behalf in court, file paperwork to ensure it is properly filled out and filed correctly, and they can ensure that your rights are protected. If you are facing criminal charges or civil fines and fees, you should contact your local Blountstown Traffic Lawyer today so they can get your case up to speed and to make sure that no deadlines are missed. Reach out today to your trusted Calhoun County Speeding Ticket lawyer!
