What to Do With Your Traffic Ticket to Improve Your Chances of a Good Outcome
While the very best thing you can do after receiving a traffic ticket is to immediately contact an experienced Clearwater traffic ticket lawyer, there are a few things you can do at the time you receive the ticket which will also increase your chances of a successful outcome. In nearly all cases, it is more advantageous for you to allow your Clearwater traffic ticket attorney to challenge your ticket than to simply write out a check to pay your fines. While paying the fines may well seem like the path of least resistance, that single action can have many unexpected repercussions down the line. When you are pulled over by a Clearwater police officer, it is important that you don’t admit your guilt (even if you are guilty) and that you remain polite at all times. If you insist on being argumentative while receiving a ticket, the officer may make note of that fact, making the prosecutor much less likely to consider a deal when you and your traffic ticket attorney appear in the Clearwater courtroom.
If you were stopped for speeding, avoid the impulse to make excuses or create an unbelievable story about why you were speeding. Generally speaking, police officers have heard literally every story in the books, and they know when those stories are believable and when they are not. In some cases, asking the Clearwater police officer how you can pay your ticket through the mail—even though you have no intention of doing so—can result in the officer taking fewer notes, believing you are unlikely to plead your innocence. When you appear in court, this lack of information could work to your advantage. If you have the opportunity, it can be a good idea to snap a few photos of the weather conditions, road conditions, traffic conditions and any other issues pertinent to your traffic ticket. When you arrive home, review your ticket for accuracy, and make note of everything you can remember regarding your traffic violation. These notes can help your Clearwater speeding ticket lawyer argue your case much more convincingly when the time comes.
The Advantages of Hiring a Traffic Ticket Attorney in Clearwater Early On
If you look at the big picture, it can actually be much more cost-effective to hire a Clearwater speeding ticket Attorney early on in the process. Should you decide to forgo speaking to a traffic ticket attorney in Clearwater, FL and simply pay your ticket or appear in court by yourself, you could be left with a conviction which in turn adds points to your driving record. If the traffic offense is criminal, you could be left with a permanent blot on your criminal record which can make it difficult to obtain employment, rent an apartment, obtain a professional license or obtain a government loan to return to college.
Should you accrue sufficient points on your driving record, you could have your driver’s license revoked for up to a year. A conviction for a traffic offense can also cause your insurance rates to skyrocket, or, in some cases, you could be unable to obtain automobile insurance at all. Your speeding ticket attorney in Clearwater can advocate on your behalf in an attempt to lessen the charges against you—or possibly have the charges dropped altogether. An experienced Clearwater traffic ticket lawyer will send a written request for discovery well before your court date in order to receive all evidence against you as well as any other relevant information which could be helpful.
How Points on Your License Can Affect You
When you receive a conviction for a moving violation, you will receive points on your driver’s license. Twelve points within a years’ time will garner you a thirty-day license suspension, eighteen points within a year and a half will result in a three-month suspension and twenty-four points within a three-year period will result in a one-year suspension. Points are given on the date the offense occurs; a running tally is kept, and the points remain against your driver’s license for a period of five years.
Should you be convicted for speeding which results in an accident or leaving the scene of the accident, you will receive six points against your license. Reckless driving, passing a stopped school bus, exceeding the posted speed limit by sixteen mph or more or any moving violation which results in an accident will garner four points while three-point violations include: violations of curfew, driving with an open container, lesser moving violations, exceeding the speed limit by 15 mph or less, or violating child restraint regulations.
Your Florida driving record should be protected to the fullest extent possible as it can influence many other issues in your life. Your Clearwater speeding ticket attorney may be able to negotiate your attendance at traffic school in order to avoid some of these unwanted consequences. Remember that paying your ticket is equal to a conviction, and that criminal traffic offense convictions will become a part of your permanent record, pulled up during employment background checks. Avoiding the long-term repercussions of a traffic violation conviction can be accomplished by speaking to a Traffic Ticket Lawyer in Clearwater Florida
Why You Should Choose Our Firm?
We understand that you have choices when it’s time to find a traffic ticket attorney, however we feel our lawyers have exceptional qualities which will benefit you, allowing you to receive a favorable outcome. The attorneys have decades of combined experience, along with a thorough knowledge of Florida laws which will affect your traffic violations. We are skilled negotiators and aggressive litigators and have found over the years that when our attorneys work as a team, better solutions to your case are often found. Take your traffic ticket seriously, then call a Clearwater traffic ticket lawyer who will take your charges just as seriously.
Attorney David A. Haenel, renowned in Florida for his excellent record in criminal defense, DUI, and traffic ticket cases, and has been delivering favorable outcomes for his clients since 2000. With a law degree and a Master of Law in criminal law, his background includes a notable tenure as the State of Florida DUI Prosecutor of the Year
