DeSoto County is located just east of Sarasota county. With a population of nearly 35,000 people, the largest metropolis is Arcadia, Florida. The county is known for its history as it was founded in 1887 by Hernando de Soto. There are numerous antique and collectible shops in the county to showcase the history. Also the county has a large rare cat exhibit and Florida’s oldest rodeo.
The highways and major roads that cross DeSoto County include US 41, Kings Highway, Highway 70, Highway 17, among other highways. These highways are the locations where many patrollers flock to cite traffic violators. The main law enforcement agencies are DeSoto County Sherriff’s office and the Florida Highway Patrol.
The courthouse is located at 115 East Oak Street, Arcadia, Florida 34266. The traffic division is part of the Twelfth (12th) Circuit Judicial Court. If you have received a ticket in the last few weeks, then you should contact your local DeSoto County Traffic Attorney as soon as possible. If it is a civil infraction, you have thirty (30) days to contest your ticket. Civil infractions include unlawful speed, failure to stop at a stop sign, careless driving, and failure to provide proof of insurance or registration among others. If you have a criminal citation, the violations include DUI, speeding 30 miles per hour over the speed limit no valid drivers license, and driving with a suspended license, you will be required to attend a hearing. An Arcadia Speeding Ticket lawyer can assist you in determining your rights, possible defenses and the likely outcome of your case.
Along with a fine or fee attached to the penalty of a citation, you may also incur higher insurance premiums. After several citations, the insurance companies may determine that you are a high risk driver. Once you have been adjudged as such, your insurance premiums can sky rocket to up to quadruple the initial premium cost. Furthermore, points may be assessed on your license as well. An Arcadia Traffic Attorney can assist you in keeping points off of your license. By attending the hearing with you and defending you against your citation, they may ask the judge to not have points assessed on your record leaving you without any penalty points. The points, when assessed can add up to cause a suspension of your license. Should you attain 12 tickets in one year, you may have your license suspended for one month. If you are penalized with 18 tickets in one year and a half, your license may be suspended for three months. If you get 24 points in 36 months, your license may be suspended of up to one year. In order to keep points off of your license you may elect to take a driver improvement course. By taking the driver improvement course either online, in DVD/video, or in person, you may keep from having points put on your license. The only limitation is that you may only take the course up to five (5) times in your lifetime. If you have already taken the course five (5) times, you must accept the points, or hire a DeSoto County Speeding Ticket Attorney to fight for the points to be kept off of your license.
The best thing to do when you have gotten pulled over for a traffic citation is to hire an attorney to assist you in gaining knowledge of your rights, possible defenses to your case, and how to best approach your case so as to get the lowest penalty possible. When faced with high premiums, possible points leading to a suspension, or other penalties, it is best to get the knowledge to make sure your license is not at stake along with any impact on your wallet. A DeSoto County Traffic Attorney will ensure that you are aware of the best and worst case scenario along with the most likely outcome for your case.
