Dixie County is located in the northern part of Florida’s west coast. It has a population of approximately 15,000 residents. Taylor County is to the Northwest, Lafayette County is to the North, Gilchrest County is to the East, and Levy County is the Southeast. The county seat is Cross City, Florida. The county is home to historical sites including Old Town Elementary School and Old Town Methodist Church. The Old Town Methodist Church was built in 1890. Also, the county has the City of Hawkinsville where a sunken steamboat lies. Theses attractions bring local history buffs. Lower Suwanee National Wildlife Refuge also brings nature lovers to the area.
The local area and roadway are patrolled by law enforcement agencies. These agencies are: Dixie County Sheriff’s Department, Cross City Police Department, and Florida Highway Patrol. These agencies write two categories of tickets: civil and criminal. Civil citations are handled with three options. The first option is to pay the fine and accept the points assessed on your license. This option is best if you do not mind having points on your license or you’ve exhausted the option of taking the driver improvement course. Electing to take the Driver Improvement course approved by the State of Florida is the second option. You must notify the Clerk of the Court that you intend to take the course within thirty (30) days of the citation being issued. The Clerk of the Court can be reached at the courthouse: Dixie County Courthouse, 214 Northeast Highway 351, Cross City, Florida 32628. The course may only be taken once in any twelve (12) month period or five (5) times in a lifetime. You can notify the Clerk of the Court with an affidavit that you intend to take the Driver Improvement Course with a seven dollar ($7) processing fee. You can take the course online, in person in a classroom setting or on DVD/video. The course takes approximately four (4) hours to complete. You must then complete the course within ninety (90) days of the citation. You have to file your Certificate of Completion with the Clerk of the Court to make sure points are not assessed on your record and you are not required to pay any further fines or fees. You can also elect to attend a hearing. You, your Dixie County Traffic Attorney, any witnesses, the citation issuing officer, and any judge or magistrate presiding over the case may attend the hearing. Your Cross City Speeding Ticket may ask to keep points off your license and the judge may elect to grant the request that points be kept off of your license.
If you have gotten a criminal citation, you will be required to attend a hearing. You may not elect to not attend your hearing. In other words, your attendance is required. You, your Dixie County Traffic lawyer if you have hired one, any witnesses, and the judge or magistrate presiding over your case may be present. You can tell the judge your side of the case and your set of facts. You can tell the judge about any defenses you feel apply to your set of circumstances. Your Dixie County Traffic Lawyer can assist you in determining which defenses are the most viable and in creating a plan of how to tackle the biggest issues involved in your case. Criminal penalties include: impoundment, attendance at drug and alcohol treatment programs, probation, community service, and possible jail time. You or your Cross City Speeding Ticket lawyer can petition the court to keep points off of your license.
It is important to keep points off of your license in order to ensure that your license is not suspended and to make sure your insurance premiums remain reasonable. Your insurance company may in their sole discretion define you as a “high risk” driver. Being rendered as such will mean that you are required to carry a SR-22 insurance policy. These policies can be up to four (4) times as much as safe driver insurance premiums. Also, there are time limits and should you acquire points rapidly, then your license may be suspended. Twelve (12) points in a year may mean your license may get suspended for one month. Eighteen (18) points in eighteen (18) months means your license may be suspended for three (3) months. Twenty-four (24) points in thirty-six (36) points may be suspended for one year. Any additional violations will result in additional suspension of three months being added to your sentence of suspended time. During these time, you may be eligible for a hardship license, which allows you to be able to drive to home and work. There are a lot of restrictions and fines associated with the hardship license.
If you find yourself with a citation, you should hire a Dixie County Traffic Attorney to make sure you are educated about the process, your rights as they pertain to your driving privilege, and any and all defenses. Your Cross City Speeding Ticket lawyer can assist you in determining your goals, defenses, and likely outcomes. Getting legal assistance as soon as possible is important in order to make sure your rights are protected and deadlines are met so that you do not forfeit any privileges or rights. Contact your local Dixie County Traffic lawyer today!
