Hendry County is located in South Florida in the Florida Everglades. With a population of approximately 40,000 people, the county is also a route across the Florida. Clewiston, Harlem, LaBelle, Port LaBelle, Felda, Pioneer Plantation, Montura Ranch Estates, Flaghole, and Ladeca Acres are located in the county. The county has a lot of history and the local flora and fauna make it a tourist attraction with its numerous nature activities, trails, and boat rides.
Hendry County has plenty of traffic as individuals cross the southern tip of Florida to get to Miami from the west coast of Florida. These roads are patrolled by Clewiston Police Department, Harlem Police Departent, LaBelle Police Department, Port LaBelle Police Department, Felda Police Department, Pioneer Plantation Police Department, Montura Ranch Estates Police Department, Flaghole Police Department, Ladeca Acres Police Department, Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, and Florida Highway Patrol. Law enforcement agencies patrol the area and write citation of two different types: civil and criminal. Criminal citations require a hearing. These hearings can be attended by you, your attorney, any witnesses, the arresting or citation issuing officer, and the judge or magistrate presiding over the case. The hearing will be the time your sentence is determined and the penalties you may face. These types of citations have higher penalties including jail time, probation, community service, points, fees and fines, among other penalties. There are also treatments that you may be eligible for or required to attend. The treatment programs may be for alcohol/drug dependence, driver improvement courses, or other skill enhancing programs. Criminal citations may appear on your record and tend to carry more weight if brought up in court or for employment purposes. Individuals with high offenses may not be eligible for jobs that require a lot of driving and/or transporting goods and people.
Civil citations are a bit easier to cure on your record. There are three options in these cases, which are 1) you may pay the fine or fee and accept the points on your record, 2) you may elect to take a driver improvement course and pay the fine or fee, or 3) you may contest your ticket and you request a hearing. If you elect a driver improvement course, you should alert the Clerk of the Court in writing within thirty (30) days of the citation. The Clerk of the Court can be reached at the following address, which is also where the hearings for both civil and criminal citations occur: 25 East Hickpoochee Avenue, LaBelle, FL, 33795. You should take the course within sixty (60) days of notifying the Clerk of your intent to take the course. Upon completion, you will need to submit your Certificate of Completion to the Clerk to ensure that you do not face any further fines or fees and/or a license suspension. If you determine that you would like to attend a hearing, then you should also notify the Clerk of the Court within thirty (30) days of the citation in writing. At the hearing, you, your Hendry County Speeding Ticket Lawyer should you choose to hire one, any witnesses, the citation issuing officer, and the presiding judge or hearing officer may be present. The judge will determine if you are guilty or innocent and what your penalties will be. If you are found to be guilty, you may be required to pay court costs and/or fees. The judge will determine how much you are required to pay and if you should attend drivers improvement course.
Points on your record can cause there to be ramifications that you would not want to deal with. These points on your record can result in higher insurance premiums and license suspensions. Higher insurance premiums may result from the fact that you are deemed to be a “high risk” driver. A high risk driver is required to hold a SR-22 insurance policy. The insurance company has the sole discretion to determine who is a “high risk” driver. The points on your license may remain there for up to five (5) years. Also, your license may be at risk. If you accrue twelve (12) points in one year, your license may be suspended for one month. If you have eighteen (18) points in a year and a half, your license may be suspended for three months. If you have twenty-four (24) points in three years, your license may be suspended for an entire year. Any additional accrual of points will result in your license being suspended for an additional three months in addition to the suspension time you are already faced with.
All in all, the important thing to determine when faced with a citation is how to proceed. The best way to get educated on the process is to find a local Hendry County Traffic attorney who can help you in deciding the best plan of action for you to take, the defenses available to you, and the likely outcomes of your case. A LaBelle Speeding Ticket lawyer can help you protect your rights by giving you all the education you need about the process and substance of the law. Contact a Hendry County Traffic Attorney today and protect your rights!
