Lake County is located just south of Marion County and just north and west of Osceola and Orange counties. The population is just over 300,000 people. The county seat is Tavares, and the largest city is Clermont. The county is part of the Orlando-Kissimmee area. As part of a major metropolis in the state of Florida, there are many roadways crossing it. Florida’s turnpike, US 27, US 441, State Road 19, among other major thoroughfares traverse the county. These major roadways are patrolled by local law enforcement agencies including Clermont Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol, and Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The county has active law enforcement agencies which issue more than 40,000 citations every year. The city issues most of the tickets. These tickets are usually civil infractions. Although, there are some criminal citations issued as well, most of which are written for driving with a suspended license. Other criminal citations include DUI, reckless driving, and driving with a revoked license.
Civil and criminal citations are treated differently. A civil citation can be held in one of three ways: 1) you pay the fine associated with the citation, 2) you elect to take a Driver Improvement Course within thirty days of the citation by writing to the Clerk of the Court, or 3) request in writing a hearing from the Clerk of the Court within thirty days. A Clermont Speeding Ticket Lawyer can assist you by attending the hearing with you. The judge, the citation-issuing officer, any witnesses and you will be in attendance. The hearing will be where you can share your side of the facts and any defenses you may have. The hearing will be held at and the Clerk of Court can be found at the courthouse located at: 550 W. Main St., Tavares, FL 32778.
A criminal citation is where you must attend a hearing. In these hearings, you will need to present your defense to the court. There are higher penalties, including fines/fees, court time, probation, and other penalties. A Lake County Traffic Attorney can assist you in both criminal and civil issues. They have knowledge to impart, can educate you on possible defenses and give you a good idea of likely outcomes.
Points are put on your license according to the following schedule:
When these points accrue, it can result in your license being suspended and your insurance premiums may skyrocket. If you get 12 points in a year, your license may be suspended for one month. If you get 18 points in 18 months, your license may be suspended for three months. If you get 24 points in three years, your license may be suspended for one year. You may qualify for a hardship license, which means you would only be permitted to drive to and from work. There are two ways to keep points off of your license: hire a Clermont Speeding Ticket Lawyer or take a Driver Improvement Course. You must request a Driver Improvement Course within 30 days of the citation, and the course must be completed within 90 days from the date of the citation. You can also only take the course one time in a 12 months and only 5 times in your lifetime.
A Lake County Traffic Attorney can assist you in keeping points off of your license, which thereby keeps your license from being suspended and insurance premiums from going up. A traffic citation can be a burden for long periods of time. A Lake County Speeding Ticket Lawyer can assist you ensuring that your rights are protected.