Levy County is located in West Central Florida. It has a population of approximately 50,000 people. With the coast line, there are plenty of beach routes, nature tours, and wildlife refuges including Cedar Keys National Wildflife Refuge and Lower Suwanee National Wildlife Refuge. Bronson is the county seat. The other cities and towns in Levy County include Cedar Key, Chiefland, Fanning Springs, Inglis, Otter Creek, Williston, and Yankeetown.
The local law enforcement agencies patrol the local roads. These local agencies include: Bronson Police Department, Cedar Key Police Department, Chiefland Police Department, Fanning Springs Police Department, Inglis Police Department, Williston Police Department, Yankeetown Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol, and Levy County Sheriff’s Department. These local police agencies ensure that the roads are kept safe. They may write citations of two different varieties: civil and criminal. Criminal citations require a hearing. These hearings are attended by you, your Levy County Traffic lawyer, any witnesses, the citation issuing or arresting officer, and the judge or magistrate presiding over your case. At these hearings, you can present your side of the case, what happened and any defenses you may have that are pertinent to your case. The Levy County Speeding Ticket lawyer can assist you in determining your rights and how to best protect them.
A civil infraction is dealt with in other ways that do not always include a hearing. If you would prefer, you can just pay the citation fine or fee and accept the points on your record. You can also avoid the points by taking a driver improvement course. These courses are court approved and intended to help improve your defensive driving skills. The course usually takes four (4) hours and is offered online, on DVD/video or in person in a classroom setting. There are limitations as to how many times you can take the course. You can only take the course one time in twelve (12) months. You can also only take the course five (5) times over the course of a lifetime. The course will keep points off of your record that may negatively impact your license as described below. If you have taken the course too many times, you may have to accept the points on your record or contest the ticket via a hearing. At the hearing, you, your Levy County Traffic lawyer, any witnesses, a citation issuing officer, and judge or magistrate presiding over the case. At the hearing, you or your Levy County Traffic attorney may present your defenses to the court so that you may have your rights heard. To elect this option, you must alert the Clerk of the Court at the aforementioned address as soon as thirty (30) days post the citation. The Clerk will set a hearing, which you must attend. The Clerk of the Court and any hearings are at the courthouse, which is located at 355 South Court Street, Bronson, Florida.
Points accrued on your license can result in two major hardships: your insurance premiums increasing or your license being suspended. Insurance companies may, at their sole discretion, determine that you are a “high risk” driver and require you to carry a SR-22 insurance policy. These policies may be up to four (4) times as much as safe driver insurance. This means premiums can run you up and beyond $400 a month. Also, license suspension is possible. If you accrue twelve (12) points in one year, your license may be suspended for one month. If you accrue eighteen (18) points in a year and a half, your license may be suspended for three months. Finally, if you accrue twenty-four (24) points in three years, your license may be suspended for one year. Any additional violations will require an additional three month suspension being added to your already existing suspension.
Points accrue as follows:
| VIOLATIONS | POINTS |
|---|---|
| Non moving violations | 0 |
| Speeding 15 miles per hour or less over the speed limit, child restraint violations | 3 |
| Speeding 16 miles per hour or more over the speed limit, passing a stopped school bus, reckless driving | 4 |
| Leaving the scene of an accident (<$50 damage) or collision resulting from unlawful speed | 6 |
The points may stay on your record for up to five (5) years before being dissolved from your record. After the dissolution, you may be able to present your record to your insurance agency and they can reconsider the premiums and/or your need to carry SR-22 insurance.
If you find yourself with a traffic citation, it is best to contact your local Levy County traffic attorney to ensure that your rights are being protected. They can give you an idea of how your case will result, the best possible outcome of your case for you, and how to get to your best case scenario. They can also establish communication with the prosecutor in your case so that any plea bargains may be made. A Levy County Speeding Ticket Lawyer can aid you in giving you answers to the questions that are pending. They will give you possible defenses and how to apply them to the facts in your case. Contact your local Levy County Traffic Lawyer today to have your rights protected today!
