Your Best Option After Receiving a Traffic Violation
While you may consider a traffic citation little more than an annoyance, you might be surprised to find there are many unwanted consequences of a single traffic ticket. The best option by far, if you want to avoid fines, fees, points, a potential license suspension and increased insurance rates is to hire an experienced Melbourne traffic ticket attorney to protect your rights to the fullest extent of the law. An attorney from our firm will work tenaciously on your behalf to try negotiate the most favorable outcome available. It is important that you not wait until you are out of options before you call a speeding ticket attorney in Melbourne. Once you receive a traffic ticket, you have only thirty days in which to pay your ticket, ask to attend traffic school or appear before a judge and argue your case.
Unless you happen to be an experienced public speaker, presenting your case in court can be very intimidating, plus the judge is much more likely to take the police officer’s word over yours. You may feel a traffic ticket hardly warrants hiring an attorney and that it would be much simpler to pay the ticket and move on with your life. The problem with paying your ticket is that once you put the check in the mail, you have effectively pled guilty to the offense and will receive a conviction on your record. That conviction will either be a civil conviction or a criminal conviction, and if your citation was for a moving violation, you will have points added to your driving record with a conviction.
You may choose to attend traffic school, however be aware that not only do you have to notify the Clerk of the Court within your thirty-day time limit, you also have to pay your entire fine at the time you elect to attend traffic school. You are only allowed to attend traffic school one time within a twelve-month period, and only five times total, so traffic school may or may not be an option for you. Whatever your traffic citation was for, getting an experienced Melbourne traffic ticket attorney on board at the earliest possible moment is likely to ensure a much better outcome.
Speeding Tickets are By Far the Citation Most Often Received
Even the most responsible driver will likely be guilty of speeding at some point in his or her driving career. We all get in a hurry, or in some cases may simply be going with the flow of traffic and be the unlucky one who gets pulled over. The problem with paying a speeding ticket is that once you are convicted of the offense of speeding, you will receive either three or four points on your driving record. For driving sixteen or more miles over the posted speed limit, you will receive four points, and for driving fifteen or less miles above the posted speed limit you will receive three points on your driving record.
Should you receive three or four speeding tickets within one year, you could have your license suspended for at least a month, as well as paying significant amounts in fines and having your insurance rates increase alarmingly. A speeding ticket lawyer in Melbourne may be able to have your ticket dismissed based on mistakes made by the police officer at the time you were given the ticket. The police officer may not have been properly trained in the use of the radar or laser speed device, or the device may not have been properly calibrated or maintained. In any case, it is definitely worth it to speak to a knowledgeable attorney regarding your Melbourne speeding ticket for a case evaluation.
Other Traffic Citations Which Could Benefit From the Service of an Attorney
There are other common offenses you may have received a citation for, including the following:
Why Should You Choose Us?
Our attorneys are very experienced Melbourne traffic ticket attorneys. Our firm has over three decades of combined experience helping clients just like you, tenaciously fighting traffic tickets and DUI charges. Our credentials are exemplary, including:
Our attorneys will take your traffic citation very seriously, whether criminal or civil, and will work hard to ensure you have the least amount of fallout from a single mistake. We will do our best to ensure no points end up on your license, and, whenever possible, we will seek to have your traffic ticket dismissed. Don’t wait—call a knowledgeable attorney today for a free consultation.
