Miami-Dade County is the most popular county in Florida. The county is home to 2.5 million residents and has the seventh largest population in the nation. The county boasts a strong tourism industry. The county seat is Miami, but the county is home to thirty-five (35) incorporated and incorporated cities towns. The county has a large port for ingress and egress of ships and is a short distance from Cuba.
Miami-Dade has several law enforcement agencies that patrol the area—Miami Police Department, South Beach Police Department, Florida Highway Patrol, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, among many other law enforcement agencies. These agencies can write two types of citations: criminal and civil. A criminal citation will be require a hearing. At the hearing, you, your Miami-Dade Traffic Attorney should you choose to hire one, any witnesses, the arresting officer or citation issuing officer, and any judge or magistrate may be present at your hearing. You will be given the opportunity, with with your Miami Dade Speeding Ticket Lawyer’s help or not, to present your case and any defenses you may have that apply to your case. The hearing is not the only event you will go through. The judge will issue a sentence for you. Your sentence may include jail time, auto impoundment, community service, drug and/or alcohol treatment program, among other penalties. Criminal violations include Driving under the influence, driving with a suspended license, driving with a revoked license, reckless driving, among many other violations.
Civil citations include unlawful speed, failure to stop or yield to a traffic signal, careless driving, among other violations. These violations can be remedied with three possible options: 1) you can pay the citation and keep the points on your license 2) you can elect to take the Driver Improvement Course and have points off of your license and pay the citation. 3) you can contest your ticket. If you elect to take the Driver Improvement Course, you will have to alert the Clerk of the court within thirty (30) days of your intent to take the course. You must do so in writing at the following address:. Once that is completed, you will need to take and complete the course within sixty (60) days. Upon completion, you will receive a Certificate of Completion that you must submit to the Clerk of the Court within the allotted sixty (60) day period to ensure that no further suspensions or fines/fees are placed on your license. There are limitations as to the number of times you can elect to take the course. You can only take the course five times in your lifetime. You can also only take the course once in twelve months. If you have met the total number of times you can take the course or have taken it in the last twelve months already, you must either accept the points on your license or contest the ticket. If you contest the ticket, you must alert the Clerk of the Court (at the same address listed above) within thirty (30) days. You will be given a hearing date. At the hearing, you will explain to the court why you think you should not have to pay the citation and offer any defenses you may have to your case. At the hearing, you, your Miami-Dade Traffic Lawyer, any witnesses, the citation issuing officer, and the judge or magistrate presiding over your case may be present. The judge will determine your guilt or innocence at that time. If you are found guilty, you may be required to pay court costs and fees for having to bring the case to the court’s attention.
Points on your license can wreak havoc for two reasons: your license can be suspended if you have accrued a certain number in a short period of time and you may have higher insurance premiums. If you accrue twelve (12) points in one year, your license may be suspended for one month. If you accrue eighteen (18) points in one and a half years, your license may be suspended for three months. If you accrue twenty-four (24) points in thirty-six (36) months, your license may be suspended for a full year. Any additional points will add an additional three months of suspension to an already existing suspension. Your insurance premiums may also go on the rise. If your insurance company renders you to be a “high risk” driver, you may be forced to carry a SR-22 insurance policy. These policies can cost up to four (4) times as much as safe driver premiums.
If you find yourself with a traffic citation, you are not alone. Contact your local Miami Dade County Speeding Ticket lawyer today and have them assist you. They will give you the knowledge and information you need to determine your rights, to educate you on the process and the substance of the law, and to get you on the right path to avoid additional penalties, fines, or fees. As you can see, there are many deadlines, so contact your Miami Traffic Attorney today to ensure that your rights are protected and that you win your “best case” scenario in a tough situation.
