Is a Speeding Ticket or Traffic Ticket Really a Big Deal?
Unfortunately, although most people believe receiving a speeding ticket is little more than a minor annoyance, a speeding ticket can have far-reaching consequences that you may be unaware of. In fact, that speeding ticket—or other traffic ticket—can actually cause you considerable grief. A Tallahassee traffic ticket lawyer may be able to make the difference between exorbitant fines, points on your driver’s license, a potential license suspension and even jail time in some cases. In the state of Florida, some traffic tickets—such as speeding—are considered a civil infraction, while others are criminal offenses.
As your Tallahassee speeding ticket attorney will tell you, offenses such as neglecting to wear a seat belt, speeding (unless accompanied by reckless driving charges or speeding which results in an accident), failure to yield, failure to have your child properly restrained, SunPass or toll booth violations and running a stop sign or red light all fall under civil traffic infractions. Even though these violations are more minor than a criminal traffic violation, they can nonetheless cause you some serious problems. Any moving violation—criminal or civil—will add points to your driving record. When you have accrued a specific number of points, you could lose your driver’s license for a period of time.
The points which will be added will depend on the offense: as an example, exceeding the speed limit by fifteen miles per hour or less will result in three points added to your license, while exceeding the speed limit by sixteen miles per hour or more will garner you four points. Criminal traffic violations include DUI, reckless driving, having an auto registration which has been expired for more than six months (second or third offense), driving without a valid driver’s license and unlawful use of a temporary tag. In addition to having points added to your driver’s license, you are likely to see a huge jump in your insurance premiums—if your insurance company will continue to insure you at all. A Tallahassee traffic ticket attorney can work on your behalf to ensure your “simple” traffic ticket does not result in long-term consequences to your future.
Are There Any Defenses to Your Speeding Ticket?
You may believe you don’t need a Tallahassee speeding ticket lawyer on your side in order to “beat” the charge, however it’s important to remember that once you are in court, arguing your case, it is your word against that of the police office—and it is a rare judge who will give more weight to the word of the accused. On the other hand, when you walk into court with a Tallahassee traffic ticket attorney by your side, you have vastly increased your chances of a good outcome. Our attorneys have an extensive knowledge of Florida laws and a good working relationship with most of the judges and other court personnel. We can shed doubt on the device used to measure your speed, or the way in which the device was used by the police officer. Your Tallahassee speeding ticket attorney can ask the police officer who ticketed you the following questions:
Your attorney will be attempting to create reasonable doubt on your behalf, and, if successful, may be able to have your ticket dismissed altogether.
The Results of a Traffic Ticket Conviction
When you pay a traffic ticket you have, in effect, pled guilty, thereby receiving a conviction for the offense. In the case of a moving violation, the conviction will add points to your driver’s license, or for a more serious criminal traffic offense, will leave you with a permanent blot on your criminal record. This means that every time you apply for a job, purchase insurance and rent or buy a home, someone will probably check your criminal history, and this conviction will pop up. You could lose out on a job you really want—and are qualified for—simply because of this traffic conviction. You could be unable to obtain a professional license, be prohibited from securing a student loan to continue your education, be barred from owning a firearm, and, in some cases, may not even be able to work with children, due to this one conviction.
Should you accrue enough points on your license, you could lose your driving privileges for a month, three months, or even a year. If you are like most Americans, your life would be negatively impacted if you were unable to drive. Nearly 90% of Americans own a car; we drive to and from work, we take our children to school and to extracurricular activities, we run a multitude of errands, visit friends and family and even take vacations in our automobile. If you simply could not function without your driver’s license, then you must take your traffic ticket seriously, and hire a Tallahassee traffic ticket attorney to fight aggressively for your future.
Why Hire Us?
We understand that you have choices when deciding on a Tallahassee speeding ticket lawyer. The difference in our firm lies in the fact that we have significant experience helping our clients obtain the favorable outcomes after receiving a speeding or other type of traffic ticket. Our team of dedicated attorneys will marshal all their resources in order tenaciously fight your traffic ticket or DUI charges. The credentials of our attorneys are extensive.
All our attorneys are members of the Florida Bar Association and our active involvement in our community results in connections with the very professionals who can help us examine your case and build a solid defense. Your speeding ticket attorney in Tallahassee, Florida will demand all evidence from the State, and will conduct an independent investigation in order to cultivate an effective defense on your behalf. A speeding ticket is never “just” a speeding ticket—any and every traffic ticket can potentially be extremely serious, so call today.
