Taylor County is located in the panhandle of Florida. The county seat is Perry, Florida. St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge is located in the county. The county has many beautiful nature trails, nature preserves, local fairs and festivals, and many other agricultural and nature driven events. The county’s population is 20,000 residents. The county has a shoreline that extends into the Gulf of Mexico. Local law enforcement agencies patrol the area for traffic offenders. The law enforcement agencies are Taylor County Sheriff’s Department, Perry Police Department, and Florida Highway Patrol.
Police Agencies can issue one of two types of violations: criminal and civil. Criminal citations require a hearing. At the hearing, you, your Taylor County traffic attorney should you choose to hire one, any witnesses, any arresting or citation issuing officer, and the judge or magistrate presiding over the case will be present. At this time, you will be able to present your case, present any defenses that apply to your case, and the judge will determine the outcome of your case. You will be able to tell the judge what happened on the time and date in question. The judge will determine if you are eligible for any treatment programs and what penalty is best suitable for your case.
Civil citations can be handled in one of three other ways. They can be handled by either: 1) paying the citation and accepting the fines/fees on your license, 2) paying the citation and electing to take a driver improvement course, or 3) contesting the ticket. If you elect to take a driver improvement course, you will need to alert the clerk of the court within thirty (30) days. The Clerk of the Court is located at 108 North Jefferson Street, Perry, Florida. You must then take the course within sixty (60) days of alerting the clerk. You may take the course online, in person in a classroom setting, or on DVD. At the end of the course, in any format, you will receive a certificate of completion. You must also file the certificate of completion to the clerk of the court to ensure that you do not have any more fees or fines assessed on your record—or your license suspended. You may only take the course a limited number of times in your lifetime in in any given twelve month period. You can only take the course one time in any twelve (12) period. You can only take it five (5) times in your life. If you have taken the course the allotted number of times, you may be required to keep the points on your license or contest the ticket. To contest the ticket, you must alert the Clerk of the Court within thirty (30) days from the date of the citation. The Clerk will give you a hearing date. You must attend the hearing. You, your Perry Speeding Ticket Lawyer, any witnesses, the citation issuing officer, and a judge or magistrate presiding over your case will present. At the hearing, you will be able to present your side of the case, any defenses you feel are applicable and your side of the facts. The judge will then determine your guilt or innocence. If you are found to be guilty, you may be required to pay the court costs of bringing your case to the court’s attention rather than just paying the fine or fee.
Points on your license may result in one or both of the following hardships: license suspension or higher insurance premiums. Your insurance company may determine in its sole discretion that you are a “high risk” driver. If you are deemed as such, you will be required to carry a SR-22 insurance policy. These policies are up to four (4) times as much as safe driver insurance policy premiums. Also, if you accrue points you may have your license suspended. If you accrue twelve (12) points in twelve (12) months, your license may be suspended for one month. If you accrue eighteen (18) points in eighteen (18) months, 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 one year. Any additional violations may result in an additional three months being added to your existing suspension.
| VIOLATIONS | POINTS |
|---|---|
| Leaving the scene of an accident resulting in property damage of more than $50 | 6 Points |
| Unlawful speed resulting in an accident | 6 Points |
| Reckless driving | 4 Points |
| Any moving violation resulting in an accident | 4 Points |
| Passing a stopped school bus | 4 Points |
| Driving During Restricted Hours | 3 Points |
| Unlawful speed – 16 MPH or more over lawful or posted speed | 4 Points |
| Unlawful speed – 15 MPH or less over lawful or posted speed | 3 Points |
| All other moving violations (including parking on a highway outside the limits of municipalities) | 3 Points |
| Violation of curfew | 3 Points |
| Open container as an operator | 3 Points |
| Child restraint violation | 3 Points |
If you find yourself with a traffic citation, you are not alone. The best case plan would be to hire a Taylor County Traffic Attorney. He or she can assist you in educating you about the process, giving you details about defenses and how to apply them to your case, and to come up with a case plan to get you to the best outcome for you. Contact a Perry Traffic lawyer today and have your rights protected!
