How To Fight A Traffic Ticket
While traffic tickets can seem relatively minor and more inconvenient than impactful, they can have larger implications for your driving privileges.
If you’ve been pulled over for violating a traffic law, you may need to appear in court. Let’s discuss your options when faced with a traffic ticket.
Why Did I Get A Ticket?
In order to keep streets and highways safe for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, a set of laws regulates vehicular traffic. Violations of these laws can include these actions and more:
- Speeding
- Driving without a seatbelt
- Driving without a license
- Running a stop sign or red light
- Reckless driving
If you’re pulled over by a police officer for one of the above reasons, you will be issued a citation and must either pay your ticket online or appear in court to pay or contest the charge. Failure to attend your court date or pay your ticket can result in the loss of your license, significant financial penalties or even a warrant for your arrest.
Paying Your Traffic Ticket
Some tickets can be paid without going to court. It’s important to note that many see this as an admission of guilt, and paying your ticket means accepting the potential points on your license and impacted insurance rates.
We recommend consulting an attorney about your options before paying your traffic ticket online.
Fighting Your Traffic Ticket In Court
To fight your traffic ticket, you must appear in court to work towards dismissal, a reduction of charges, or a Prayer for Judgment. Here’s how some of these solutions can be reached:
- Dismissal: Traffic tickets citing a “fixable issue” are often dismissed in court if the issue in question has been resolved. For example, citations for driving without a license can be dismissed if you appear in court with proof of a new license.
- Reduction: A traffic attorney can work with the court to reduce the charge against you, resulting in a lesser financial penalty or fewer points on your license or insurance.
- Prayer for Judgment: A Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC) means that while you plead guilty to the charge against you, the normal penalties for the charge may be reduced or removed. For example, a speeding ticket typically results in points on your license, but with a Prayer for Judgment, those points are avoided. This is often a last resort option and is at the discretion of the judge.
Call Manning Law Firm For Legal Support With Your Traffic Violation
Experienced traffic attorneys like those at Manning Law can help you determine the best approach for addressing your traffic ticket. For the best possible outcome for your traffic violation, contact us today!
