There Is A Wrong Way To Fight A Traffic Ticket

Posted on: 8 July 2020

In many instances, a traffic citation is not the final say. There is often an opportunity to reduce the offense on the ticket to a lower one or have it dismissed altogether. However, the most important thing to remember about this process is that there is a wrong and a right way to go about it. If you go about the process of fighting a ticket incorrectly, it can have harsh consequences. Learn what you should not do. 

Fail to Show Up

If you are innocent, you do not have to worry about clearing your name, right? Not exactly. Not showing up for your court appearance is the absolute worse way to fight a ticket. When a driver fails to show up in court, the judge will enter a default judgment, which translates into guilty. The only way that you can prove your innocence is to have someone in the room to argue on your behalf.

Lack Proof of Your Stance

It is one thing to state that you are innocent, but it is something entirely different to prove it. For example, consider a scenario in which the officer claimed you ran a stop sign. To back up your stance that you are innocent, you could prove that the location of the officer's vehicle would make it impossible for them to see if you ran the stop sign. Only with evidence will your claims be taken seriously. 

Challenge the Law

You never want to challenge the law. Officials from the officer who issued you the traffic citation to the judge that is presiding over the courtroom will uphold the law. Traffic court is not the time to argue that a traffic law is unfair and that, therefore, you should be absolved of any guilt. Challenging the law can give the impression that you think you are above the law, which does not typically turn out well.

Fight the Right Way

An attorney can fight for your ticket the right way and, often, come out more successful than you would have alone. An attorney knows the law and will use this knowledge to help prove your innocence or prove that you do not deserve as harsh of a citation as you have received. Best of all, an attorney can do all of this without you being in the courtroom, so there is no risk for error. Let an attorney fight so that you do not have to.

Make sure you do not make any of these mistakes to make an already bad situation worse. Fight your ticket the right way.

To learn more, contact a resource like Carl L. Britt, Jr..

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