Fighting Traffic Tickets
Having a traffic ticket issued is never a walk in the park. Being pulled over in the middle of the day isn't a walk in the park either but being pulled over at night is especially scary. It will get your heart racing. Those flashing blue and red lights seemingly coming out of nowhere can make anyone uneasy. If you have to fight a traffic ticket in court this is part two of how to do so.
Continuing our discussion about fighting a traffic ticket, once you gather all of the pertinent information regarding location, time of day, weather, traffic volume and where the officer was originally parked before stopping you, you can now decide whether or not you wish to fight this ticket. In all honesty, if you truly know that you were at fault on the road, there is no point to fight the ticket. But, if you feel that you were speeding or weaving in and out of traffic for other reasons and those reasons seem valid, fighting the ticket might be your best idea.
When you get to your destination following the stop, make sure you read the fine print on the ticket itself. The fine print will give you information regarding where to fight the ticket, how to fight the ticket and how much money the infraction costs as well as how many points will be placed on the license. Before fighting the ticket, check with your insurance company about how much your insurance rates will increase once the violation is processed. If the violation is minor and your rates will not go up, more than likely it would be best to pay the fine and not waste your time going to court to fight the ticket.
The next step in the process is deciding whether or not you will need a lawyer. Most violations, if not that large, can be fought without the presence of a lawyer. But, some violations, including speeding, a lawyer will more than likely be needed in a court of law to assist you in your fight. This is another added expense, especially if the fine is not dropped. This will all be worth the bargain if you get the ticket voided, the points dropped and the fine dropped though. A lawyer usually runs anywhere from $300-$1,500 for fighting traffic tickets. Once your ticket is processed, lawyers from that county will be sending you information about their services in the mail as a convenience to you.
Once your court date is set begin to acquire all of the evidence against you in this traffic case. File a written request for discovery, which is the right to see all of the evidence that will be presented against you. This will help you explain your situation on the road that day and there might even be something in the evidence that helps to refresh your memory from the day of the stop, which is more than likely now one month in the past. The evidence should include a copy of the officer's version of the ticket and any repairs done to a breathalyzer testing machine or radar gun in the recent past.
