Many speeding tickets won’t cost you a lot out of pocket, so whether you are in the right or the wrong, you might just consider paying the ticket and moving on. When you look at the larger picture, paying for it could be quite expensive. If your insurance premiums are going to jump by thousands of dollars, it might be worth fighting your speeding ticket.
Other Options
There are some other options you have instead of paying your speeding ticket. First, you can look into traffic school. If this is your first offense, traffic school might not be required, but you can often get your charges reduced or even dismissed if you complete a course.
Another option you have is to fight your speeding ticket. If you face a huge hike in insurance premiums, that could be worth the cost of representation. Fighting your ticket could be based on some typical defenses:
- The Officer Pulls a No-Show – It’s your constitutional right to face your accuser and questions him or her. Many officers won’t show up to traffic court for a speeding ticket because their time is being occupied by more important matters. If that happens, you could get your case thrown out. It may be a 50/50 chance, but it could be worth trying.
- You Were Ticketed By Camera – If your ticket was the result of a traffic camera, you could object to the officer for hearsay. If the officer did not actually see you speeding, he or she can not actually testify that you did something wrong. There is also a chance the camera ticketed the wrong vehicle or malfunctioned in some way.
- Your Trial Is Not Speedy – After receiving your ticket, the court might ask you to sign a few legal documents when you go to schedule a court date. One of those documents will waive your legal right to a public and speedy trial. Do not sign the document! If the court can not schedule your trial within a certain time period, your case could be dismissed.
- Your Ticket Contains Serious Errors – Minor errors such as misspelling your name probably won’t get your case dismissed, but if your ticket contains a serious error, that may be a good defense.
Contact Your Attorney
There are also some defenses you should never try to make, such as claiming ignorance of the speed limit, accusing the officer of discrimination, or telling your judge a sappy story. A criminal defense lawyer from a law firm like Pioletti, Pioletti & Nichols could help you understand when to make a defense and when to hold back. If you plan to fight your speeding ticket, contact a criminal defense lawyer today.
