Too many people believe a traffic ticket is not a big deal and face unnecessary consequences because they failed to hire an attorney for assistance. Though some traffic matters can be fairly straightforward, many cases have complications and consequences can escalate quickly. For this reason, whenever you receive any type of traffic ticket, your first call should be to an experienced criminal defense attorney to discuss your situation.
Failure To Appear
When you receive a ticket, your court date will not be for at least a couple of weeks. On many occasions, drivers set the ticket aside, promising themselves that they will address the matter at a later date. However, in our busy lives, it is all too easy to forget about the ticket and to allow the court date to pass without paying the ticket or appearing in court.
Though people forget about things all the time, forgetting about a traffic ticket can have serious consequences. First, the court will generally issue a bench warrant that allows law enforcement officers to place you under arrest upon any subsequent encounter. In addition to going to jail, you will likely face a charge for failure to appear. This charge will be in addition to the underlying ticket and can add additional consequences, including costly fines. In order to ensure that you never miss a court date, you should hire a qualified criminal defense lawyer to represent you.
Points On Your License
Many people decide to simply pay a ticket, especially for an offense like speeding. Paying the ticket will avoid any need to go to court, however, the consequences can often be more serious than you may believe as paying the ticket means that you plead guilty. First of all, points go onto your driving record any time you are convicted of moving traffic violation. If you accumulate enough points, your license could be suspended or even revoked. In addition, your insurance premiums will often be increased following any type of traffic conviction Ultimately, you may end up paying more than you would have if you had hired an attorney. An attorney can negotiate with the prosecutor and have them convert your traffic ticket into a non-points violation so that you can avoid points on your record and the resulting insurance increase.
Potential Professional Implications
If you plead guilty by paying a ticket, you may run into certain complications if your job involves driving any type of motor vehicle. Many of these jobs require that you have a clean driving record and, if you don’t, you could face suspension or termination of your job.
Discuss Your Case With An Experienced Criminal Defense attorney today
At the law firm of Lavalle Brown & Ronan in Boca Raton, we understand how stressful traffic tickets can be and how serious the penalties may be if you choose to handle your case yourself. No case is too small for us and we always work for the best possible results in every case. Whether you have received a ticket or have been charged with a serious crime, call our office today at 888-646-1315 for assistance with your case.
