Speeding Tickets and Other Infractions

Defense against Speeding Tickets / Infraction

Speeding tickets or tickets are given out like candy. You have limited time to respond to a ticket, also known as an infraction. You have a maximum of 15 days to respond. JGR Law Offices will represent you in the case. We will file a Notice to Appearance and handle your response. It is important to pay attention to the time limit of 15 days. The 15-day time limit applies regardless if you have counsel or are handling it yourself.

 

What are the consequences of a ticket?

If you decide to defend yourself, it could result in time off work. Infraction calendars can often mean you spend hours in courtrooms waiting for your turn. It’s not uncommon to miss a significant portion of your workday. Unpaid leave can mean you miss out on income and the possibility of paying for your ticket.

If you contest the ticket, and the court finds that you are guilty of the cited offense, you will be required to pay the entire amount. You can ask the court to lower the amount of your fine (mitigate) but you won’t be able to defend yourself. In this case, you agree to the charge. The ticket will be recorded on your record and your insurance rates are likely to rise in either case.

Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL) have more severe consequences and can result in your license being suspended. Teens will be given two warnings and their license could be suspended for an infraction.

Be aware that your ticket could also result in severe consequences, such as license suspension or Habitual Traffic Offender (HTO) status. It is possible that your initial ticket for leaving an accident scene is an infraction. However, if someone is later found to have been injured on the scene, this can lead to a criminal case. It is also important that your attorney review both cases if you have been cited for DUI (alcohol- or marijuana-related). Sometimes, an infraction ticket can be used as a pretextual stop to your DUI. This greatly affects the evidence collected during your DUI stop. The infraction ticket will be examined by your criminal defense attorney in conjunction with the discovery of your criminal charge.

What can an attorney do to make a difference?

People often want to contest their ticket, but don’t know how to present their side. They don’t know how they can seek discovery, subpoena an officer, or cross-examine the officer. It can become overwhelming and time-consuming. Non-attorneys tend to focus on the wrong parts of most cases. It’s not about how you or the officer think about the ticket. It’s about whether the State can prove that you have violated the applicable statute. There are many aspects to analyze the strength of the State’s case, and most people who don’t know how to do so would be lost. It all comes down to personal experience.

Our attorneys are both defense and prosecution counsel. We have dealt with thousands of infractions. Our attorneys have a lot of experience. All of the guesswork and stress disappear when you hire an attorney from JGR Law Offices. You only need to call our office once and all the rest will be taken care of. You don’t have to miss a day of work. There are no worries about discovery. You can be confident in your defense.

We can handle all your concerns, including speeding, operating motor vehicles without insurance, no tabs or improper lane usage, negligent driving in the second degree, speeding under the conditions, negligence, failing to obey a traffic control signal, equipment violation (no mud flaps or broken taillights), skating, defective exhaust, tinted Windows, violation of restricted License, noise violation (speakers are too loud), talking on cell phones or using an electronic device, littering or failure to secure loads

If you want to contest a traffic ticket you can request a contested hearing. A judge will hear your case. A judge will hear the prosecutor’s case against you. The judge will then decide whether you committed the traffic infraction or not. 

It is possible to beat a traffic ticket in WA. There are a number of reason why a traffic ticket can get dismissed. The reasons vary on a case by case basis. Getting a “no insurance” ticket dismissed may require a different process than getting an “expired registration” ticket dismissed. While getting a ticket dismissed is great, avoiding getting a speeding ticket in the first place will ensure your insurance rates do not skyrocket.

If you get a speeding ticket, an HOV ticket, a work zone or construction zone ticket, no insurance ticket, speed too fast for conditions, cell phone ticket, school bus camera ticket, fail to obey traffic signal or traffic control device, or other infraction, you should contact an attorney to try to get that ticket off your record.

A traffic ticket is not a criminal offense.

You can get on a payment plan for a traffic ticket. In most cases you can pay that traffic ticket online.