What to do when you get a traffic ticket is one of the worst fears of anyone who gets pulled over. You think to yourself, “I just got a traffic ticket, what do I do now?” While this is a common reaction for many drivers, it is not something that should stop you from driving. In fact, if you were able to avoid the ticket you would probably still drive. The key is to know your rights and abide by them.
Traffic tickets can be a hassle, but the best way to avoid them is by taking care of your court date before it happens. Many times, traffic enforcers will wait until you get in contact with the courts and plead guilty or pay off your ticket before they issue another one; this means that if you don’t show up for your court date three days later after getting a notice from the judge about being “in default,” then at least there’s nothing more than just paying fines (if applicable).
If you can not attend your scheduled court date, the next best thing to do is to go talk to the supervisor of the traffic stop. Most likely, the traffic ticketing officer that wrote your ticket will be the one that contacts you and tells you that you will need to appear in court. This is a good thing because you will at least get some sort of warning as to your chances of getting a good outcome or at least some type of mild punishment.
Do not forget to ask the traffic enforcers about your due date for your court date. Many times, the tickets get mailed out two to four months before your actual court date. If you miss your court date the judge will automatically issue you a bench warrant for your arrest. This means that once you miss your court date you are considered to be in violation of your probation and your sentence is going to become permanent. That’s something that you really do not want to happen, especially if you are in a very tough financial situation and need to pay your fines quickly.
You may also find out that the department that issued your traffic ticket has an appeals process. You can usually ask the people in your case about this so that you can proceed with your filing. If you find out that you don’t have any luck finding someone to help you through the appeals process, then it may be time to hire a lawyer. This will cost you money, but it will also ensure that you have a higher chance of getting your traffic ticket dismissed.
Now that you know what to do when you get a traffic ticket, hopefully, you have learned a few things that will help you in your future cases. The more knowledge you have, the better your chances are of avoiding any unnecessary mishaps on the road. This is especially true if you were involved in a DUI case where the officer failed to apply the law. This is a good lesson for all drivers, no matter what type of driving they are doing.
The absolute best thing to do if you get a traffic ticket is the contact Smith Ammons Law so we can help you.
