if you got gtraffic tickets why would the judge require you to have an attorney?

by Tara Boyer 7 min read

Fighting tickets with an attorney is one way to try to eliminate or reduce points that you may be assessed. The traffic court judge has that authority. Points on your license may also have the effect of raising your auto insurance costs.Aug 3, 2021

Why hire a lawyer for a traffic ticket?

Apr 14, 2022 · Just because you received a traffic ticket does not mean you have to hire a traffic ticket lawyer to represent you and challenge the ticket. However, hiring a lawyer can give you extra benefits such as getting legal advice, better representation in court, the confidence of the judge, and much more.

Do I have to go to court for a traffic ticket?

Apr 26, 2018 · Aggressive driving. Driving while having a suspended license. Racing. Fleeing or attempting to elude. Hit and run. Leaving the scene of an accident. Vehicular Homicide. Illegal Passing of a school bus. The second category of traffic tickets that require a court appearance involve drivers under the age of 21.

Do you need a lawyer for a Georgia traffic ticket?

Attorney Costs vs. Ticket Costs. As appealing as hiring a traffic ticket lawyer sounds, you still must determine whether the attorney's fee is worth the possibility of avoiding the ticket penalties. For the most part, lawyers don't come cheap; always ask about their fees upfront, and then— based on those fees—ask yourself:

Can a lawyer get a traffic ticket dismissed?

Many people present their own cases in traffic court, but you have a much better chance of winning if you hire an experienced traffic ticket attorney to go over your evidence with you and explain your rights. With his knowledge of traffic laws and court procedures, you will be much better prepared when you go into court.

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What happens if you don't pay your traffic ticket?

If you have received a traffic ticket or been arrested for a traffic violation, or charged with a criminal offense, you will be given a date to appear in court. Failing to show up for the hearing or forgetting to pay the ticket carries severe consequences. In most instances, you may choose to either pay your ticket before your court date ...

What is a serious traffic ticket?

Serious is defined by the fact that a person can be sentenced to more than just a fine or may have his or her license suspended. Such offenses include, but are not limited to: Reckless driving. Driving under the influence.

Why do young drivers have to appear in court?

The reason young drivers must appear in court is that almost all traffic tickets have the potential to suspend their driver's license. Additionally, many courts will not allow a young driver to pay their citation because it can affect the insurance rates of an entire family.

Can a parent be required to attend court?

As a result, many courts have a policy of requiring a parent to attend court, unless the young driver can show that he or she is not covered by their parent's automobile insurance. In any event, failure to pay your citation or appear in court will result in a failure to appear (FTA) and license suspension.

Can you pay a fine for not appearing in court?

If the judge has issued a bench warrant, you must appear before the judge before you can pay (or have our office appear for you). The judge may also impose a fine for not appearing. If you can show an acceptable reason for why you missed court, the judge may waive the penalties.

Can a Georgia traffic attorney help with a ticket?

That is a myth. Many times, a Georgia Traffic Attorney can help get a ticket reduced to a “non-reportable” offense.

What is a traffic ticket lawyer?

In particular, a traffic ticket attorney specializes in laws related to driving; such lawyers defend traffic court cases varying from routine moving violations (such as running a traffic light) to more serious situations (such as driving under the influence ). Regardless of the violation circumstances, a seasoned lawyer works to reduce your traffic ...

What can a seasoned lawyer do to reduce traffic ticket penalties?

Regardless of the violation circumstances, a seasoned lawyer works to reduce your traffic ticket penalties, negotiate alternative penalties, and/or dismiss the ticket altogether.

What does an attorney do?

Attorneys specialize in particular areas of the law— meaning they are well-versed in legal language and can use that knowledge and experience to identify flaws in the case brought against you (or at least lessen your penalties ).

Can an officer appear in court?

The issuing officer doesn't appear in court. You agree to plea to another less serious non-moving violation. You comply with an unsupervised probationary period. Understand that even if your ticket gets dismissed, the court still might require you to pay some or all the fines .

Why do traffic officers pull drivers over?

They'll pull drivers over for trivial reasons such as "weaving", even if the driver was only swerving to avoid a tire-damaging chuck hole.

How to collect evidence after a police officer leaves?

You can begin to collect evidence right at the scene after the officer leaves. Notice the weather, road conditions, time of day, amount and speed of traffic. Write this down along with everything you remember about the pull-over and what the officer said to you. If your cell phone has a camera, take pictures.

What is considered a civil infraction?

Things like not having a shoulder harness seat belt, driving with an expired license or registration, or using a cell phone in the lane of traffic are considered civil infractions. No court appearance is required in most cases if you don't contest the ticket.

Can you drive behind a car at night?

Some even drive closely behind a car traveling late at night, hoping to make the driver nervous enough to run a stop sign or make a turn from the wrong lane. These unfair tickets can put negative points on your driving record, causing an increase in your insurance rates.

Do you have to go to court if you don't contest a ticket?

No court appearance is required in most cases if you don't contest the ticket. People who get tickets for violations like these simply go to a police station to pay a fine and show proof of correction.

What determines the court fees?

There are four factors that determine what your court fees in will be: your driving history, the type of ticket, your attitude towards the officer who ticketed you, and the judge or traffic magistrate hearing your case. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. Full screen is unavailable.

What is court cost?

What Are Court costs? Court fees or costs, as they are often referred to, are little more than the administrative fees associated with taking your ticket to court – supposedly charged to make up for the court and its officers’ time and effort handling a ticket you never wanted to get in the first place.

Can a traffic ticket be a salt?

Yes, they can be the proverbial salt in the wound of your traffic ticket experience. Luckily, a good traffic ticket attorney will provide the right balm to ease the pain and get rid or reduce those court fees, along with the ticket, points and possible insurance hikes.

Can you charge different court fees for the same infraction?

Although the presiding judge or magistrate has discretion on what court fees to charge, there is a limit spelled out in your ticket. That explains how you can be charged different court fees for the same infraction on different occasion s and how a friend of yours could be charged less, or more, for the exact same kind of ticket.

Do you have to pay a traffic ticket if you hire an attorney?

Just the act of hiring a traffic ticket attorney to fight you case doesn’t eliminate the chance of having to pay court costs anymore than hiring an attorney guarantees that you don’t have to pay the ticket.

Juvenile Tickets

Juvenile traffic tickets for a moving violation require a mandatory court appearance. Juvenile court still handles juvenile misdemeanor tickets, but infractions are dealt with by the traffic division. In both cases, the presence of a parent or guardian is necessary.

Misdemeanor & Felony Tickets

The following violations have a mandatory court appearance that an Attorney can handle for you:

FTA for a Mandatory Appearance

You should receive a court reminder, which will state the fine amount or if your violation requires a mandatory appearance. When required to appear for a misdemeanor or felony, if you or an attorney are not present in court when you name is called, you are an FTA, and a warrant will get issued for your arrest.

Use of Traffic Violators School (TVS) to Mask Tickets

Another choice is to attend Traffic Violators School (TVS), which will hold your ticket as confidential. You will need to pay your ticket, and a conviction will get entered in your motor vehicle driving record (MVR), but it will not be viewable by the public, such as insurance agencies and employers.

Traffic Ticket Attorneys Who Practice in Bishop & Independence Courts

If you have a mandatory court appearance in Bishop or Independence in Inyo County, you need legal representation you can count on to resolve your tickets. Speeding 100+ MPH or tickets for going to fast to qualify for TVS are serious situations that require expert representation to resolve.

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