It is at times disheartening for a traffic ticket attorney to watch drivers with thousands of dollars in fines plead guilty and throw themselves on the mercy of the court and smile as they leave the court because the judge took off a few hundred dollars. Little do they realize the fine is likely their smallest expense. Once the DMV assesses the Negligent Operator Treatment System (NOTS) points and their insurance is made aware of those points, the real expense will become apparent. In California, the increased insurance premiums when you lose your Proposition 103 protected “good driver” discount can cost you double or triple what you would have paid a traffic ticket attorney to represent you.

Proposition 103

In 1988, voters in CA tired of the insurance companies raising premiums as they saw fit, voted for Proposition 103 that elects an insurance commissioner who must approve rate hikes before those are implemented and within that voter initiative is the requirement that insurance companies give their auto insurance policyholders a 20 percent good drivers’ discount, applied after all other factors are considered. Twenty percent of a $1400 or 1500 annual policy can be considerable.

To be eligible for the discount you must have been continuously licensed during the previous three years, giving experienced drivers a boost over age requirements for discounts and have not more than one NOTS points on your motor vehicle driving record (MVR), and additionally, have no major infractions, misdemeanors, or felonies on your MVR. Therefore, being convicted of a major infraction can have repercussions on your insurance premium for up to 10 years.

No Points, Not Possible? Think Again!

Even though 95 percent of California drivers do not fight their tickets in court, traffic courts are still backlogged with cases particularly in major cities. Hence, traffic court officers, traffic commissioners, and judges are willing to make deals to alleviate the backlog, so traffic ticket attorneys, with knowledge of the traffic court system, can make a deal for their client in exchange for a guilty plea to a non-moving violation. Therefore, it makes sense to hire a traffic ticket attorney to try and get your major infraction reduced to a minor infraction that can be masked by traffic school, or a minor infraction to a no points violation and your insurance premium will not rise.

Moving Violations & Traffic School

There is a misconception about traffic school that completing traffic school will eliminate a ticket. The truth is, traffic school will cost you more money and change nothing for your first minor infraction. Remember, Proposition 103 allows the driver to have one minor infraction, so if you take traffic school to keep that ticket confidential and you get another minor infraction within 18 months, you cannot use traffic school again. Then you will lose your good drivers’ discount and your insurance company will sue the conviction to raise your rates as it puts you in a higher risk category.

You should always consult a traffic ticket attorney before deciding to plead guilty and just pay the fine. It’s not always the right choice. And, Bigger & Harman, a local Central Valley traffic ticket legal team offers a FREE, no obligation phone consultation.

Get a Free Phone Consultation with a Fresno County Lawyer

Bigger & Harman are knowledgeable and gifted traffic ticket attorneys because they spend the time in the trenches, those trenches are the traffic courts of Central Valley. In Fresno, Mark Bigger and Paul Harman work within the legal system for their clients. They are aware of the changes to CA Vehicle Code because they are always in traffic court in Central Valley and occasionally in SoCal counties, such as LA or San Bernardino. Those traffic courts are in cities like Fresno, where ticketed drivers from I-5 and Highway 99 need legal assistance. You might also see these traffic ticket defenders in traffic courts in Lamont, Bakersfield, Shafter, Ridgecrest, Mojave, Delano, Barstow, or many other major cities in Central Valley and SoCal.

Call Bigger & Harman, 661-349-9300, or email: attorney@markbigger.com when you need legal advice or counsel or would like a traffic ticket attorney to represent you in court.

When you received a traffic ticket and you need to do your best to get no points or a suspension is inevitable, you can use the website contact form.

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