Many drivers with a speeding ticket are hesitant to hire a traffic lawyer. They wrongly believe there is nothing to gain by hiring a lawyer to challenge the ticket. Here are four ways a traffic lawyer can assist you with a speeding ticket.
A traffic lawyer can appear in court for you. They can write a formal request for dismissal or reduced charge, or ask the judge to allow Traffic Violators School (TVS) even for speeding more than 25 mph over the limit.
#1 — A Traffic Lawyer Can Appear for You Even When You Have a Mandatory Appearance for a Speeding Ticket (Kings County/Hanford Exception Below)
In CA, a speeding ticket for 100+ mph comes with a mandatory court appearance. However, a traffic lawyer can appear for you, and you can go to school or work as if nothing happened.
This appearance by an attorney can save you time, money, and embarrassment. All CA counties retain jurisdiction for traffic violations. Therefore, even though you live in Sacramento just a few blocks from the Carol Miller Justice Center, if you get a ticket in Kings County, you must drive the three and a half hours to Hanford Traffic Court to resolve the 100+ mph speeding ticket.
In this scenario, you will probably have to drive the night before, stay in a hotel, sit in court until your case gets called, and then drive back. Alternatively, you could hire a traffic lawyer to resolve it for you.
Kings County is even worse. The main traffic commissioner attempts to require mandatory appearances on over 100 mph tickets even though the Vehicle Code says that traffic lawyers can appear for infraction offenses. Contact our office to discuss the current legal situation in Hanford Courts.
#2 — A Traffic Lawyer Can Request a Dismissal for a Speeding Ticket
A traffic lawyer can formally request dismissal from the traffic court judge. Since a traffic law attorney spends so much time in traffic court, they know the exact wording that must be proposed to the judge.
A dismissal not only means no fine and no court appearance, but also, your auto insurance premiums will not go up. The loss of a 20 percent “good driver’s discount,” coupled with an increased risk designation, could cost $2,000 or $3,000 over the three years the speeding ticket stays on your record. Much more for a driver under 25.
Californians will pay a fine of around $250 up to $2,600 for a speeding ticket rather than hire a traffic lawyer. Most believe it will be too expensive to hire a lawyer without looking at the other consequences of their conviction that result by paying the fine. It is not over just because you paid the fine. At renewal, your insurance will drop your discount and raise your rate.
#3 — A Traffic Lawyer Can Request a Reduced Charge for a Speeding Ticket
If the traffic court judge denies a request for dismissal, a traffic lawyer can counter with a reduced charge. Many times, due to traffic court overcrowding, especially in counties with no night court, a judge will grant a no-point, non-moving violation to free up court time.
Once again, no points means no increase in auto insurance. You might still pay a fine, but you will save hundreds per year on insurance.
#4 — A Traffic Lawyer Can Request TVS for a Speeding Ticket
According to CVC, a driver guilty of speeding 25 mph or more over the speed limit but under 100 mph, can mask their conviction by attending TVS only with the approval of a Traffic Court Judge.
Most drivers, when faced with a speeding ticket, think only of the massive fine. Whereas it’s true it will cost nearly $600 if you pay the fine and accept TVS, you will still save a lot of money. The fine will be $490-$500, plus around $65 if the judge approves your attendance, and then, the tuition fee. However, the most substantial sum of money for a speeding ticket conviction is the rise in auto insurance premiums.
Therefore, if you attend and complete TVS, even though you pay the fine, you will keep your “good driver’s discount,” and you will not see a rise in your auto insurance premium because the insurance company will not see the conviction.
For the average Californian, auto insurance cost $1,920 per year. A good driver’s discount is 20 percent, that’s $384 annually. Plus, if your insurance company knew you were speeding more than 25 mph over the speed limit, your insurance would go up because of the increased risk, another 15-25 percent or $288 to $480. The elevated premium would be $672 to $864 more annually.
What’s more, that elevated rate will not return to normal with another discount for three years. The total cost is a staggering $2,616 to $3,162. Still, think it’s more convenient and cheaper to pay the fine and move on than hire a speeding ticket attorney?
Traffic Lawyers Who Handle Speeding Tickets in Kings County
Bigger & Harman are traffic lawyer with a great deal of experience assisting clients with speeding tickets in Hanford Traffic Court. Call us at (661) 349-9300. Se habla Español (661) 349-9755.
We only represent clients with traffic law issues in traffic court and at DMV Hearings. Give us a call or send us an email, attorney@biggerharmanlaw.com to discuss your specific circumstances.
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