The top five reasons to hire an attorney to challenge a speeding ticket are you get a chance to be heard, you need not attend court, the attorney knows the law, there is a possibility of dismissal or no-point conviction, and the attorney could very well be the cheapest option.
These reasons will be presented in reverse order counting down from five to the top reason to hire an attorney.
#5 — The Chance to Be Heard
Traffic court is unlike any court proceeding you have seen on TV. Traffic courts are still notoriously crowded despite only about five percent of those with tickets challenging them in court. Without an attorney, you will only have two to five minutes to make your point. If you get stage fright or tongue-tied, you could leave with less money, DMV assessed points, and no “good driver’s discount.” Your best bet is to allow an experienced and knowledgeable traffic attorney to present your case.
#4 — No Need for You to Go to Court to Challenge the Speeding Ticket
When you hire an attorney, you will not need to sit through the hours of waiting for your case to be called, only to plead “not guilty” and possibly come back for a trial date. Your attorney can handle the arraignment, enter your plea, present requests for dismissal or reduced charges, and all other matters without you missing work or school.
#3 — An Attorney Knows the Law
Traffic attorneys spend most of their working hours in traffic court. When they are not in their office writing requests for dismissal and other motions, they are in traffic court hearing case after case. These cases are heard and ruled on by the same judge who will rule on your case.
Therefore, not only do they know the various technicalities of traffic law, they know exactly how the judge in Fresno County Traffic Court rules on numerous speeding incidents and defenses. Law is all about following precedence. No sitting judge wants to be seen as inconsistent.
#2 — A Much Better Chance of Dismissal or No-Point Conviction
A traffic attorney knows the exact wording that needs to go into a request for dismissal or no-point conviction. A no-point conviction is like a parking ticket, you might pay the same fine, but you will not receive any negligent operator treatment system (NOTS) points, which could save you hundreds of dollars.
Most drivers only consider the fine when they get a speeding ticket, when in fact, the fine usually is only about one-fourth of the penalty for a conviction or paid fine. When your auto insurance provider learns of your conviction, they will take your good driver’s discount, which is 20%, and then add the increased risk.
#1 — An Attorney Could Actually Be the Cheapest Option!
Typically, after a conviction without eligibility for Traffic Violator’s School, you will pay around $500 more per year for the three years the NOTS points will remain on your driving record. Usually, that will total about $1,500 to $2,000. Therefore, hiring an attorney could be much less expensive than paying the fine.
Unlike what most drivers think, traffic attorneys do not charge by the hour or make you give up a retainer to contract their legal services. A traffic attorney usually uses a fixed fee to resolve a traffic ticket, which could be around one-third or one-fourth of what you would pay for a conviction or guilty plea.
Could you still be convicted? Of course, there is no guarantee the judge will consider the request for dismissal or permit a reduced no-point conviction, but these things happen quite frequently.
Hire the Central Valley Attorneys Who Handle Speeding Tickets in Fresno County
Call the Bakersfield Legal Firm of Bigger & Harman, (661) 349-9300. Se habla Español (661) 349-9755.
We can handle your speeding ticket as well as many other traffic violations and represent you in a DMV NOTS Hearing to assist you in keeping your driving privileges.
Email: attorney@biggerharmanlaw.com.
References:
The 2020 CA Driver Handbook.pdf