If you were stopped because of a traffic offense and issued a ticket, you should enlist a seasoned Decatur traffic ticket lawyer with the SHElaw firm® to represent you.
Regardless if you were caught running a stop sign or speeding, receiving a traffic ticket will most likely ruin your day. What many drivers don’t realize is that receiving a traffic ticket in Georgia because of a traffic offense is more than just a minor inconvenience.
Traffic tickets can affect your driving record – and this can entail so much more than merely paying a penalty. If you have received a traffic ticket in Decatur, GA, you could have your driver’s license revoked or suspended. Losing your license may have adverse effects on your professional and personal life.
If you were stopped because of a traffic offense and issued a ticket, you may be unaware of your responsibilities and rights. Not doing anything about the ticket you’ve received will only make things worse.
Our criminal defense attorneys in Decatur, GA will assist you to reduce or eliminate the potential consequences of getting a traffic ticket. Protect yourself by contacting us at 470-788-8930 to book a free consultation today!
What Are the Different Types of Traffic Tickets?
The law enforcement divisions in Georgia are heavily dependent on the funds they acquire from traffic tickets, and there are usually quotas that officers are mandated to meet. Traffic officers may issue different traffic tickets to drivers they cite for:
- Running red lights
- Running stop signs
- Speeding
- Violating super speeding laws
- Reckless driving
- Aggressive driving
- Driving without insurance
- Breaching CDL regulations
- Infringing school bus laws
- Driving on a revoked, suspended without a valid license
What Should I Know About Traffic Violations?
If you were stopped because of a traffic offense and issued a ticket, you could face serious consequences.
License Suspension and Revocation
If you accrue 15+ points on your driving record in 2 years, you can have your license revoked or suspended. You can accrue points on your driving profile for other traffic violations not related to speeding, so watch your driving record to determine whether your driving benefits may be at risk.
Substantial Court Fees and Traffic Violation Fines
If you are found guilty of a traffic violation offense, you will be obliged to pay a fine. Depending on the traffic violation, the traffic fines and court fees could range in the hundred dollars.
Long-Lasting Insurance Rate Hikes
Getting convicted because of a traffic ticket in Decatur can significantly hike your insurance rates for the long term. Most automobile insurers review your driving profile before they agree to provide coverage or renew your auto insurance.
When your driving record has traffic violations, it can end up costing you a lot. Your auto insurance provider may raise your insurance rates when you want your current insurance to be renewed or apply for new coverage.
Automobile Seizure
Seizure of your automobile by the police is done if you are a habitual traffic violator as that automobile will be considered contraband. Losing your vehicle can be detrimental to both your personal and professional life.
Why Do I Need a Traffic Ticket Lawyer?
There are various reasons you may require the legal counsel of a traffic attorney if you are charged with a traffic violation. However, most offenders don’t. Actually, only around 5% of offenders who get traffic tickets enlist attorneys for help.
Of the remaining 95% who don’t hire attorneys, the majority opt to pay. Paying is an admission of guilt, which means you’ll end up paying insurance rates and fines in the hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
After you get a ticket, you have a couple of days following that date to take action. You can either pay the fine or plead not guilty and begin the proceedings towards a plea agreement or trial. If you don’t take any action, a warrant will be issued for your detainment.
If you plead not guilty, what next? What are the procedures? What exact statute have you infringed? What legal options do you have? Do you enter a plea agreement with the prosecutor? What occurs if you do and don’t?
When you have legal counsel, you need not worry about all of these. A traffic lawyer is conversant with Georgia’s procedures and will save you the frustration, money, and time of handling the case alone, as well as guarantee a favorable verdict.
Shouldn’t I Just Pay the Ticket?
Paying off the traffic ticket fine suggests that you have admitted fault for the offense. When you’re convicted of, or you admit that you’re ‘guilty’ of the traffic violation, you stand to face serious repercussions. Most drivers don’t know that they may solid grounds to challenge a traffic ticket, and simply just pay the ticket fine.
Nevertheless, traffic ticket fees are usually exorbitant. What’s more, paying leaves a permanent record on your driving log, which can increase insurance rates and accrue points on your record that can be detrimental to your driving freedoms. Don’t pay for the ticket. Instead, enlist a versed Decatur traffic ticket attorney to help lessen or expunge the traffic offense.
What Happens if I Just Go to Court Alone?
The U.S. Constitution stipulates that all citizens have a right to receive due process before getting convicted of any charge. Contrary to popular belief, you can fight a traffic ticket offense, but you have to know how to navigate the multiple laws and procedural rules. Some defendants opt to deal with their traffic tickets alone, under the notion that they can handle it or because a friend gave them an overview of what to do.
Unfortunately, most offenders don’t have the necessary know-how to navigate the complex procedures or establish if they received a favorable outcome or not. Going to court alone can be the worst mistake and end up costing you more than you think. Potential drawbacks may include driver’s license cancellation or suspension, high fines, substantial insurance rates, and issuance of warrants.
Need a Decatur Traffic Ticket Lawyer? Call SHELaw Today!
We at the SHElaw firm® have represented numerous traffic ticket defendants throughout Decatur to get their citations dismissed or lessened. When you enlist us as your traffic lawyers, you can rest easy knowing we are diligently working on your case. We handle every aspect of your traffic ticket case.
We will post a bond to have any warrant for you lifted, plead you’re not guilty and then file your case for a pretrial hearing. After establishing the exact statutes that you’ve violated, we’ll come up with a defense strategy that advocates for you.
We’ll get your case dismissed if possible. If not, we’ll discuss with the prosecution to come up with a favorable plea agreement, as we aim to avoid any conviction and pay the smallest possible fine.
If you want to get the best possible defense representation to deal with your traffic ticket issue, please get in touch with our Decatur law offices at 470-788-8930 to book a free consultation. Call NOW!
