How Do I Know if I Have a Case Against a Speeding Ticket?

Two types of traffic tickets exist in the legal community: those that can be beaten in traffic court and those that cannot. The issue is determining the type you currently have. To better understand your options, there are a few tips to know if it is worthwhile fighting a speeding ticket in court with a solid defense. Keep reading to learn more!

Not Worth Fighting the Ticket

A large amount of time and energy goes into fighting a ticket, regardless of if you have a solid defense. You must go to court or hire a traffic lawyer Alamance NC who will represent you in court. If this is your first ticket in a decade and does not anticipate another ticket for another decade then it may be best to take the charges, pay the fine, and move on with your life. If you want to go this route, NC Greensboro traffic attorneys advise you to go to traffic school which takes some time but will keep your driving record clean.

Regardless of your decision, it is always best to consider every option. If money is the driving factor for not hiring a Guilford County traffic lawyer then there are financial alternatives that an affordable traffic attorney NC can provide, such as payment plans.

Study the Law

Surprisingly, police officers do not always know the wording of the law which is the most important aspect of fighting a speeding ticket. Your ticket must specify the code section you are accused of violating. For instance, if you made an illegal U-turn, you are violating Vehicle Code section 22103. This information is readily available for review online.

By investigating the law, you can see the definition of the violation, which is precisely with the government must prove in court to get a conviction. For instance, the U-turn law in most states says: no driver in a housing area shall make a 180-degree turn when another automobile is approaching for either direction within 200-feet. This is only acceptable at an intersection controlled by an official traffic device.

Based on this legal definition, the government will attempt to prove the following:

• You were driving in a housing district when the incident occurred.
• You made a 180-degree turn (U-turn).
• Another vehicle was approaching within 200-feet, behind or in front.
• No traffic control signal was located at the intersection.

If you can prove your driving conduct did not violate one of these bullet points, then you could get the case dropped in court. For instance, if you were driving in a commercial or industrial district then you would be considered not guilty according to the law.

Consider all Defenses

In many instances, a technical defense will not hold up since most traffic officers are efficient at identifying the correct code section related to your proposed violation. Some defenses are effective in court while others rarely have a chance to succeed but it is worth reviewing the code information.

Successful Defenses

Traffic violations law firms note that the ideal strategy for fighting a traffic ticket depends on the circumstances of the case. For instance, challenging the officer’s speed measurement is a great defense to a speeding ticket. Proving that the officer did not have a good vantage point to assess whether you rolled through a stop sign or blew through a red light are viable defenses. This helps prove they did could not accurately assess the situation from a specific angle.

Unsuccessful Defenses

Drivers regularly enter traffic court with an endless number of excuses that do not hold any legal water, according to Orange County traffic ticket attorneys NC. For instance, the driver could say they were in a hurry to get to work and didn’t realize their speed. Another common defense is saying you didn’t see the stop sign. These explanations may help to reduce the fine but are not acceptable defenses to dismiss the case.

Another unsuccessful defense is to dispute the officer’s version of the events without justification, evidence, or support. This puts the driver’s word against the officer’s word and the driver will almost always lose.

If you have a traffic ticket and are considering hiring a traffic ticket attorney Guilford County, then look to the law office of Tony Huynh for assistance. Their attorneys specialize in traffic infractions and can help build a solid defense to get the case dismissed.