Let App WinIt fight your ticket.
When you see those flashing lights, one of two things goes through your mind. Either you’re really happy that you have a police officer in the family or you’re really mad that you don’t.
However, if the police officer does give you a traffic ticket, what should you do?
This article is designed to help show you how to get out of traffic tickets, beat them in court, or otherwise avoid the hefty costs that come with a conviction.
Getting Pulled Over
Knowing the local police traffic stop procedures can help you avoid getting a ticket in the first place. Start off by pulling at the earliest available opportunity when you can safely do so. Then roll down the windows and turn the lights on. Place your hands on the steering wheel to allow the officer easy line of sight to them.
The most important thing to remember about a traffic stop is to not make any sudden movements. The last thing you’d want is for the officer to think you’re reaching for a weapon.
Once the officer asks for them, hand over the requested documents. That usually means your license and registration, but police officers are allowed to ask for other documentation if the situation calls for it.
After that comes the waiting game. Do not leave until the officer tells you to leave. Sit there in your vehicle and wait for the officer to return with your documents. If one of those documents is a traffic ticket, then there will be a few more things you’ll have to do.
Gather All the Evidence You Can
Evidence is anything that can be used in court to support your side of the argument. Pictures, videos, and testimonies can all be considered evidence in a court of law. If you’re not sure what counts as good evidence and what doesn’t, here’s a good rule of thumb: Take it all!
Gather all of the potential evidence that might possibly have even the tiniest chance of somewhat helping your case. In other words, anything that won’t hurt your case should be collected.
That means photographs of the scene, dashcam footage, eyewitness reports, paperwork, other documentation, and more. Here are a few examples of evidence that could have a phenomenal impact on your case:
Dashcam footage. If a police officer writes you a ticket for failing to stop at a stop sign, that’s bad news. But, if your dashcam shows that you did, in fact, stop at that stop sign, that’s great news! The judge might be willing to dismiss your ticket because of that footage.
Documentation. This is particularly useful in parking ticket disputes, but could possibly help with certain traffic ticket disputes as well. When the police officer issues the ticket, they must write the time and date when the violation occurred. If you have documents proving you were not there at that time and date, you might be able to get out of the ticket.
Your Options Once You Get a Traffic Ticket
Even though it might feel like the end of things, getting a traffic ticket is actually the first step in the dispute process. And there are countless ways to go from there. You can fight the ticket with expert help, go the course alone, bargain for a better plea, or yet other options.
To know which option is right for you, you should speak with a lawyer as soon as possible. If you’re on the fence about hiring a lawyer or you’re just interested in researching your options, we’ll break down four of the most common next steps in the ticket process.
Fight the Ticket With WinIt
You can download the WinIt app for smartphones to get easy and affordable access to some of the best lawyers in your area. This is similar to hiring a lawyer the traditional way but comes with a long list of other benefits.
For example, there are rules in many places that prevent lawyers from offering certain discounts or refunds. And, although WinIt can help you find lawyers, the app is not a lawyer itself. It’s an app! That means, by hiring lawyers through the WinIt app to fight your ticket, you can potentially save a lot of money that would otherwise get lost in the rules.
Fight the Ticket Yourself
Fighting your ticket yourself can seem like the most cost-effective way to go, but that’s not true. The greatest benefit of this method is that you don’t have to pay a lawyer to fight your ticket. The drawbacks, however, are pretty hefty.
Although you won’t have to pay a lawyer, you will have a lower chance of beating your ticket. You’ll also have to take time off work to prepare for and attend court, which means losing wages or sick days.
All things considered, fighting a ticket yourself and losing is oftentimes more expensive than hiring a lawyer and losing. Not to mention that hiring a lawyer makes it significantly less likely that you’ll lose your case.
Plea Bargain
Plea bargaining is when you or your representative negotiates for reduced charges on your behalf. This kind of deal involves pleading guilty to one charge in place of another. Doing so requires a significant degree of public speaking skill and legal knowledge. In other words, lawyers are uniquely qualified to negotiate plea bargains.
Plea bargaining involves pleading guilty to a lesser charge instead of the one for which the officer wrote the ticket. This can save you quite a lot in terms of points on your license, suspension, revocation, or jail time. But it’s still a conviction and still can carry steep penalties.
Plead Guilty or No Contest
If you don’t have it in you to fight your ticket, then you can always plead guilty or no contest. Of course, if the judge allows it, a no contest plea is almost always preferable. No contest, or nolo contendere, pleas are similar to guilty pleas in that you accept the consequences and penalties of the charges without dispute.
However, if you plead no contest, you are telling the judge that you will not accept responsibility for the charges, only the penalties. On the other hand, guilty pleas involve accepting both the responsibility for as well as the penalties of the charges.
Can You Ignore a Speeding Ticket?
Ignoring a speeding ticket is a criminal act. But just how criminal that act is depends on what you mean by “ignoring a speeding ticket.”
If you get a speeding ticket and do not respond to it, you can be charged with failure to respond. That is usually an infraction, which leads to additional civil penalties like having your license suspended. These penalties only go away once you’ve appeared in court for the ticket. Failure to respond can also result in a bench warrant being issued for your arrest.
If you have already been convicted of the ticket and you ignore the payments. You could be charged with failure to pay. That’s usually a misdemeanor, which can land you in jail and leave you with a criminal record.
Do not, under any circumstances, ignore a speeding ticket!
Brush Up On the Traffic Laws in Your Area
When you hire a lawyer to help you beat your ticket, ask them for advice on how to avoid getting similar tickets in the future. Knowing the law is the best way to protect yourself against it.
Once you know what the law requires, it becomes a choice whether you break it or not. Without knowing the law, you’re entirely at the whims of police officers and politicians, many of whom adhere to strict quotas for traffic ticket enforcement.
Traffic enforcement agencies around the country have been known to rely on fines as a source of revenue for the government. Over the years, there have been countless controversies regarding illegal ticket quotas, policing for profit, and excessive fine allegations.
Take a Defensive Driving Course
When in court, if things don’t seem to be going all that well for you, ask the judge if they would be willing to dismiss the ticket after you successfully complete traffic school. Unfortunately, this is not an option everywhere, but, when it is, it can be a lifesaver.
Defensive driving courses are offered just about everywhere, but don’t always enable people to have their tickets dismissed for taking them. Even so, these courses can help lessen the impact of traffic tickets on your insurance and reduce the total number of points on your license.
If you still have comments, questions, or concerns, reach out to a lawyer on the WinIt app and see how they can help you.
