Traffic Ticket Strategies

Strategies Used by Traffic Ticket Attorneys 

There are several potential options that an experienced Charlotte traffic ticket lawyer may be able to use to improve your traffic case depending on the particular circumstances. Each case is unique, and different traffic tickets and driving records call for a customized strategy.  Below, local Charlotte speeding ticket attorney Anthony Wayne discusses some of the most common traffic ticket resolutions.  One or more of these traffic ticket strategies may apply in your case. After reviewing this information, call us for more answers and possible outcomes in your case. If we can help, we will tell you how. If we cannot, we will provide you with an honest, straightforward assessment of your situation. Either way, you will get answers to your questions. You can call our office at 704-334-7897 or Mr. Wayne directly on his mobile phone 704-960-9097 after hours or on weekends.

Improper Equipment

This is the preferred way to resolve minor speeding tickets. The Assistant District Attorney may be willing to agree to this option if you have a relatively good driving record over the past three (3) years. Your record does not have to be perfect, but other infractions or IE reductions may prevent this desired outcome. Instead of pleading “guilty” if you appear on your own, you respond “responsible” as you are only “admitting” to “faulty equipment.” Unlike in the past, an IE will now appear on your driving record so that the State can see if you have multiple prior offenses. The best part of this preferred option is that it does NOT result in any driving record or insurance points. You will have to pay court costs and a small fine.  Consequently, under most vehicle insurance policies, you should not encounter any rate increases, which is what most people are worried about.

Prayer for Judgment Continued

Prayer for Judgment Continued is a unique legal creation in North Carolina. It essentially pleading guilty to the offense, while at the same time receiving no fine, insurance points, or drivers license points.  You will have to pay the costs of court, but at the same time, you escape any additional fine.  The most important aspect of this option for most people is the fact that their insurance will not typically go up.  PJCs are a powerful tool that can help resolve traffic tickets.  However, it is important to understand that PJCs are given only in certain circumstances.  Another limitation of a PJC is that if you violate part of the agreement for the PJC, then those offenses (and their penalties) can come back on you.  That is why you should be very careful when driving after receiving a PJC.  Getting a conviction for another offense will be considered a violation of the agreement for the PJC.  Another limitation is that the DMV will recognize a PJC only once every five (5) years.  Finally, a PJC is typically granted once every three years, per insurance policy.  Therefore, if a person is on an insurance policy with a person who already has a PJC within the past three years, a PJC will not be an option for them.

Traffic School

A traffic class can help you deal with a problem on your record.  There are different levels of traffic school, and depending on the seriousness of your offense, you can be assigned different levels of driving school.  These levels are discussed as different colors.  For instance, the “Green” traffic class is a four hour class.  There are other levels, such as “Red,” “Blue,” and “Yellow.”  Successful completion of Traffic School will result in a dismissal or a PJC.

Drivers’ License and Registration Tickets

Many times, these tickets can be resolved by presenting a valid drivers license or a valid registration to the Assistant District Attorney.  Most of the time, these tickets can be dismissed.  These are compliance issues, and complying with the law will resolve the issue.

Handling Several Traffic Tickets at Once

If you have numerous tickets, there may be a possibility that that the Assistant District Attorney may be willing to dismiss some of them if one or more is pled guilty to.  It is important to realize which offenses carry the most weight, and to negotiate which traffic tickets to plead guilty to.  This can be a powerful tool, that can get rid of a lot of fines and insurance points, if you are facing many charges.

Speed Reduction

Sometimes the Assistant District Attorney is willing to make a reduction in the amount of speed in your ticket.  For instance, if you are given a ticket for 85 in a 70, they may be willing to reduce it to 75 in a 70, so that your license will not be revoked.

What All this Means

This means that if you have a traffic ticket, there may be multiple options that may help you get a better outcome.  There are multiple tools at our disposal to help you with your traffic ticket.  What might work in one traffic ticket case might not work in another one.  This means that in your case, one of these solutions may work, and one of them may not.  These traffic ticket strategies are ones that seem to work most often.  They are ones that you can use when you go to court to negotiate over your ticket.  Or they are ones that we can implement for you to try to get a more favorable result.

Why it Matters

Why do we use these traffic ticket strategies?  The answer is simple: properly handling traffic tickets can protect your license and protect your money.  For some traffic tickets, your license can be revoked immediately.  For others, you have to build up a number of drivers license points first.  Either way, being without a license can make life hard for you and your family.  The second part of the reason we negotiate traffic tickets is because we are trying to protect your money.  There are a couple of ways that traffic tickets end up costing you money.  The first way is through the fine and court costs.  These up front expenses can easily cost you several hundreds of dollars.  But the worst part is yet to come.  The part that really hurts your wallet is increase in insurance premiums.  Sometimes people don’t think that traffic tickets have serious, ongoing consequences.  However, your insurance premiums can be effected for several years after your conviction.  It is clear that getting a traffic ticket can have serious effects on your license and your insurance.

How We Can Help

We have just explained a lot about how traffic ticket negotiation works.  There are, of course, more issues to be considered when it comes to traffic tickets, but the article above gives insight into how your case can be handled.  You may feel that you have enough information on traffic ticket strategies to handle your case on your own.  On the other hand, you may feel overwhelmed and and prefer that a traffic ticket lawyer handle your case.  If this is how you feel, we would be glad to help you with your traffic ticket.

Typical Traffic Charges and DMV Points

Speeding (under 55 mph) – 2 points / Speeding (over 55 mph) – 3 points

Unsafe movement – 2 points

Failure to stop (sign or traffic light) – 3 points

Following too closely – 4 points

Reckless driving – 4 points

Hit and run – 4 points

Passing stopped school bus – 4 points