You might be the safest driver on the road, but one little mistake can get you a traffic ticket. These not only include fines of $150 and up, but they can also add points to your license! Too many points and you’ll get your license revoked. Who can afford that? So if you want to fight a traffic ticket, we’ll show you what to do.

Submitting Your Plea

First, let’s go over what it looks like to submit your plea to fight a traffic ticket. If you’d like information on what to do when you get pulled over, click here. We’ll provide additional information in our next blog.

After receiving the ticket, you’ll usually have 10 days to sign it and submit payment with your plea through the mail. So, if you want to fight the traffic ticket, follow the instructions on the ticket as to how to do so. Typically, the ticket will say you need to check a box that says “Not Guilty,” sign the ticket, and submit full payment for the ticket with a check or money order. After this, you’ll receive a notice in the email within a few days with the date and time of your trial. Do not be alarmed. It’s not a trial like in the movies.

Fight a Traffic Ticket Trial

Second, we’ll go over the details of the trial and give you some tips. Ensure you arrive well-dressed at least 10 minutes before the time on the notice you got in the mail. When you arrive, you’ll need to sign in. Either the officer who gave you the ticket will be there or an officer who has “ticket trial duty” will be there. Other people who got tickets will be there as well. At some point, the officer will call your name and meet with you privately. Normally, you won’t even have to defend yourself or make an argument. Simply by showing up, the officer will lessen your sentence so that the fine and/or the points are lower. It’s best to take whatever deal they give you. Following this, you’ll be free to go.

However, if the officer is unwilling to give you deal, here are some things you can say to help you.

• If you work as a doctor, nurse, healthcare professional, social worker, clergy, or some other position that involves serving the community, mention this.
• If you’re experiencing financial strain or recently lost your job, mention this as well.
• Never try to justify your driving or make excuses. Instead, admit you made a mistake.
• If you made the mistake because you experienced emotional distress, like you found out a relative passed or you broke up with a partner, this might also help you.

Nevertheless, if none of this helps and you still want to fight the traffic ticket, then you’ll appear before a judge. At this point, the odds of you getting a lesser sentence decrease. The judge will either offer you a deal, such as going to traffic school, or you’ll have to pay the full ticket.

Fight a Traffic Ticket with Mark Catanzaro

Finally, if you couldn’t get a lesser sentence and still want to fight the traffic ticket, then you need a competent attorney! So contact Mark Catanzaro! He’s the lawyer you need to defend your case. Reach out today!