Whether this is your first ticket, or one of many, you may be asking yourself if there’s a way to avoid paying it. On average, moving violations can range in the hundreds of dollars, which most people aren’t willing to schlep over. If you are wondering whether there’s a way out, there just might be. However, you have to be strategic. And since the everyday person isn’t a legal whiz, you may need help from a traffic lawyer to improve your situation.
Errors on Ticket
A simple error on a ticket, such as name misspelling or wrong address, may not result in a dismissal. That’s because these details have nothing to do with whether the person is guilty of the moving violation or not. A person may have their ticket dismissed if there are mistakes such as:
- The date of the offense on ticket was wrong
- The officer confused information between the driver’s license and registration
- The officer wrote down the incorrect law description or section on ticket
Speed Radar/Laser Issues
The officer who gave you a speeding ticket may have used a laser or radar to measure how fast you were driving. No matter how the officer assessed the speed of your car, they must have a true copy of the calibration that was performed on the device within the past six months. If the officer cannot bring forward this document, then the ticket may be dismissed.
Attending Driving School
You may be permitted to attend driving school as a way to reduce or dismiss a ticket from your record. Many courts have their own policies for what offenses can be reduced and if the offender can complete a driver’s education class. There may be restrictions on how many classes you can take within a certain number of years. Other courts may want you to fulfill community service hours, pay a fine, suspend your driver’s license, or inflict other repercussions.
A traffic lawyer from The Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt would agree that receiving a ticket is enough to ruin anyone’s day, and possibly drain their bank account too. Those who have received moving violation tickets recently may find hope in the fact that some tickets can and should be dismissed.