A traffic ticket does not mean you are guilty, it merely means that you are accused of a traffic offense. Traffic tickets can have significant consequences. Increased insurance premiums can be the least of your worries if you simply pay the citation (especially if you have a commercial driver’s license). You can get points on your license, surcharges, and license suspension for certain offenses. I can help you try to keep the ticket off of your driving record and protect your rights.
Banking on the officer not showing up to court is not a good strategy for keeping your driving record clean. In doing this you gamble with the possibility of points on your license. In Austin, for example, the officers work in the same building in which the municipal court is located and will likely be there unless they are on vacation. Some clients tell me that their last attorney set the case out over and over again and the officer eventually did not show up. Requesting a continuance for any reason that is not in the interest of justice and for good cause is not ethical and is not a practice that I engage in. There are legitimate ways to attempt to keep your driving record clean and a trial is usually the last resort.
Should you have to go to trial, there are legitimate ways to challenge the accuracy of radar, laser and pacing. Radar and laser are subject to flaws in use as well as subject to possible false readings. Further, proper notice of speed limit and jurisdiction must be shown.
Whether you simply wish to not appear in court or if deferred disposition is unavailable to you because you have taken a driver’s safety course within the last year, I am here to assist you. Please visit my links page if you are seeking deferred disposition (sometimes called deferred adjudication) and are interested in representing yourself.