Screeeeech, crash, bang – insert your favorite onomatopoeia for a traffic accident here – you just got in a car wreck. Now what should you do?

First and foremost, STOP. Leaving the scene of an accident in Florida is a felony, even if there is very little property damage and no injuries. Worse, leaving the scene of an accident when there are injuries is a high-degree felony that could easily land you in prison.

So, stop, and assess the situation. Are you hurt? Is anyone else in your vehicle hurt? Are emergency personnel needed? If so, call them immediately.

Next, take a look at your surroundings. Did your car end up in a safe place on the shoulder or is it still in the middle of the road blocking traffic? If your vehicle still drives it’s always best to move it to a safe place and out of danger. Use your best judgement and determine if it is safe to exit the vehicle before contacting the other driver(s) if the accident involves other vehicles. Call the authorities if there is any emergency.

Remain calm. Remember you just became a statistic and you’re one of 400,000 people each year that has a traffic accident in Florida. You may have just experienced something traumatic but you need to take a deep breath and deal with the situation. Hysterics never helps, there could be people injured that need help, investigators that need your statement and keeping a level head is crucial.

If you are injured, what should you do, and who should you call?

Once you have determined that you are safe, at this point, your wellbeing is the utmost concern. Do not assume just because you “feel O.K.” that you are not injured. Often, people are in shock, and their adrenaline is pumping immediately after an accident, which can disguise any pain.

Make sure you call paramedics to the scene to get checked out. They can make the determination to what extent you may have suffered injuries, either visible or not. Do not worry about the hospital or medical bills at this point.

Once you have been treated, it’s time to call The Ticket Clinic’s injury lawyer. Do not call an injury referral service! They are advertising firms, not lawyers. They cannot represent you legally.

Craig Goldenfarb’s personal injury law firm can help you get your medical treatment paid, and get you compensation for your injuries.

The Police Are Showing Up, Now What?

Well that depends on the circumstances of the accident however there are a few things you must legally do. Drivers involved in accident investigations must comply with officer’s requests to hand over their driver’s license, insurance, registration and exit the vehicle. It never ever helps to be rude to officers. While you have the right to not answer questions, it be perceived as evasive and rub the investigator the wrong way depending on what is said. Never admit fault or make statements that incriminate yourself. If you need to avoid questions use language such as “I don’t really remember, I’d like to speak with my attorney first.” There are non-confrontational ways to politely decline answering questions that don’t ruffle feathers. Determining how much or how little to speak with investigating officers will always be a judgement call and once again remaining calm could make all the difference.

Everyone Is Safe, What Should I Do?

The best thing you can do after an accident is collect as much information as possible. Pull out your phone and take down the basics:

• 1. Where/when did the accident occur?
• 2. Who was involved? License plate numbers, insurance, info, addresses/phone numbers
• 3. Who was injured? – what was damaged – Take pictures if needed of the scene
• 4. Who responded? – officers names, agencies
• 5. Who witnessed it? – Names, phone numbers
• 6. Who was cited? – Citation type, recipients
• 7. What did it look like? – Take photos of damage and scene

In the days following an accident, be aware!

Two extremely important things to look out for in the days following an accident are lingering or sudden pain, and illegal accident victim solicitation.

People often assume they are OK after an accident, and then are surprised the next day by the pain that starts to show up. Your body may feel sore, achy, or even acutely painful in the next, shoulders, or ribs.

This is a sign that your body is telling you it’s hurt! You need to get treated right away. In Florida, you have up to 14 days to seek treatment after an accident in order for you auto insurance to pay for that treatment out of your PIP (personal injury protection) claim.

The longer you wait, the harder it is to secure those benefits.

You can call our law firm, and we would be happy to send you to receive medical treatment with no out-of-pocket expenses to you. It is our job as lawyers to get our medical bills paid.

The second thing to watch out for in the days following an accident is solicitation. This illegal practice preys on auto accident victims, to get them to go seek treatment in order to pillage their PIP benefits.

Ignore anyone who calls, texts, or shows up to your house that you do not know! They use clever tactics to trick you into doing what they want – which is to get you to a medical clinic. They will lie to you, cheat you, and steal from you.

Bottom line: call a personal injury law firm, and ignore anyone who contacts you so you don’t get ripped off!

Driving is an integral part of life for people who live in and visit Florida. Unfortunately, however, authorities have cracked down on a number of different types of offenses that can lead to administrative or even criminal consequences, depending on the situation. What follows is an overview of some of the most common traffic ticket types across state of Florida.

All of these should be taken seriously if you receive one in the mail or from your police officer directly, and should prompt you to hire a knowledgeable Florida traffic ticket attorney immediately. Our data used for the analysis is publicly available Here.

Careless Driving

Careless driving is one of the most popular statutes referenced in the state of Florida by a law enforcement officer. In 2016, 211,000 drivers were ticketed for this offense often associated with car accident investigations managed by the Florida Highway Patrol.

This is a four-point ticket if you were involved in a crash that led to a careless driving citation. Practically every careless driving citation is issued in relation to an accident and your certified driving record will maintain these four points for a period of 36 months. This can lead to a big increase in your insurance in addition to other consequences and problems if they are not fought in court and removed.

According to the state’s Uniform Traffic Citation Data more than half of Careless driving tickets in Florida were dismissed outright or adjudication was withheld in 2016. Our experienced attorneys recommend fighting this citation and urge you to speak with us before accepting the penalties. Click here to go to our careless driving services page.

Reckless Driving

As defined in Statute 316.192, Reckless driving is Any person who drives any vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving. Also, Fleeing a law enforcement officer in a motor vehicle is reckless driving per se. Speeding excessively, weaving from lane to lane, driving on medians or shoulders are some examples of reckless driving. In 2016, 5,381 drivers were ticketed for this offense and of them 25% were found guilty. Click here to go to our reckless driving services page.

Driving With a Suspended License

Every driver on the roads of Florida must have an appropriate license in order to drive. If you’ve never had a license or knowingly had your license suspended,you could be facing fines and time in jail. If you are caught driving with knowledge that your license is suspended, the charge is criminal and more severe. In 2016, 137,668 drivers in Florida received criminal citations for DWLS and 35% of them were found guilty.

Running A Stop Sign

72,843 Florida drivers received stop sign tickets in 2016 making it another one of the commonly issued traffic citations. Many people are pulled over for not making a complete stop while others completely miss the sign. Of them about 27% simply paid the fine and allowed the charge to stick on their driving record. Like almost all citations we recommend fighting to have it removed in court because no matter how small, blemishes on your driving record can come back to haunt you especially if your job requires frequent time on the road.

Call A Traffic Ticket Attorney For Advice

Any traffic ticket citation is a serious one. If you ignore the ticket or simply pay it and try to move on, your insurance could take a hit. If your driving record has already accumulated other violations recently, you can expect that those will influence you, too. A license can be suspended after too many violations too close to one another, so it’s important to realize how even one point being added to your record could be dangerous if you’re not careful. Before paying any traffic ticket call 1-800-CITATION for a free consultation.

If you were pulled over by an officer or received a notification in the mail of an alleged traffic citation, one of the most common problems that plagues people is losing this actual traffic ticket. All of the critical information associated with the citation is included directly on the traffic ticket and if you lose it, you may not even remember what the citation was for, who gave it to you or how to pay it?

All of the critical information linked to the citation itself is included only on this piece of paper and if you lose it, it is easy to forget about the traffic ticket entirely. This can be a major mistake however, and this could even jeopardize the possible outcome of your case if you are not careful. If you’ll be seeking the insight of a knowledgeable Florida traffic ticket attorney after you have been issued a ticket, it is a good idea to take a picture of the traffic citation or to scan it onto your computer so that you can reference it easily. Shoving it inside your purse or briefcase means that it could ultimately be lost and you could forget crucial details or the situation all together. Ignoring the traffic ticket, which is the same as forgetting about it and failing to pay it or respond appropriately in court to contest the traffic ticket, could lead to loss of your driving license and administrative penalties and even higher insurance rates. Florida uses a point system to assess varying levels of severity with a traffic ticket and your decision not to pay a traffic ticket due to forgetting about it or losing the piece of paper could become problematic for you.

If the ticket is lost, you may be able to search for this information online in particular circumstances, depending on the county in which you originally received the traffic ticket. If you are sure that you have traffic ticket pending and you know which court is responsible for handling it, you can skip the process of going online to check the state online drivers’ license and contact the county court directly.

For those who don’t have the time, you can also call The Ticket Clinic and a legal assistant can help you look up this information and start the process to fight your case. In most cases, you will only have a maximum of thirty days to pay your fine before you are facing additional penalties, which means you need to act sooner rather than later to identify this lost traffic ticket information. You will need to be prepared to give them some basic information to help them identify your case. This includes your name as well as your driver’s license number.

Consulting with an experienced Florida traffic ticket attorney should be your first step if you are confused about how to handle your traffic citation. Call 1-800-CITATION.

Violation Points and How to Reduce the Impact of a Traffic Ticket

In Florida, as in many other states, your driver’s license has a point system for traffic offenses. The more offenses you accumulate in a particular period of time, the higher the points and the greater the chances are that you will be suspended.

In some states points are deducted from a set number. However, Florida adds multiple points for each violation. After accumulating these points over a period of time, the authorities will automatically suspend your license, which means that you are not allowed to drive a vehicle for a certain period of time.

What Happens if I Get a Points Assessment?

Although the police will not be watching you individually to ensure that you comply, if you are pulled over for any reason and the officer identifies that you have been driving with a suspended license, the consequences could be severe. You could be looking at time in jail.

The points that are accumulated on your license in Florida are not permanent. The points stay on your license for up to 3 years, but then they are removed. Your driving record will always show the history of the ticket but you do not have to worry about points from many years ago affecting your license now.

Any points that are accumulated in other states can also be added to your Florida driver’s license because of reciprocity rules. Nearly every state in the country has signed the reciprocity compact. This means that each state respects other states’ laws and will make sure that their citizens do the same. If a driver from outside of Florida receives a ticket in Florida, it will likely show on their home license and the same goes for you if you accumulate tickets outside the state of Florida. Suspension of your license has to do with the accumulation of points and the period of time in which you got them. They include:

12 points in 12 months leads to a 30-day license suspension 18 points in 18 months gets you a 3-month suspension 24 points in 3 years gets a you a full year of a suspended license

While there are other ways to get a license suspended, being aware of point accumulation on your license can help you to avoid a license suspension.

You can always check on the Florida’s DMV website to find out how many points you’ve already accumulated. Receiving a ticket does not necessarily mean that you’ll have points on your license.

4 Ways to Reduce the Impact of a Traffic Ticket

• 1. In some states, you can complete a defensive driving course. This is also referred to as the traffic school or driver improvement. The Motor Vehicle Department of the state often approves these. Taking a defensive driving course can reduce or remove points on your driving record, reinstate your driver’s license and, in some cases, dismiss a traffic ticket. The eligibility to take the course is decided by the state’s DMV agency. There are limits to this opportunity as well; you can only go to driving school voluntarily once in a 12-month period, and you can not attend more than 5 times every 10 years. If you try to fight the ticket and the judge orders you to attend driving school, you have not used up your opportunity to choose driving school instead of points. If a judge orders driving school on Monday and you get a second ticket on Tuesday, you can still go to a driving school.
• 2. You can opt to fight your ticket. Consider reaching out to an experienced Traffic Ticket Attorney. A traffic ticket attorney will be able to review your case and determine your defense strategy. Depending on the nature of your ticket, an attorney may help dismiss the charges against you, reduce the fines, keep the points from going on your driving record and also keep the car insurance from shooting up.
• 3. Keep your vehicle registration, license plates, state inspection and your vehicle insurance updated. Letting any of these expire may draw extra attention by the law enforcement authorities; this can also be used against you in court, so keep yourself updated.
• 4. Avoid getting into trouble and receiving more tickets. Some insurance companies often reduce the insurance rates resulting from driving offenses provided you don’t get further tickets. These insurance companies will eliminate the increased rates resulting from your first offense if you continue to maintain a clean record.

The best way is to stay out of trouble. This means obeying the traffic rules and keeping your vehicle in good order. And if you have been ticketed for traffic violations? Our experienced traffic attorneys are well-versed with courtroom tactics and will help you get your ticket dismissed or charges reduced.

Anytime you are pulled over by the police, it’s natural for your blood pressure to go up and for you to start worrying about the potential consequences. The whole experience can be so unnerving that you simply want to forget about it and move on with your life.

But it’s a mistake to just pay your traffic ticket, particularly if you do not know the distinction between a civil and a criminal traffic violation. You need an attorney who is thoroughly experienced in handling these types of accusations. Police may try to pressure you to accept a deal or to simply handle the consequences of a conviction. Make sure that you have a sit-down conversation with an experienced Florida traffic ticket attorney to access the exact infractions or charges pending against you.

Basics of Civil Traffic Tickets in Florida

A traffic ticket is a form that is given to a pedestrian or a motorist when an officer has witnessed him or has reason to believe that you have violated a civil traffic law. Some of the most common reasons for a Florida officer to give out a traffic ticket are making an illegal U-turn, speeding, running a stoplight, committing a non-moving offense like parking meter violation, or crossing the street illegally.

These tickets will be an official paper form that an officer uses to inform you about the fine involved. It also tells you how you can respond as far as paying the fine online, mailing in the form and a check, or challenging the ticket and appearing in court. The terms ‘traffic citation’ and ‘traffic ticket’ are often used interchangeably to refer to these minor infractions.

A civil traffic violation which is the most common type that a person will receive in Florida does not have criminal penalties assessed. However, it’s a mistake to assume that there are no consequences. These can still have points assessed against your driver’s license, such as higher insurance premiums and a possible license suspension or revocation if you take on too many points over a particular period of time. If you drive when you know that your driver’s license is suspended, this could be raised into a criminal offense.

What Are Civil Traffic Citations?

Any person who has committed a traffic infraction across Florida is given a citation. This directs you to respond by appearing in court. You may be able to avoid appearing in court by mailing in a check or paying the fine online. An infraction is not a criminal charge even though it may have fines and costs associated with it. Furthermore, points may be added to your record. Your options after you have received a civil traffic ticket include:

• - Paying the fine indicated on the ticket.
• - Requesting an informal hearing.
• - Asking for a formal hearing and having an attorney represent you.
• - Attending traffic school.

If your driving record is in good standing and you have recently received an infraction, you can go to traffic school after paying the assessed fine. Traffic school is a four-hour driver improvement course and you have up to 90 days to complete the course after you have indicated your intention to attend. If you do pay the fine by check or online you have admitted your guilt and can no longer challenge it.

What You Need to Know About Criminal Traffic Tickets and Citations?

Criminal traffic tickets are different from traditional traffic infractions. This is because the ticket alleges that you committed a criminal traffic violation such as a DUI. Other examples of common criminal traffic violations in Florida include:

• Reckless driving
• Hit and run
• Being a habitual traffic offender
• Vehicular manslaughter or homicide
• Leaving an accident scene
• Driving with no valid license
• Driving with a suspended license with knowledge
• Attempting to elude law enforcement

While the vast majority of criminal traffic offenses are categorized misdemeanors, you could be charged with a felony depending on the specifics of your case. If you are charged with a DUI that led to someone’s death or serious injury, for example, or if you have already been classified as a habitual traffic offender. These offenses will probably be charged as felonies. These carry the potential for prison or jail time depending on whether or not it is a felony or a misdemeanor charge. You could also be looking at probation, home confinement, traffic classes, fines, revocation, or suspension of your license or the vehicle impounded.

Furthermore, there will be other non-criminal consequences that could follow you such as higher insurance premiums, loss of insurance, lost employment opportunities, and a permanent mark on your criminal and driving record. When you have been presented with a citation or a traffic ticket, you need to clarify what it means and how you need to proceed. The right traffic ticket attorney in Florida is a vital asset for identifying the exact charges or infractions pending against you and the options available to you to fight back. Call 1-800-CITATION for a free consultation.

Driving with a suspended license may result in penalties including fines and the possibility of jail time, with increased sentences for repeat offenders. The duration of the suspension of the driver’s license varies depending on the severity of the traffic offense, You could have your license suspended for a minimum of 30 days and for a maximum of 1 year, or a revocation for a minimum of 5 years, up to a permanent revocation for certain offenses. Driving with a suspended license is a criminal offense, punishable as a misdemeanor, or even a felony, depending on the case.

If you are caught while driving with a suspended license in Florida, you should consider challenging the case by hiring experienced traffic ticket lawyers, who are familiar with the laws, and the defenses. In certain cases, drivers with suspended licenses can apply for restricted, or “hardship” licenses. With this type of license in hand, they can drive during the period of suspension. Although, under this license, they are restricted from driving to certain places and during certain times of the day

• - Your first conviction may be a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum fine of $500 and a maximum of 60 days in jail.


• - Your second conviction may be a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum $1,000 fine and a maximum of one year in jail.


• - Your third or subsequent conviction may be a third-degree felony, punishable by a maximum fine of $5,000 or a maximum of five years in prison. Additionally, a conviction for driving with a suspended license, (DWLS), may result in additional suspension, or revocation of your license

If the state of Florida considers you as a habitual offender and your license is revoked, you may be charged with a third-degree felony for driving after revocation. In certain circumstances, your car will be seized. The intervention of an experienced Florida traffic attorney may help minimize the penalties charged for driving with a suspended license. To know more- Call 1(800) 248-2846!

If you been accused of careless driving, this is a traffic ticket that should promptly be handled by experienced Florida traffic ticket lawyer. Florida statute 316.1925 outlines that careless driving is operating a vehicle without the careful and prudent regard for the safety of others and their property.

Defining Careless Driving

This is a moving violation that can lead to points on you license, higher insurance rates and high fines. This citation is most often given when a police officer cannot find another specific violation associated with traffic accidents. It is most commonly given out to a driver when the officer believes that you may be at fault for a car accident but he or she did not witness the actual events leading to the crash.

This violation is different from reckless driving; although confused with reckless driving. Reckless driving is a criminal offense. You do not have to automatically pay a careless driving ticket simply because you feel like you might have caused the crash out of your own guilt. When you pay the citation, you officially admit guilt and will have to cope with the consequences like higher insurance premiums and points on your license.

If the officer who issued you this ticket did not witness the accident, he or she does not know what happened, and there are many possible ways that you could defend yourself in court. Traffic court is less intimidating if you hire an experienced Florida traffic ticket attorney to review the facts of your case and determine the best course of action to get it dismissed.

Don’t make the mistake assuming that you should pay the fine and put this behind you because admitting guilt for the accident carries its own set of unique consequences. In a careless driving allegation most often tied to a vehicle accident, it is your word against another person’s and not the police officer. Furthermore, remember that in the event that your case moves forward with the other driver alleging that you are responsible, accident reports are not admissible in court in Florida. The officer also cannot testify in court as to exactly what happened if he or she did not see the accident. Anyone who may have heard or seen something is allowed to testify but can be unreliable.

Police officers testify in courts frequently and are very professional in doing so in most cases because they know the element of the charge that are necessary for the ticket to stick. Individuals who may be in court for their first time, however, are most often nervous when they have to testify and many people also don’t realize what they are testifying to in court and the importance of other pieces of information and how it can influence their future. Being able to put the defendant behind the wheel is something officers are taught to do when testifying in court, because otherwise the judge cannot assume that the defendant was the one operating the vehicle.

A good traffic attorney, however, will be able to jump in on pertinent facts of information such as the fact that most drivers in an accident are likely outside of the car by the time a police officer arrives on the scene. This means that the officer cannot stipulate who is driving the car at the time. The accident report often plays less of a role in a future court claim than you think. They may be concerned that the accident report states that they have been at fault for the accident. However, Florida statute 316.066 states that no such statement or report could be used as evidence in any trial, criminal or civil.

In summary without a police officer testifying against you, with no accident report and only another person who may have seen what happened and this person’s ability to relay the story appropriately six months later to overcome the proof beyond a reasonable doubt standard is difficult. Hiring an experienced traffic ticket defense attorney when you have been accused of careless driving is important because the consequences for your record can be severe. Call 1-800-CITATION for a free consultation.

In Florida, as with many other states, your driver’s license has a point system for traffic offenses. The more offenses that you accumulate in a particular period of time, the higher the points and the greater the chances are that you will be suspended.

Some states operate in which points are deducted from a set number. However, Florida adds multiple points for each violation. After accumulating these points over a period of time, the authorities automatically suspend your license which means that you are not allowed to drive a vehicle for a certain period of time.

What Happens if I Get a Points Assessment?

Although the police will not be watching you individually to ensure that you obey, if you are pulled over for any reason and the officer identifies that you have been driving on a suspended license, the consequences could be severe. You could even be looking at time in jail. The points that are accumulated on your license in Florida are not permanent.

The points stay on your license for up to 3 years but then they are removed. Your driving record will always show the history of the ticket but you do not have to worry about points from many years ago affecting your license now.

Any points that are accumulated in other states can also be added to your Florida driver’s license because of reciprocity rules. Nearly every state in the country has signed the reciprocity compact. This means that each state respects the other’s laws and will make sure that their citizens do the same. If a driver from outside of Florida receives a ticket in Florida, it will likely show on their home license and the same goes for if you accumulate tickets outside the state of Florida. Suspension of your license has to do with the accumulation of points and the period of time in which you got them. They include:

• 12 points in 12 months leads to a 30-day license suspension
• 18 points in 18 months gets you a 3-month suspension
• 24 points in 3 years gets a you a full year of suspended license

While there are other ways to get a license suspended, being aware of the points accumulating on the license can help you to avoid a license suspension.

You can always check on the Florida’s DMV website to find out how many points you’ve already accumulated. Receiving any ticket does not necessarily mean that you’ll have points on your license. Sometimes certain violations allow you to attend driving school, for example to get those points removed.

This does not delete the ticket from existing on your record, but you can eliminate or minimize points this way, in the event that you are concerned that you have already accumulated enough points to get a suspension. There are limits to this opportunity as well; you can only go to driving school voluntarily once in any 12-month period, and you cannot attend more than 5 times every 10 years. If you try to fight the ticket and the judge orders you to attend driving school, you have not used up your opportunity to choose driving school instead of points. If a judge orders driving school on Monday and you get a second ticket on Tuesday, you can still go to a driving school.

Other Penalties for Speeding Tickets in Florida

Speeding is the most common traffic violation given in Florida and more than 500,000 tickets are given every single year, and this is does not include the many people who are pulled over and given a warning by the officer.

If you were going 15 mph or less over the speed limit, pay the ticket or are found guilty, you’ll receive 3 points on your license plus a fine that varies that from one county to another.

If you were traveling 16 mph or more over the speed limit, pay the ticket or are found guilty, the fine will be higher and you will get up to 4 points on your license.

If caught going 30 mph or more, pay the ticket or are found guilty, this comes with a mandatory court date and failing to show up for the hearing could get your license suspended.

A third offense of this type is a third-degree felony which can lead to $5000 in fines and having your license revoked for up to 10 full years. Because of these serious consequences, you need to be prepared to talk to an experienced traffic ticket lawyer in Florida as soon as possible after the incident happens. Call 1-800-CITATION for a free consultation.

You’re cruising along on the highway, and suddenly you hear the ‘whoop-whoop’ of the police siren, see flashing lights in your rearview mirror. Uh-oh! You’re being asked to pull over. You were probably going a few miles over the speed limit, without realizing it.

The officer writes you a ticket for speeding. Now, what?

Most people are not aware of the facts when it comes to speeding tickets. Social media rumors, second-hand stories, and false online information can lead you to make the wrong conclusions. It is important for every driver to be familiar with speeding ticket rules and the myths that surround them so they can effectively fight a ticket, should they receive one.

On the contrary, there have been many cases fought and won in court pertaining to speeding tickets.

Preparation is key if you plan to fight a speeding ticket in court. You should prepare as early as the moment that you were pulled over – note the device used to clock your speed, the officer’s comfortability with using the device, and the device’s functionality. These can all be grounds for dismissal of your ticket.

One reason for this misconception’s popularity is the fact that a driver representing themselves will be at a disadvantage when going up against a professional prosecuting attorney. Even though representing yourself may seem more cost-effective, hiring an experienced speeding ticket lawyer will drastically increase your chances of getting the ticket dismissed, meaning you will avoid both paying the hefty penalty and seeing your insurance rates increase.

This is not true.

It is within your rights as a citizen to fight the ticket and claim innocence. In this situation, you are not required to pay the ticket unless your efforts to fight the violation are unsuccessful.

However, you are required to respond to the ticket and convey your intention to fight the violation in court.

Before communicating your intentions with the court system, consult an experienced speeding ticket lawyer to ensure you are abiding by the laws. This lawyer can also help you fight the traffic ticket in court.

This is false most of the time, however, it may be true in some cases.

Each state has its own laws requiring different levels of involvement from the ticketing officer. Some states may not require the officer to show up at all, while others do.

Even if the officer is required to appear, the magistrate may decide to re-schedule or go ahead with the hearing in their absence. It is only on very rare occasions that the ticket gets dismissed automatically.

In summary, don’t opt to fight the ticket simply because you don’t think the officer will show up to court.

This misconception is false in most cases.

In the case of a typographical error, such as a spelling error or slight error in physical description, the ticket will remain valid.

However, if the ticketing officer made a larger mistake, such as failing to sign the ticket themselves, citing the wrong law, or filing the violation in the wrong county, you may have grounds to fight the ticket in court.

If you think your ticket may have a considerable error, consult a speeding ticket lawyer to assess whether you have grounds for a case.

Contrary to what you may have seen online, refusing to sign the traffic ticket does not mean you don’t have to pay it. Your signature on any ticket, speeding or otherwise, is simply a confirmation that you received it.

All tickets that are written are entered into the DMV database and listed on your record, signed or not.

Absolutely not. Even if every other driver was doing 80 in a 55 mph zone, and you were doing 70 and were the only one ticketed, the violation still stands. Keep an eye on the speedometer to make sure that you don’t go over the limit regardless of what others are doing. Even if you are overtaking or passing a slower driver, you must remain within the speed limit while doing so. If a ticket has already been written, it is highly unlikely that this argument will lead to a dismissal.

You’re fooling yourself if you believe that.

Each police department is in charge of setting their own guidelines, restrictions, and quotas (if applicable). Because the departments are not streamlined, there is no across-the-board answer that applies to all jurisdictions.

The truth is, most departments don’t have quotas. Officers are expected to remain productive while working their shift, as with any job. An easy benchmark for supervisors to use when measuring productivity is the number of tickets written and the number of traffic stops performed. A supervisor seeing an officer has written five tickets in one shift while another has written one may see the first officer as more productive. However, there is typically no set number of tickets that officers are required to write.

It is important to note that if you have been cited multiple times, you might have a suspended license in Florida in addition to other harsh penalties.

Have you been ticketed for speeding? The best defense you can use in court is an attorney that specializes in traffic-related cases. Our experienced traffic attorneys are well-versed with courtroom tactics and will help you get your ticket dismissed or charges reduced. Call us today at 1-800-248-2846.

If you receive a traffic ticket in Florida, the path of least resistance seems to be paying the ticket. However, most people simply do not know all of their options and therefore, avoid taking preparatory steps that could help protect them and their driving record in the future.

Knowing your options and empowering yourself with knowledge are two of the most important steps you can take to decrease the negative consequences of receiving a traffic ticket. Many people assume that simply because they have received a traffic ticket, they have to admit their guilt, pay the ticket, and move on.

Doing so could lead to major penalties on your driving record and other issues for you which is why it is always pertinent to investigate whether or not it’s worth fighting back. If you got a traffic ticket and don’t know what to do, the good news is that you do have options and paying a ticket is possibly your worst option. Hiring the right attorney to defend you, to protect you from the consequences of a traffic ticket is extremely powerful. When you receive a ticket in Florida, you have up to 30 days to decide which of the three options you will exercise as it relates to your ticket.

What Are My Choices with a Florida Traffic Ticket?

Your first option is to pay the ticket and take the points assessed to your license, the second option in most situations is to partially pay the ticket and elect to attend traffic school, and your final option is to fight the ticket. Many people assume that fighting the ticket will be too expensive or too much of a burden because they miscalculate the potential consequences for their future. It is always a bad option to simply pay the ticket and take the points; you are giving up and admitting to the violation itself, and you also risk an increase your insurance premiums by up to 40% over the course of three years.

If you decide to attend traffic school, you are essentially admitting guilt to the offense and will have to pay for traffic school and the full price of the ticket and waste time in the class. Furthermore, you are also generating a record that can also be seen by your insurance company as they make decisions about your premium.

Fighting your ticket, however, is the only way to give yourself a chance at having a ticket dismissed and keeping your driving record impeccable. The court costs are some of the most complicated aspects for people who choose to fight a traffic ticket to understand. There are four major factors that influence your court costs in Florida. These are the type of ticket, the judge hearing your case, the attitude towards the officer who pulled you over, and your driving history. The better your driving record in general, the lower your court cost will be. Your driving record will only come into consideration when it has been established that the judge does not intend to dismiss your case. Hiring the right Florida traffic ticket attorney at the outset of your case, however, increases the chances that the judge will dismiss your case to begin with and therefore will not bring up your driving record. If you fight your ticket and the proper legal motion is made and accepted, the case will can be dismissed and no one else will see your driving history, regardless of whether or not it is good or bad.

Speeding tickets and other traffic tickets in Florida can vary in severity. Certain violations will make the amount you have to pay much higher. Furthermore, many people underestimate that the impact that their attitude towards the officer could have. Anything inappropriate that you said to the police officer when you were pulled over and given the ticket can come back to bite you. So, it’s important to always remain calm and professional. The magistrate or judge who ultimately hears your Florida traffic ticket case will have the final say about your court cost and he or she is given a broad range of discretion in determining the appropriate punishment. This is why people who have very similar violations and identical driving records can have significantly different results.

Why Your Driving Record Matters

Florida’s unemployment laws now allow employers to see or challenge jobless benefits for former employees for conduct outside the workplace. This means that employers can deny benefits to former employees based on their personal history in terms of driving, not just their work-related driving history. This is why it is more important than ever to consider fighting back with your Florida traffic ticket.

Hiring an attorney is extremely important because far too many people who represent themselves make one of the three following mistakes in traffic court. These are not listening, not preparing appropriately, or talking too much. Having an attorney who works in Florida traffic ticket courts and cases all the time can increase your chances of success and give you a great deal of peace of mind. Failing to prepare for your trial includes thinking that you can figure everything out on your own or waiting until the last minute to review Florida’s traffic ticket laws.

The state bears the burden of proof in developing the case against you and if they cannot do that, the matter is dismissed. Identifying a Florida traffic ticket attorney at the outset of your case gives you the opportunity to have a lawyer investigate the circumstances of the traffic ticket and raise doubts that can be extremely effective in getting your ticket dismissed.

Being clear cut and making the most of your court time by hiring an attorney is strongly recommended. You should know these basic facts about your Florida traffic ticket case before you head in to court or before you make a final determination about how you’re going to handle the situation.