The fine you pay for a traffic ticket isn’t the only cost. By assuming the guilt associated with a ticket, you run the risk of getting points added to your license, having your insurance premiums increase, and getting the ticket added to your public record. Hiring a traffic ticket attorney is your best option to prevent this from happening. You’ll also save yourself a lot of stress in the process.
Here are 7 more reasons why you need to hire a traffic ticket attorney:
1. Traffic Ticket Attorneys Know the Law
We hire professionals to handle jobs we do not have the skills for. We hire plumbers to fix our pipes and accountants to do our books. You should also hire a professional when it comes to the courtroom. They know your rights, what to say – and sometimes more importantly – what not to say.
Without a traffic ticket attorney at your side, you will be up against a prosecutor (or in the case of traffic court, the police officer giving you the citation) that also does this for a living. If you want to defend yourself, but you’re not well-versed in the law, you should hire someone who is.
2. They Know the Process
Contesting a traffic ticket requires a lot more than just showing up in court. Before you do, you have to file documents specific to your ticket before the deadline. If you miss the deadline or filed the paperwork incorrectly, your case could get thrown out before you even enter a courtroom.
3. They Know the Evidence
If the prosecutor is submitting evidence that can be used against you, your attorney can challenge or suppress it. A good attorney can usually determine if the evidence is circumstantial or illegally or improperly obtained. Getting the evidence taken out of the equation can greatly tip the scales in your favor.
4. They Have Networks
The context of your case may require an expert witness. Experienced traffic ticket attorneys usually have access to large networks. To be an expert witness, someone must satisfy both legal and practical requirements.
The legal requirements are pretty broad. According to the Federal Rule of Evidence 702, an expert witness must have “knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education” which will “help the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact on issue.” The testimony must also be based on “sufficient facts or data” and “the product of reliable principles and methods” that can be applied to the facts of the case.
The practical requirements are much more complicated. Some of which include:
- Employer approval
- A flexible schedule
- Ability to meet the demand for their area(s) of expertise
- A CV so that the retaining counsel can review their qualifications
- A fee schedule or contract
- Excellent organizational, investigative, and research skill
- And much, much more
5. Traffic Ticket Attorneys Know Your Options
Traffic ticket attorneys know your options and can help you understand the repercussions of pleading guilty or not guilty. They can also review the evidence before them and give you their legal advice and suggestions.
6. They Are Affordable
Traffic ticket attorneys usually save you more in fines than what their services cost. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be in business.
They also save you from additional, unforeseen costs, such as demerit points and boosted insurance premiums.
7. They Fight on Your Behalf
Ticket attorneys defend you so that you don’t have to. In some cases, such as certain traffic court tickets, you don’t even have to be present! This will save you the stress of having to prepare for a trial and the nervousness you may get by stating your case in front of a judge and a crowded courtroom.
There are plenty of other reasons why you should hire a ticket attorney when you’re fighting traffic tickets. If you’d like to learn more, contact us.