traffic ticket - plz help!

Hi guys, I got a ticket for rolling over a stop sign. The officer asked me to plea not guilty to avoid insurance inflation. I was very polite and calm. My hope is to waive the points and lower the fine. In this case, is it wise to hire a lawyer? I am thinking to tell the officer I am short of money to pay the fine in full, however, with a lawyer, the officer may not think I am short. Do I need to hire a lawyer?

The ticket is what, $2-300? Traffic lawyers are usually $50-150+. Watch your mailbox I'm  sure you'll  get some letters from ambulance chasers. Or you go down to the courthouse and tell them you want to do deferred adjudication.  Don't screw up for 90 days and it won't show up on your record. They will probably let you do a finance plan too. Good luck. 

Also, download the Waze app. It will tell you where the cops are hiding.

I don't pay for the lawyer. My employer provides the legal insurance. Nothing out of my pocket for the lawyer. I am just confused if hiring a lawyer really helps or do the opposite. How's the chance to get point dropped AND fine lowered?

Thanks for  the Waze app!

I got a lawyer and total it cost more than the ticket but it's not on my record so it saves insurance.

Also I drive for a living so it's important to keep my record clean. I don't like lawyers but they do have a use.

Pattyo said:

 

Also, just don't roll over a stopsign

here, I fixed that for you. 

we all speed, but rolling through stopsign to save 1 second on your drive really isn't worth it. 

Most places have traffic school.  Several hours of teenaged driver ed, cost a little less than the fine, usually, and no insurance points. 

But you can only do it every two or three years, so you'll be quite motivated to follow Irish' s advice!

Thanks for the input. But what about the lawyer question?

cxhw said:

Thanks for the input. But what about the lawyer question?

 

I mean, unless you're on the verge of losing your license to too many points, I'd just eat them, personally. Now, if you already have a bunch of points, that's another story. 

I have successfully defended myself on several occasions, and unsuccessfully as well. I do not think the lawyer would have helped where I failed. Also the juristiction makes a difference. Even from town to town or judge to judge within a town. Some always believe the cop no matter, and some are pretty reasonable. The fact the cop is willing to be reasonable helps you. Some places the cop is the prosecutor, some places he is just a witness/litigant. If cop is prosecutor and reasonable you can likely plead guilty to a lesser charge. Do some research, a warning sign violation is no points in NY or NJ, but like 4 or 6 in FL.

I don’t know where you live but in PA if you take a hearing and play nice the officer will usually change the statue on the ticket to one that carry’s no points.  Personally I wouldn’t hire a lawyer for simple traffic tickets. 

cxhw said:

I don't pay for the lawyer. My employer provides the legal insurance. Nothing out of my pocket for the lawyer. I am just confused if hiring a lawyer really helps or do the opposite. How's the chance to get point dropped AND fine lowered?

I've  ever heard of such thing where the employer pays for the lawyer. If that is true then by all means speak with a local lawyer who had dealt with this jurisdiction in the past.  His experience will tell you if it is worth his time or not. 

Is this in the US? Where did it happen? 

How much money do you lose by taking the day off to go to court?

Hmmmm....new poster.  Only 4 comments on same vague thread about a ticket.  Methinks canoe.

A lawyer will shorten the time you are in court.  Usually defendants with lawyers are called first.

In reply to Ovid_and_Flem :

I was of the same thought but took the approach of ask questions. We'll see if they keep talking. 

It may be the most complex canoe ever built.

How's your driving record?  If you have some many points for bad judgement that you're about to lose your license, lawyer up.  If not, plea not guilty, go to court and try to get it lowered to a 1201a (parking on the sidewalk).

My record is clean. No points at all. first time offender. 

I am in PA.

In reply to cxhw :

I've  ever heard of such thing where the employer pays for the lawyer. If that is true then by all means speak with a local lawyer who had dealt with this jurisdiction in the past.  His experience will tell you if it is worth his time or not. 

If you have prepaid legal, use it.  Send the lawyer and don't give it any more thought.  Going to traffic court to defend yourself is a waste of time, the system is rigged.   So is going to traffic school. You are going to pay the 'fine' (court costs) either way.  You already earned a ticket to that dance. 

Quit rolling through stop signs and look out for public servants hiding in the bushes. :)

John Welsh said:

In reply to cxhw :

I've  ever heard of such thing where the employer pays for the lawyer. If that is true then by all means speak with a local lawyer who had dealt with this jurisdiction in the past.  His experience will tell you if it is worth his time or not. 

Many employers provide third-party prepaid legal coverage as a benefit.  You call, get a ticket #, they have local firms and a local lawyer in the area will be assigned the case and go represent him.  Then he'll get a letter with the disposition...usually don't get another one for 60 days, etc.  Oh...and pay the court costs, which is probably 95% of the fine.

Lawyers often contact the DA directly though means not always available to us. Have had a few tickets dropped after a phone call, others I still ate the fine, but dodged the points. As someone who does good representing myself, i still would go with a lawyer given the chance. But start the process now, takes a while for a traffic lawyer to pop up sometimes in the corp systems.

"The officer ask me to plea not guilty to avoid insurance iinsurance inflation..."

Huh?  Smell test anyone?

If this is a legit poster, first offense stop sign is eligible for traffic school.  Go to court, ask judge to allow traffic school, pay fine, go to traffic school, receive no points/insurance increase.  FYI I looked up the PA law.

Now...get off my lawn.

New poster with no profile. Hmmm.

PA is a bit unique compared to most states. Pleading "not guilty" carries NO assurance you will not be handed points. It only means you will have a date at the district justice to plead your case. The quality of justices (judges) varies greatly. I've had some who were very decent and helpful and others who always found the defendant at fault because HOW DARE YOU QUESTION THE LAW.

What you can hope for is your ticket charge to be changed to "failure to obey a traffic control device" which carries no points but still packs a fine, which is what they really want. Curious that the officer didn't just cite you for that at the scene if he was so willing to help you out. I've had cops do this for my transgressions and it removes the need to go to court.

PA has no 'traffic school' or other opt out when it comes to fines.

Keep in mind, the poster is not saying that they failed to stop fully at a stop sign, they ROLLED OVER a stop sign.  I assume they were traveling at a high rate of speed, lost control, clipped the curb, rolled the vehicle several times, taking out a stop sign along the way.

I would get a lawyer for that.