Articles Posted in St. Louis Traffic Ticket Defense

While it may seem as if it is cheaper to simply pay the fine for your traffic ticket once you receive it, it is actually cheaper in the long run if you have an experienced attorney take care of it for you. Let me explain why.

Let’s say you are pulled over for speeding (I use this as my example because it is probably the most frequent thing for which people are stopped). The citation itself will provide you with an opportunity to take care of the ticket by signing the back of it, and mailing in the appropriate dollar fine. This will ensure that the ticket will no longer be outstanding (and therefore no risk of a warrant for your arrest being issued). But by signing the ticket and paying the associated fine, you are pleading guilty to the infraction, and a number of other negative things occur as a result (that you are not made aware of).

When you simply pay the associated fine for the speeding ticket, it will then go on your driving record by way of a ‘points’ system. A certain number of points (which should really be thought of as ‘strikes’ against you) are put on your record based on the type of infraction. Speeding typically will get you two (2) points, unless you are pulled over by a highway patrolman, in which case three (3) points are assessed. As these points begin to accumulate, your automobile insurance will consistently raise your insurance premium (because if there is one thing that an insurance company is good at, its raising your rates; and they are always looking for an excuse to do just that). In addition, it is also possible (depending on how frequently you get pulled over) that you could have your license suspended or revoked for several months up to a year. Reinstating your license thereafter is very time consuming and costly.

The attorney does this by working out a negotiated settlement (i.e. plea bargain) with the local prosecutor. But that only happens after your attorney has done the necessary work to make this possible. Depending on the circumstances and the type of ticket you received, this can be done relatively quick.

If you are pulled over for having committed a traffic violation (speeding, failure to use turn signal, lane change violation, etc.), you have a right to fight the ticket in court. The prosecutor will have to prove that you in fact violated the laws of the state, and convince the judge of this contention. You of course have the ability to offer counter-arguments in your defense. But this course of action can take a lot of time, and still end with you being held guilty of the infraction. Another option would be to simply sign the back of the ticket, which allows you to plead guilty, and simply pay the fine. This certainly takes care of the ticket, but there are consequences for doing this as well. If you do nothing but pay the fine, the state will assess ‘points’ against your driving record. These points should really be thought of as ‘strikes,’ because they have a negative effect.

If several points accumulate over time, a couple of bad things can happen. First, your automobile insurance will certainly rise, as you will end up paying a higher monthly premium. This is because your insurance carrier will label you as a ‘risky’ driver, and the cost of insuring you against things like accidents will be pushed up. Secondly, there is a chance that you could have your driver’s license suspended or revoked. The state does this in order to send a signal to those people who get a bunch of tickets over a short period of time. And the process to have your license reinstated can be costly and timely.

If you receive multiple traffic tickets over a condensed time frame, then it two negative things could happen: 1) your insurance premiums could go up substantially; and 2) you could be labeled by the state as a ‘Repeat Offender’. Repeat offenders can have their driver’s license suspended, or worse, could face jail time. But this is why it is so important to retain the services of a law firm that understands how to properly handle these matters.

When you are pulled over by a police officer for a moving-violation (let’s say your garden variety Missouri speeding ticket), the infraction will carry a certain number of ‘points’ against your record. These are not the good kind of points that you score in a game. Rather, ‘points’ should be viewed as ‘strikes’ against your driving record. The more points/strikes you accumulate over time, the higher your automobile insurance will rise as a result. This means steeper and steeper monthly premiums. But if you receive several of these citations for speeding in excess of the posted limit, the state will assume that you are not getting the message (that driving above the speed limit is prohibited). In general, if you have more than one or two such violations in a twelve (12) to eighteen (18) month period of time, you can be labeled a Repeat Offender. This can have serious consequences for your ability to keep your license, you risk jail time if there are any other future offenses, and could even have an impact on your job (especially one of the primary tasks in your employment is the operation of heavy equipment or driving).

But again, this need not be the outcome for you. The affordable St. Louis traffic ticket defense attorneys at The Bankruptcy Company can make sure that the tickets you receive do not turn into the headaches described above. Our team of lawyers will work hard to reduce the moving-violation you have been charged with to a non-moving violation. This will ensure that you will not be assessed any points against your driving record, thus keeping your insurance rates in check and your record clean of infractions. This is done by working closely with the local prosecutor and/or judge to reach an agreement so that the ticket is handled in an efficient, quick, and relatively painless fashion.