Fighting a Traffic Ticket in NC

Imagine you are driving down the highway going 85 mph in a 70 mph speed zone. You’re driving without registration because you forgot to renew it at the beginning of last month. A North Carolina police officer pulls you over and issues you a citation for going 15 mph over the speed limit and driving without registration. Receiving this traffic citation, it may seem more convenient to pay for the citation so you can avoid going to court and put the traffic ticket behind you. This may be a mistake because paying a traffic ticket is an admission of guilt, which means you have violated the traffic rules and regulations, which can come with penalties including points on your license. This can increase the cost of your insurance and in some cases even lead to getting your license revoked.

Why Fight a Traffic Ticket?

Settling your traffic citation can lead to points accumulating on your driving record. When there are too many points on your driving record your license can be suspended or revoked. The number of points you obtain from a traffic citation depends solely on the offense that you are accused of violating.

There are some reasons why you may choose to plead not guilty to the offenses that have been leveraged against you during your court appearance:

• Avoiding accumulating points on your driving record.

• Fighting to keep your driving record clean.

• Proving that there is no evidence to prove you committed the offense.

• The possibility that charges may be dismissed if the officer does not show up on the court date.

• Avoiding a conviction or getting certain charges dismissed or reduced.

NOTE: The traffic violation can increase your insurance payment because an insurance company will see you as a high risk driver.

Ways an Attorney Can Help

1. An attorney may be able to get you out of the traffic citation. Your attorney may see a way out of the traffic violation by using their legal knowledge to identify technicalities and find errors in the citation. Additionally, an attorney may be able to work with the District Attorney’s Office to get certain violations dismissed or reduced.

2. An attorney can reduce the amount the traffic ticket is requiring you to pay. An experienced attorney can negotiate your traffic violation so you do not have to pay the full price of the violation. Additionally, while you do have to pay an attorney for their services, the rates are reasonable and will save you the time and effort required for this process. Your attorney will handle all of the paperwork and can apply their learned experience to best plead your case and work with the District Attorney’s Office to reduce or dismiss some of the charges.

3. An attorney is there to protect your rights as a driver–while you as a driver know some of the common rights you have as a driver, an experienced attorney knows all the rights you have as a driver and will work to defend you better than you are able to defend yourself. 

Fighting your traffic ticket does not automatically mean that the charges against you will be dismissed. Speaking with an attorney before paying your traffic ticket will give the attorney a chance to give you all of your available options. The attorneys at Betham Law are experienced, understand North Carolina traffic laws, and will use their knowledge in your favor. If you have received a traffic citation and would like to speak to an attorney about your options, schedule a consultation today with an attorney at Betham Law, PLLC and we will guide you through the process.