How Can You Beat A Traffic Ticket Far From Home?
You may have heard that police target drivers from other states for speeding tickets because those drivers can't come back to fight it. There may be some truth to this in more notorious speed trap areas, but being out of town doesn't mean you can't fight your ticket. Here's what you can do.
Negotiate the Ticket
Some areas may negotiate a ticket down to a lesser one. For example, you might get a speeding ticket with a $300 fine that you know will also cause your insurance rates to go up. Depending on your driving record, the local prosecutor might offer you a $100 ticket for a lesser infraction that won't affect your insurance instead. This type of deal is common in many areas because the speeder still gets some penalty, the local government gets fine revenue, and everyone saves having to have a court hearing.
Exactly how much room there is to negotiate varies by area. You can have a local traffic lawyer who's familiar with the local customs negotiate for you if you don't know what to ask for.
Go to Traffic School
Going to traffic school isn't exactly fighting the ticket, but it can remove some of the penalties. You pay the fine plus traffic school costs, but you don't get points on your license or have your insurance go up. This might be enough of a win for you to take this option. However, if you have a job that requires a clean driving record, you might want to ask your traffic lawyer if this could still impact your job.
File an Affidavit of Defense
An affidavit of defense is a sworn statement that you mail in telling the judge what you would have said in court. The judge reads it and then makes a decision. You can do this on your own, but a traffic lawyer can help you make the correct legal arguments.
Send Your Traffic Lawyer to Court
You may also be able to send your traffic lawyer to court without you going. For example, say you don't want to testify but you want your traffic lawyer to challenge whether the radar detector was operating correctly. In many areas, your traffic lawyer can make that argument without you having to be present.
To learn more about how to beat a traffic ticket you get when far away from home, contact a local traffic lawyer today.