Let’s face it: even the safest and most conservative drivers can get a traffic ticket. We’ve all been there; you are 15 minutes late for work and going down a hill without noticing you’ve hit 45mph in a 30mph zone. On come the flashing lights and sirens, not to mention that feeling of your heart falling through the pit of your stomach. It is never a fun experience, but it happens to even the most seasoned defensive drivers.
So, what do you do when you’ve gotten a moving traffic violation? You’ll see on the ticket a court date, the officer’s name and badge number, and the choice to plead guilty or innocent (not to mention where to pay the fine if you accept the ticket). But should you just pay the fine outright? You know you were speeding; why fight the ticket and drag out the process? Accepting a ticket outright can lead to high fines and expensive points put on your driving record. That means costly insurance premium increases and even a driving license suspension if you get enough points.
Don’t Just Pay It. Fight It.
Best Traffic Ticket Lawyer in Orange County NY
Working with an experienced traffic attorney in Orange County, New York, is the best way to ensure you have qualified defense when it comes to protecting your driving record. Here are the five key benefits of working with a lawyer:
- Reduce Penalties and Fines
- Avoid License Suspension
- Expertise in Local Laws & Court Procedures
- Increased Chance of Case Dismissal
- Save Time and Stress
Reduce Penalties & Fines. Avoid Points-Based Suspension.
The main reason to work with a traffic attorney is to lower the potential fines or penalties like points on your license you may face. These are violations, not criminal court proceedings, but losing these cases can add points to your driving record. In this case, more points are bad. Higher points on your driving record mean more expensive auto insurance premiums as your insurer re-assesses the financial risk to insure you. This leads to higher monthly costs. Get enough points, and they may kick you off your insurance plan outright. You’ll be left to find a new insurer with more points on your license, and this can double your insurance costs or more.
There are also fines and points to consider. If a standard speeding ticket can cost $45-$600 plus a $93 state surcharge to the driver, plus court fees, each ticket you get can become quite costly. All this without even considering increases to your insurance costs. If you get a few of them, the fines get higher for each ticket, and a few speeding tickets can cost well over several $1000s. Receive enough tickets to accumulate 11 points on your driving record in an 18-month period and have your license revoked in the State of New York.
Here is information on the New York State Driver Points System (View what violations receive what points, the fee structure, and more here.)
Local Expertise & Court Relationship is Beneficial
Working with an attorney who knows the specifics of the local or county-level court proceedings can be highly beneficial. Every state and locality has its own court proceedings. Working with an attorney familiar with the Orange County, NY, traffic court system gives you an advantage in court.
For example, did you get a ticket on a stretch of highway famous for being policed? If your attorney is familiar with the area, they may know of specific officers or locations that are commonly ticketed and can take this into account for your defense. Attorneys can analyze the circumstances surrounding your ticket, like procedural errors, lack of evidence, calibration issues, or something else, to seek a reduction of the charges or outright dismissal. The point is that having someone in your corner who is not only a traffic law expert but also a local expert can pay huge dividends when it comes to avoiding points and fines.
Hiring an Attorney Saves Time & Stress
Consider a driver from Southern New Jersey passing through Goshen, NY, on Route 17 who gets a speeding ticket. Will they have the time to return in a month or longer when the court date gets set? Probably not, or not easily. What if they clear their schedule and get up to Goshen for their court date, and someone doesn’t show up like the officer, leaving the court date re-scheduled for 4 weeks later? This can mean a massive headache regarding travel expenses and time requirements.
When you hire a traffic attorney, they go to court on your behalf, so you don’t have to. In the best of cases, your case can be resolved on a singular court date, but in many cases, several court appearances may be required to complete the proceedings. This can mean a lot of travel, loss of work time, and other issues or costs related to physically showing u at the courthouse. Even if they are online court proceedings, you need to make sure you’re logged in, in a quiet place, for your court date, and that could take multiple hours.
Who to Hire in Orange County, New York
Tickets are a tax revenue generator for state and local governments while helping to keep the roads safe for motorists. However, they create significant headaches and can be extremely costly and time-consuming to fight. Whether you live in the area or are from out of town and received a ticket while driving through, having someone who knows the county, knows the courthouse staff, and, most importantly, knows the judges can make your case or break it. For the Best Traffic Ticket Lawyer in Orange County NY look no further than here at Evan Zucker Law, PC; proudly serving the area for nearly 2 decades.