Getting a traffic ticket can be a traumatic experience. You suddenly owe hundreds of dollars to the court and will possibly have to pay thousands of dollars in additional auto insurance premiums over the next few years. This article will explain how you can fight a simple traffic ticket in New Jersey.
Why You Should Never Plead Guilty To a Traffic Ticket
Once you receive a traffic ticket you have two options:
- Give up and send in your money to pay the fine; or
- Contest the ticket
Sending in your money is the same as pleading guilty. If you plead guilty, the court will require you to pay the maximum fine allowed by law and it will record a conviction on your driving record for 5 years.
A conviction on your record will increase your auto insurance by an average of $300 per year for three to five years. For these reasons, pleading guilty to a traffic ticket is the worst possible option to choose from.
Why Do So Few People Contest Traffic Tickets?
Very few people who receive a traffic ticket contest them. This primarily because the traffic courts make contesting a ticket seem inconvenient and scary.
Threats of arrest warrants, license suspensions, MVC points, and surcharges are what the courts use to frighten people into pleading guilty without putting up a fight.
By contrast, the court makes paying the fine very easy. Nowadays, almost every court in the state allows you to pay online with a credit card.
However, contesting your traffic ticket is your only chance for total victory. If you fight the traffic ticket and win, you will pay no fine and have no conviction recorded on your driving record.
What’s more, only fighting a traffic ticket can provide you with total vindication for being unfairly ticketed.
Contesting a New Jersey Traffic Ticket
New Jersey traffic violations are punishable by substantial fines and fees and, in some cases, jail time.
An additional consequence is points assessed against your driving record. This could lead to increased insurance rates, difficulties with future employment opportunities, and the possibility of a license suspension.
Fortunately, you have the right to hire an attorney who can put together a defense to fight the ticket in a municipal court and win.
An experienced attorney can file a notice of appearance on your behalf to let the court know that you have retained counsel.
Furthermore, your attorney may also be able to waive your presence, so that you will not be required to come to court.
What’s more, your attorney can file a request for discovery and use the evidence obtained from the state to formulate the best strategy to win your case.
At the end of the day, your attorney’s goal is to get your case dismissed or reduced in order to avoid any type of conviction or, at the very least, minimize the consequences of a conviction.
Contact an Experienced New Jersey Traffic Ticket Defense Lawyer Today
Many people who receive traffic tickets in New Jersey have never been in trouble with the law or even seen the inside of a courtroom.
If you are one of those people, and you want help fighting a New Jersey traffic ticket, we encourage you to call us today.
We have a great deal of experience with the New Jersey municipal courts and have defended scores of people just like you.
Call us today to arrange a free case evaluation with a knowledgeable and experienced New Jersey traffic ticket defense lawyer.
The sooner you call, the more we can help.