I Was Given A Ticket And Released With A Date To Appear In Court. What Do I Do?

Once you are given a ticket for a traffic violation, you have two options:

1. You can pay the ticket.
2. You can look at the ticket and take note of your court date. 

If you want to fight the ticket, you need to appear in court on that date and time, without fail. In most cases, if you want to defend against a ticket, you need the help of a traffic ticket defense lawyer, as a legal professional will how to work within the system and take action to assist you to avoid consequences.

As a traffic ticket will affect the cost of insurance, and if you already have points on your license, could lead to license suspension, many people choose to fight a traffic ticket, and hire an attorney to take charge of the situation, and the court appearance.

If you pay the ticket, you are admitting guilt. If you don't pay the ticket and then don't appear in court on your court date, eventually you can expect to be picked up on a warrant, which is not only expensive, it can be very embarrassing. In order to be freed from custody, you are forced to pay the ticket, which now costs more. Your mug shot will be posted online, and if someone searches your name, that image can be pulled up. These are all very real consequences.

You have the option of defending against the ticket, and avoiding all of these problems. Get in touch with a lawyer that knows the process and will take care of all of the details if you hope to avoid conviction. This can be extremely important in a DUI charge or other serious criminal traffic offense.

Connect with Jonathan Blecher, P.A., Miami lawyer, for more information about defending against traffic tickets.

The Best Ways To Fight Your DUI Charge

Just because you face a DUI arrest doesn't mean your situation is hopeless. Far from it. There are many possible defenses that can be engaged to help you fight these charges. Some of the most common defenses include:

• Illegal Stop – Often, drivers are stopped without any reasonable suspicion or because they were caught in a DUI checkpoint. With the help of an experienced defense attorney, you may be able to prove the stop was illegal or the police acted outside their guidelines and have the charges dismissed. 

• Sobriety Tests – Florida does not require requires drivers to submit to field sobriety tests, and you can refuse when a police officer asks you to take one. If you did end up taking a field sobriety test, however, one very successful defense is to fight the validity of the testing and the test results.

• Chemical Tests - If the breath or blood testing equipment used has not been properly maintained or the officer administering the test has not been properly trained, your best defense may be rebutting the outcome of these tests. Officers must also observe drivers for up to 20 minutes prior to test admission. Failure to follow this procedure allows your DUI lawyers in Miami to use this in your defense.

• Illegal Arrest –If you are arrested simply under suspicion of drunk driving, we may use this as a defense. Law enforcement officers shouldn't be allowed to arrest you simply because you display what they believe are "classic symptoms" of DUI, since there may be dozens of legitimate reasons why someone may display them. You may be able to use this as a defense and have the charges dismissed, or evidence suppressed even if you have failed a breath test or refused.

Drivers who are charged with drunk driving should always have competent legal assistance. This is why it is so important to contact a DUI attorney if you are arrested. Without experienced legal counsel, you could be facing the loss of your driving privileges, be stuck with significant financial penalties and even jail time.