You were pulled over for speeding or running a traffic light and now you have a ticket. You are wondering if you should pay the fine or appear for the ticket court date. The pros and cons of appearing in court are: If you want to fight the charges, you need to appear in court. You are allowed to have an attorney in traffic court. Traffic violations add points to your driver's license. If you win or get the charges reduced, you can keep a clean driving record. You may still lose if you appear in traffic court. Ask yourself, "How sure am I that I could win this case or get these charges dismissed?" If you haven't paid your fine by the date on the ticket, you will have to appear in court. If you don't show up, a warrant can be issued for your arrest.