How To Beat a Speeding Traffic Violation

The number of people in the United States that receive a traffic violation speeding ticket each year is in the tens of millions. Most of these cases have the same outcome, with the driver penalized and ending up forfeiting the funds stated on the original ticket. This isn’t the case for everyone, however. Some people who receive a speeding ticket don’t end up paying the entire amount, and some don’t end up paying anything at all. You may have received a traffic violation speeding ticket too, and are now considering the option of fighting the consequential fine or in some cases of excessive speed, jail time. If so, read on.

Don’t Automatically Assume Guilt

One of the biggest reasons people wind up paying fines unnecessarily is because of their own assumption of guilt. They figure, since a police officer gave them a fine, they must have done something wrong. The error here lies in the fact that while the police are an authority and should be cooperated with, police officers are human and do make mistakes. Always take this into consideration, and ask the officer what your exact infractions and speed were. The main factor here is to never admit that you are guilty. If you admit guilt, you will pay the ticket.

Be Polite

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when dealing with an officer at any level, whether it be a city police officer, county sheriff or deputy, or a state patrol officer, is to argue your case with them. Taking an argumentative tone with a law enforcement official will in almost all cases net you a serious fine, in some cases even jail time. Since police officers have the power of discretion, being as polite as you can be and offering an honest explanation as to your reason for the infraction can often get you out of being issued a citation.

Deferred Adjudication

The process of deferred adjudication relies on an agreement wherein the formal judgment made on your case is deferred for a period of time, typically until the end of the probationary period. This means a judge will typically tell you that if you refrain from receiving any more traffic violations in a certain amount of time, the original charges will be dropped and will not be applied to your record. In some cases, transferring your scheduled court date in counties with extensive backlogs will often result in your fine being lost or thrown out in the process in order to stay efficient in prosecution cases.

Getting Help

In all cases regarding traffic or even criminal law, your best option is to always know your rights and the appropriate procedures in the state you live in, or the state the offense occurred in. Taking a ticket to trial, spotting mistakes on the ticket itself, and remaining courteous to all officials will, in most cases, get you out of the fine itself and keep it from posting to your record. Working with an experienced and qualified attorney can also be important in fighting against your speeding ticket.

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